Fifita faces cash bait
Broncos can’t match Titans deal
BRONCOS coach Anthony Seibold has conceded the club cannot match the Gold Coast’s $5 million bid to poach David Fifita but is adamant fullback sensation Tesi Niu will not be heading to the Titans.
Fifita has received a $1 million-a-season offer from the Titans and is in discussions with Immortal Mal Meninga for a potential lifetime deal to join the Gold Coast.
The contract would make Fifita one of the NRL’s highest-paid players at the age of 20. With $2 million of their salary cap dedicated to Anthony Milford and Jack Bird for 2021, the Broncos are currently only able to offer Fifita around $700,000 a season to remain.
If money is Fifita’s only consideration then the Queensland Origin young gun will be Gold Coast-bound next year.
But Seibold is hoping Fifita will look at the bigger picture and commit to the club that has helped develop him into one of the NRL’s rising stars.
“From what I am led to believe he has been offered a fair bit of money to go down there to the Titans,” Seibold said.
“I reckon there wouldn’t be a person in front of me here (media) that wouldn’t consider that kind of money.
“He won’t be able to get that sort of money at the Broncos but we are desperate to keep David.”
Fifita isn’t the only Broncos player being targeted by the Titans, with Meninga also launching a bid to snare Niu.
Niu, 19, will make his starting debut at fullback in place of Jamayne Isaako against the Titans tomorrow at Suncorp Stadium and Seibold said the youngster had agreed to remain at Brisbane.