SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - APRIL 25: Kieran Foran of the Sea Eagles celebrates with team mates after scoring a try during the round seven NRL match between the Wests Tigers and the Manly Sea Eagles at Bankwest Stadium, on April 25, 2021, in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Matt King/Getty Images)

The Sea Eagles have started out the season 4-3, and will likely find themselves among the top four to six teams come year's end. However, it may be a drama unrelated to their performance that could plague their 2022 season.

After struggling to return to former glory during his three year tenure with the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs, it was a reunion with Kieran Foran's former club, the Manly Sea Eagles, that re-sparked his career.

Since joining back up with the Northern Beaches side in 2021, Foran has found strong form and it seems as though his halves partnership with Daly Cherry-Evans hasn't missed a bit either.

Foran, who's currently on a one-year extension with the Sea Eagles, has reportedly been tabled another one-year deal, valued at around $300,000, that will see him at the club till at least the end of 2023.

However, despite the glowing news for Foran, the club, and the fans, there's one party that will likely be confused by the extension - 20-year-old Manly young gun Josh Schuster.

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - MARCH 01: Josh Schuster of the Sea Eagles makes a break during the NRL trial match between the Cronulla Sharks and the Manly Warringah Sea Eagles at Netstrata Jubilee Stadium on March 01, 2020 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Matt Blyth/Getty Images)

Just this week it was reported that Schuster's management had voiced concerns to the Sea Eagles that the youngster was promised the number six jersey when he signed his three-year extension at the beginning of 2021, however, the Foran contract talk had thrown a spanner in the works.

And the heat will likely be turned up now that Foran has been offered money that will lock him into the jersey for at least the duration of the tabled contract.

While $300,000 isn't the type of money you pay a backup five-eighth, a switch to hooker has long been touted for Foran and this could certainly be on the cards with the two set to be on the squad together for this season and next.

The crisis had been averted up until now as Schuster had played a back-rower role during his first two seasons, and more recently because the talented edge player had been sidelined with a syndesmosis injury to begin the 2022 season.

Despite this, the future star has shown glimpses of his ball-playing ability and featured heavily in the halves during his junior career.