Kieran Foran made a name for himself as one of the top five-eighths in the NRL during the early 2010s, winning a premiership with Manly and representing his country on multiple occasions.
So you can imagine the surprise and confusion felt by then-New Zealand coach Michael Maguire when Foran asked to be the starting hooker for the Kiwis at the 2023 Pacific Championships.
Speaking to Sporting News' Ebbs and Flows podcast, Foran recalls his conversation with Maguire last year.
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"I remember saying, 'What's your thoughts about starting me at nine?' And he said, 'You're mad, Foz! What's your reasoning behind that?'
"I said, 'Well I'm not a natural nine, I'm not going to create for you out of nine, but what I am going to do is I'm going to give you line speed, I'm going to give you energy, hopefully give you some hit and blow the gas out, and then when the game opens up, bring on a natural nine, they can manipulate the ruck.'"
Foran's argument was clearly persuasive, as Maguire ultimately started him in all three games at the Championship, where New Zealand would defeat rivals Australia 30-0 in the final.
Foran believes the tactical shift to play him out of his normal position benefited the team overall.
"To go into a Test match and play nine we had to play to the style that suited us, and I think being able to play to my strengths in the early part of the contest was probably better for the side then to have me come on once the game had opened up.
"I don't think I could really add much value there in the middle of the park [in that situation]."
He admits he wasn't expecting to get the call up due to the strength in depth New Zealand has in the halves and at the nine position, but says his decision was never in doubt.
"I've got a great relationship with Madge — I really admire the guy — and we had some conversations and he just said to me, 'I love what you did for us in camps and in the World Cup in 2022, and we're thinking about bringing you in.'
"I said to him, I'm playing, I'll never turn up the opportunity to play for the Kiwis."
The Pacific Championship Final was one of 30 Tests Foran has played for New Zealand, with his first coming way back in 2009, and he became one of the youngest Kiwi captains ever in 2013 when he was just 22-years-old.
"I'll never forget that day. Stephen Kearney gave me the reins that day — Simon Mannering had gone down with an injury — and I just think every time I've pulled on the black and white jersey, it's been a really pivotal moment in my career.
"There's been some special campaigns, the 2014 Four Nations stands out — we beat the Aussies in Wellington in the final — the 2015 ANZAC Day Test we beat them, and obviously the Pacific Champs last year was super special."
