SHIFTING TACK ON HOW TITANS USE FIFITA

MAROONS coach Billy Slater has urged the Titans to revamp their handling of David Fifita as the Gold Coast’s $3.5m star prepares to make a last-ditch audition for Queensland Origin selection.

Fifita has been rated a “good chance” of returning from a knee injury in next Friday’s Queensland derby against former club Brisbane at Suncorp Stadium.

He will sit out Sunday’s clash with the Sharks at Cbus Super Stadium, the third game he has missed since injuring his knee in Round 8 against Penrith.

The Broncos derby will be Fifita’s final chance to impress Slater before the new Maroons coach selects his Queensland team for Origin I in Sydney on June 8.

Fifita, 22, could be considered an outsider for Queensland selection on the back of his injury and patchy form after being played at centre and off the bench by Titans coach Justin Holbrook.

Slater, a 319-game NRL legend, said Fifita had to get his knee right and receive more support from the Gold Coast’s game plan to get back to his devastating best.

“The priority for Dave right now is not Origin, it’s to get healthy and get himself back on the field,” he said.

“Dave can do some special things on the field, but the last thing he needs to be focusing on right now is the flashy stuff. He needs to be doing all the work around it.

“To be honest, if I was at the Titans, I would look at getting some continuity around him. He needs players around him who understand how he likes to get the ball and that’s the key for the Titans to get the best out of Dave.

“You see it in strike centres, they need the right service. Sometimes people just think you need to get the ball to Dave and it doesn’t matter how he gets it, but defences are so good these days that every team who plays the Titans, the number one guy on their tip sheet is David Fifita. There is a lot of attention around him.

“The Titans need to create some structures to get him into space and have other guys around him who can do the heavy lifting for him. If the Titans can do that with their attack, he will repay them, but hopefully he gets his knee right soon.”

While he will miss at least three NRL games, the injury has given Fifita an opportunity to reset after he lost his way on the field during the Gold Coast’s form crash.

Holbrook said the Titans’ highestpaid player was edging closer to return.

“He is in the limelight all the time so it’s good for him to narrow his focus, get his body right and get him back in as quick as we can,” he said.

“I’d love to have him back next Friday night. I think he will be a good chance next week.

“He’s not 100 per cent, there’s still a fair way to go.

But if not next week, I expect him to definitely be right for the week after (Cowboys game).”