Titans pair’s rift is just a brother’s tiff
Tino denies any bad blood with Fifita
Gold Coast captain Tino Fa’asuamaleaui has broken his silence on a rumoured rift with Titans and Maroons teammate David Fifita.
The NRL rumour mill has been in overdrive with whispers that Fa’asuamaleaui and Fifita were involved in a training spat during a heated preseason session under new coach Des Hasler.
The ultra-competitive Fa’asuamaleaui has been leading Hasler’s attempts to toughen up the Titans and turn the club into an NRL premiership contender following back-toback bottom four finishes.
Titans figures have been quick to hose down rumours of a fight between the club’s two biggest stars, but neither player had spoken publicly.
Addressing the reports for the first time, Fa’asuamaleaui confirmed he had words with Fifita but insisted the incident never got physical.
“It was nothing, bro,” he said. “We’re just brothers and that’s what you do – you fight at times.
“It was nothing physical at all. It was a one-minute thing on the field.
“We were more pushing (motivationally) each other, which is good, you want that. You want boys competing and pushing each other and keeping each other honest.
“If you don’t have that then you’re not picking up on little things. It’s good.
“I still love him. Like I said, we’re brothers.
“It’s funny how it blew up.” Fa’asuamaleaui and Fifita have been close friends since their junior days, with Tino playing a key role in luring Fifita from the Broncos to the Gold Coast in 2020.
They are so close they had the same clause written into their previous contracts that allowed them to quit the club if former coach Justin Holbrook was sacked, which occurred last year.
But while Fa’asuamaleaui has risen to the club captaincy and inked a 10-year contract extension, Fifita’s commitment to the Titans has been questioned throughout his three years on the Gold Coast.
Fifita, who was linked with a return to the Brisbane Broncos last year, has a clause in his new $3 million contract that allows him to quit the Gold Coast Titans
before round 10 this year.
Fifita will miss at least the first month of the NRL season as he recovers from pec surgery, but Fa’asuamaleaui said he responded to his captain’s challenge and was on board with Hasler’s Titanic resurrection quest.
“One hundred per cent,” Fa’asuamaleaui said when asked if Fifita responded well.
“I love that about Davey. He listens to me and I listen to him when we’re chipping each other.
“It can get heated out there, especially when it’s 40 degrees,” he said.
“It was literally nothing bad and just funny how the media blew it up.”
The Titans will launch their 2024 NRL Premiership season against the Dragons at Cbus Super Stadium on March 9.