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Kieran Foran will return for Manly for the first time since signing his new contract with the Sea Eagles in their NRL clash with the Sydney Roosters.
Kieran Foran is on deck and his premiership-winning NRL side are looking back to their best, but coach Geoff Toovey admits he's concerned about Sunday's clash with the Sydney Roosters at Brookvale Oval.
Foran returns after a five-week lay-off for his first game since signing a new contract to stay with the Sea Eagles last month, but Toovey must do without four players due to State of Origin commitments in addition to winger David Williams who has a torn hamstring.
The Roosters will only be without NSW halfback Mitchell Pearce and head to Brookvale in decent form, despite last week's narrow defeat to the Warriors in Auckland.
Toovey's side have already lost to lowly Parramatta and Gold Coast this season, and the Sea Eagles' boss is one of the few people in NSW pleased to have Anthony Watmough at his disposal this weekend.
Kangaroos back-rower Watmough was a controversial omission from the NSW side to face Queensland next Wednesday and Toovey expressed surprise that he was left out by Ricky Stuart and backed him to prove a point to the Blues coach.
"Choc was disappointed, I've had a chat with him, but he's focused now on doing his best for Manly," Toovey said.
Watmough returned to non-contact training earlier than expected this week after sustaining a neck injury in last week's win over Brisbane at Suncorp Stadium and although he'll be given up until game day to prove his fitness, early indications are that he will be fit to play.
Toovey admitted Foran would have been involved last week against the Broncos had it been a finals match and said it was important to ensure the Kiwi five-eighth is fully recovered from a hamstring issue.
"We've got a few players out with Origin and the Roosters are playing some good footy at the moment, so I was keen to have him being fully fit for this game," Toovey said.
"Had it been a grand final last week he would have played, but our medical staff have worked hard with him to get him back and it will be great to see him out there."
Williams will almost certainly be replaced on the wing by Michael Oldfield.
