4. Can Kieran Foran and Billy Slater Get Back To Their Best After A Nightmare 2016?

4. Can Billy Slater and Kieran Foran Return To Past Glories in 2017?
 
Two of the games superstars are looking to recapture past glories in 2017, as Kieran Foran and Billy Slater ready themselves for a return to the bright lights of the NRL. While the mercurial Melbourne Storm Fullback Slater’s persistent shoulder injuries have seen him spend the best part of two years on the sideline, Foran is looking to rebuild his career and his life at the New Zealand Warriors after quitting Parramatta with a myriad of problems. With the Storm looking to go that extra step this year after last year's Grand Final heartbreak, the Warriors are desperate to get back to the finals under a new Head Coach in Steven Kearney. Clearly both men will be crucial in both sides fortunes when assessing how their season might pan out. 

Foran was the prized signing for Parramatta in 2016 on a long term deal, with Peter Sterling adamant he was the man that could lead the Club out of their 30 year Premiership drought. Foran was one of the toughest and most respected players in the game when he made the switch from Manly to Parramatta, however his personal life fell apart and he was forced to take leave, before eventually quitting the club after suffering a serious shoulder injury. Foran had several issues in his personal life and was clearly a man who didn't want to be anywhere near a football field last season. His fall from grace was dramatic, and it was sad to see for a young man who was seemingly at the peak of his powers football wise. 

Foran is an outstanding five-eight at his very best. Tough and uncompromising, capable of being equally as good in defence as in attack, he was a leader, and would have been a game changer for Parramatta, if his head was clear. Foran is a decent ball player however it's the leadership, structure and hard edge he provided Manly which made him such a valuable commodity. However, last season by all accounts, Foran was far from a leader, often missing sessions and doing the bare minimum at a club that was already in massive off field turmoil. Foran actually managed to play pretty well when on the field for the Eels, however he wasn't able to stem the tide off the field, and his injury probably came as a relief to Foran. I think he was ready to quit the Eels regardless, and this gave him a perfect opportunity to do so. While Eels fan will not wish him the best at the Warriors, most football fans will hope he returns to the field in 2017. 
 
While the likes of Johnathan Thurston, Cameron Smith and Cooper Cronk have continued playing in Grand Finals and winning Origins in the past couple of years, Billy Slater has had a chastising two years. The electric Melbourne Storm fullback has had to watch from the sidelines as his team mates have continued to reach the game’s pinnacle. Slater has managed just seven games in the past two years due to a serious shoulder injury. Slater lasted just one game last season, before he was put away for surgery, casting huge doubts on his ability to play on in 2017. He has had to watch on as Cameron Munster seemingly made the fullback position his own, with some outstanding displays in leading the Storm to back-to-back preliminary finals, and a heartbreaking 14-12 loss to Cronulla in this year’s Grand Final. 

It's amazing what Craig Bellamy has been able to do with his side without a player as influential as Slater. It says so much for the Storm's quality, culture and standards that the side has barely skipped a beat in his absence. Slater is arguably the best fullback in the history of Rugby League with 172 tries from 278 NRL appearances, making him the third leading try scorer in the history of the game. Slater has won three Grand Finals, made 27 Origin appearances for Qld, and 25 for Australia from fullback. His all action style of play with his lighting speed, brutal courage and fabulous football instincts have made him one of the top few players if the game in the past decade. However, at 33 years of age, and having played next to no football for two years, the question has to be asked have we seen the best of Billy Slater? Slater, being the great athlete that he is will be determine to go out on his terms and prove the doubters wrong. 
 
Prediction -  I'm probably going against the trend here in thinking Slater can get back to close to his best in 201. What I don't know are the extent of his holder problems, however given a clean bill of health i am backing Slater. I think he can play Origin football again this season from the fullback role which many will probably bet against.  Whilst he is 33, his body and mind would be fresh from two straight years away from the unbelievable toll NRL football takes on a body, especially someone who plays at full throttle like Slater. Crucially, reports are he still has that zip off the mark that made him the player that he is. However, a few years ago arguably Slater was the best athlete in all of the country. I tipped the Storm to win the competition last season on the back of Slater’s return, and they did a mighty job without him. I hope he does get back to somewhere near his best, as he was a magical player - both for his brilliance and his courage. 
 
With Foran, the answer is I have no idea. If someone told me he would pay 20+ games I would tell them the Warriors will make the Top 8 and potentially the Top 4. However that remain a long shot at this point. Mystery continues to surround his move to the New Zealand Warriors, with the NRL yet to ratify his one season deal. The NRL want some assurances about the myriad of problems he experienced last season, as well as his relationship with controversial figure Eddie Hayson. Foran, at his best, is exactly what the Warriors need, a classy and composed playmaker that can stiffen up their defence and their on-field structure. However, he was also exactly the signing Parramatta thought they needed. Only really Foran knows if he is ready to return to his best and dedicate himself to Rugby League once more. The Warriors have been the biggest under-achievers in the NRL for the past five years, missing the finals regularly since their appearance in the 2011 decider against Manly. With Head Coach Steven Kearney brought in, the Warriors have all the talent on paper, but have seen a brittle culture and a substandard mental toughness halt their finals charge, as numerous late season fade outs buried them.