Kieran Foran Expresses Confidence in Joey Walsh’s NRL Debut
Kieran Foran has expressed his confidence in young talent Joey Walsh, stating that the 19-year-old is ready to step into the starting line-up for Manly’s upcoming match against Penrith. This comes after Jamal Fogarty was ruled out due to a groin injury, leaving Walsh with a challenging debut opportunity.
Walsh will face one of the toughest tests in the game on Sunday evening, going up against Nathan Cleary at CommBank Stadium. The Sea Eagles had given Fogarty until Saturday’s captain’s run to prove his fitness, with hopes that he may be available for the next match against Brisbane.
As a former Australian schoolboys rugby union representative, Walsh made his debut in Daly Cherry-Evans’ farewell game last season, playing 19 minutes off the bench. Foran praised Walsh’s abilities, highlighting his natural talent, dedication, and competitive spirit.
“He’s got endless natural ability,” Foran said. “On top of that, he is a wonderful student of the game, he works extremely hard. He is a tough kid and is really courageous and competitive. He just ticks so many boxes. Without putting too much pressure on him, we have high hopes for Joey’s future in this game. We love what he is about. And tomorrow night he gets to go out there and do it. And we have all the belief in the world he is going to get out there and get the job done.”
Despite being considered as part of Manly’s future, Walsh initially faced challenges in his development. Former coach Anthony Seibold had opted to keep him in the NSW Cup at the start of the year, but Foran took a similar approach after Seibold’s departure.
Another promising young player, Onitoni Large, is also seen as a long-term prospect for the club. While Manly currently has five-eighth Luke Brooks signed until the end of next year, Fogarty remains on the books until the end of 2028.
Fogarty has been one of Manly’s standout performers this season, while Brooks has shown significant improvement since Foran took over. Foran noted that Walsh has been working hard to build his game, and the opportunity finally came through an injury.
“It was really important he kept working on his game in NSW Cup and building parts of his game we wanted him to work on,” Foran said. “He’s been playing really well. I said to him a few weeks back your opportunity will come at some point through injury or what not, and it’s come this week.”
Looking ahead, the focus is also on Manly’s next coach, as Foran has yet to begin discussions about taking over full-time after his impressive start. The Sea Eagles are set to face the Panthers, Brisbane, and Wests Tigers in the next three weeks, which could be their toughest challenges yet under the Manly great.
“I’ve got a bit of a beef with ‘Foz’ there, he’s making our job look very easy, when we’re always trying to tell everyone how hard it is,” Penrith coach Ivan Cleary quipped this week. “It’s an amazing achievement, isn’t it? It’s obviously early in his coaching journey but clearly he knows what he’s doing and has got the full respect of the team.”
