Fermor won’t try to be Fifita 2.0
HOW does one replace David Fifita’s output in the Gold Coast Titans’ second-row?
You don’t, says his wouldbe stand-in Beau Fermor.
Fermor looms as the likely replacement for the suspended Fifita ahead of Sunday’s clash with competition leaders Penrith at Suncorp Stadium, with a mooted move from centre to the back-row.
If Fermor is handed the Mission Impossible task from coach Justin Holbrook and starts in place of Fifita, the 22year-old said there would be no Tom Cruise impressions.
“Obviously it’s unfortunate to lose Dave, especially against the Panthers,” Fermor said.
“The way he’s been playing, we need all hands on deck to beat a team like Penrith.
“But, if I get the opportunity to play (in the back-row) I’ll just try to play my role.
“I’m not Dave. I play differently to Dave and I’m not going to try emulating what he does, because I can’t do what he does.”
It was a fair comment from Fermor about a player who, with nine tries in as many games, has at times put the Titans on his back.
Twice Fifita has crossed for a hat-trick – Roosters winger Brett Morris the only other player to hit the triple-try tally more than once this season.
However, Fermor is not without tryscoring form of his own.
It was his matchwinning three-try performance in Burleigh’s
25-18 Intrust Super Cup win over the PNG Hunters that propelled him on to the Titans’ bench for the Round 8 loss to the Broncos.
He was then shifted to centre – and crossed for a try – in the win over the Wests Tigers last weekend.
His versatility is an obvious positive with Fermor saying his immediate preference was “somewhere in the 17” although beyond that, it was the back-row.
“(The back-row is) definitely my preferred position. I want to play there as much as I can and put my best foot forward to give Justin a good headache,” Fermor said.
That starts with a quality showing against the benchmark team in the NRL on Sunday.
“It’s a great challenge for us,” Fermor said.
“Obviously the Panthers have been the form team for probably the past two years now.
“To come up against a side like that will help show us how we’re really going.
“If you want to win the comp you need to beat the best – the Panthers are that.”