FIFITA TIPPED TO STAY TITAN
Hasler’s role important
Titans playmaker Kieran Foran is confident David Fifita won’t quit the club as Queensland legend Gorden Tallis tipped Des Hasler to take the Maroons star’s game to a new level.
Fifita has the Titans on tenterhooks due to an exit clause in his contract which allows him to depart Gold Coast at the end of the upcoming NRL season.
Fifita, who turned 24 this week, has until round 10 to activate the clause if he wants to terminate his three-year contract.
The clause was inserted into Fifita’s new deal on the back of former coach Justin Holbrook’s sacking last year, giving Fifita the flexibility to quit the Titans.
While Fifita will miss at least the first month of the 2024 NRL premiership as he recovers from pec surgery, his teammates haven’t seen any signs that the former Broncos bulldozer wants out of Parkwood.
“I do see him committed,” Foran said.
“There’s always that hype around him and he’s got clauses in his contract, but he seems really committed to the club at the moment.
“He’s really focused on playing great footy for the side. That’s all I’ve seen from him this pre-season.
“He’s making some inroads with that pec. He’s starting to come along really nicely now and has been running for a few weeks. He’s just got to get his strength up to scratch.
“He’s been dedicated to getting himself right and making sure he’s ready to go for the side.
“We certainly need him. He’s a dynamic player and has the X-factor you need to go deep in the finals. We’ll be relying on him to provide that for us.
“You can see he’s chomping at the bit. He’s really keen to get back in there.”
Despite playing in a Titans team that finished in the bottom four, Fifita had a strong 2023 season and was named in the Dally M team of the year following 22 games and eight tries.
He is behind the eight-ball this year due to the pre-season pec injury suffered at training in December and won’t be on the field when the Titans launch their season against the Dragons at Cbus Super Stadium on March 9.
Fifita and captain Tino Fa’asuamaleaui became free agents when Holbrook was sacked, with the latter scoring a 10-year contract from the Titans to remain on the Gold Coast.
Fifita only committed until 2026, with the round 10 clause inserted, but Tallis said he could flourish under the coaching of two-time NRL title winner Hasler.
“The Titans have got to be better. For the first time there’s no hope – there’s an expectation,” he said.
“Des is a bit like Craig Bellamy (Melbourne Storm coach). He’ll hold them more accountable and you can’t bitch about him because he’s got his runs on the board. No player can say that Wayne Bennett (Dolphins coach) is no good and start complaining.
“Des will have full rein and the squad’s good enough. Des has played with big, wide-running backrowers and coached them.
“Because Dave was such a talented young guy, he never really had to learn the game and its nuances.’’