NRL NRL 2025 General Recruitment Thread
- Thread starter Noitall
- Start date
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- #962
You’d need to back him to buy in and probably lower his tackle target zone a little bit
To be fair the report was referring more to David Fifita rather than NAS.
- Thread starter
- #964
Which report?
- Thread starter
- #966
Interesting, cheers. He’s played 6 games so far this season, David Fifita. More games than barely sighted in first grade I would have thought? Certainly wouldn’t rule it out though with him dropped
- Thread starter
- #971
Gold Coast coach Des Hasler refused to speculate on the immediate playing future of dumped $1 million forward David Fifita as rumours of a feud between the pair emerged.
Fifita was sensationally dropped from the NRL team last week in the latest twist to his tumultuous Titans career.
The 25-year-old was on the verge of leaving the club last year and signing with the Roosters, before backflipping to remain on the glitter strip. It followed his mysterious Origin snub from Queensland coach Billy Slater.
The Titans were laughed at for bending to the backrower's will and still handing him a $1m-per-season contract despite his wildly inconsistent form and his obvious desire to leave.
He went back to reserve grade at the weekend and put forward an underwhelming performance, registering just 58 metres from nine runs in a 32-0 loss for Ipswich.
Fifita gave a rare interview to News Corp in which he hinted there was more behind his axing than purely form.
"There is a reason for why this has happened but the real truth will come out one day. Everyone doesn't know the real story," he said.
Following Gold Coast's loss to Canterbury at Magic Round, Hasler was asked if he will consider bringing Fifita back into the team this week.
"We will have a look post game, he's had to review some areas and he had some thinking to do in some areas," Hasler said.
"So we will assess that and we will go again... just some areas that we wanted him to look at that he has worked on. Some thinking along those lines.
"We will get through this weekend and then we will review and we will go again, we have a very short turnaround for Newcastle."
Gold Coast faces the Knights on Friday.
Fifita was given a clip by Knights legend Andrew Johns on Nine's The Sunday Footy Show after rumours he fell out with Hasler over the way the coach was using him.
"You play where the coach puts you - you don't answer back to the coach," Johns said.
"He's an enigma, David - who knows how to get the best out of him."
Maroons legend and selector Darren Lockyer is equally baffled how Fifita has fallen so far out of favour.
"The reality is, he's always been the biggest and strongest out on the field," Lockyer said.
"He's always been dominant until he got into the NRL and when talent doesn't have to work hard, you fall into that habit. He just needs to become more mature about how he approaches his game every week.
"You've got to work hard even if you're talented, otherwise it's not gonna last."
Retired NRL hardman Willie Mason aimed both barrels at Fifita in his typically abrasive evaluation.
"What the f--- are you doing, David Fifita? Seriously, he's one of the most destructive forwards in the game," Mason said on his Levels Network podcast.
"There's got to be a happy medium with this kid. You've got so much talent, Fifita, and if you don't live up to it, it will be the biggest regret of your career.
"Des needs to really understand what makes this kid tick. I don't know what makes him tick, but I know when he's on, he is one of the most fearsome, dominant and aggressive back-rowers who has ever played the game.
"It sucks when I see a kid like this be in reserve grade. What are you doing? You should be one of the first picked in Origin … but you're playing reserve grade.
"It's like there's a zero care factor - you need to prioritise rugby league
Fifita was sensationally dropped from the NRL team last week in the latest twist to his tumultuous Titans career.
The 25-year-old was on the verge of leaving the club last year and signing with the Roosters, before backflipping to remain on the glitter strip. It followed his mysterious Origin snub from Queensland coach Billy Slater.
The Titans were laughed at for bending to the backrower's will and still handing him a $1m-per-season contract despite his wildly inconsistent form and his obvious desire to leave.
He went back to reserve grade at the weekend and put forward an underwhelming performance, registering just 58 metres from nine runs in a 32-0 loss for Ipswich.
Fifita gave a rare interview to News Corp in which he hinted there was more behind his axing than purely form.
"There is a reason for why this has happened but the real truth will come out one day. Everyone doesn't know the real story," he said.
Following Gold Coast's loss to Canterbury at Magic Round, Hasler was asked if he will consider bringing Fifita back into the team this week.
"We will have a look post game, he's had to review some areas and he had some thinking to do in some areas," Hasler said.
"So we will assess that and we will go again... just some areas that we wanted him to look at that he has worked on. Some thinking along those lines.
"We will get through this weekend and then we will review and we will go again, we have a very short turnaround for Newcastle."
Gold Coast faces the Knights on Friday.
Fifita was given a clip by Knights legend Andrew Johns on Nine's The Sunday Footy Show after rumours he fell out with Hasler over the way the coach was using him.
"You play where the coach puts you - you don't answer back to the coach," Johns said.
"He's an enigma, David - who knows how to get the best out of him."
Maroons legend and selector Darren Lockyer is equally baffled how Fifita has fallen so far out of favour.
"The reality is, he's always been the biggest and strongest out on the field," Lockyer said.
"He's always been dominant until he got into the NRL and when talent doesn't have to work hard, you fall into that habit. He just needs to become more mature about how he approaches his game every week.
"You've got to work hard even if you're talented, otherwise it's not gonna last."
Retired NRL hardman Willie Mason aimed both barrels at Fifita in his typically abrasive evaluation.
"What the f--- are you doing, David Fifita? Seriously, he's one of the most destructive forwards in the game," Mason said on his Levels Network podcast.
"There's got to be a happy medium with this kid. You've got so much talent, Fifita, and if you don't live up to it, it will be the biggest regret of your career.
"Des needs to really understand what makes this kid tick. I don't know what makes him tick, but I know when he's on, he is one of the most fearsome, dominant and aggressive back-rowers who has ever played the game.
"It sucks when I see a kid like this be in reserve grade. What are you doing? You should be one of the first picked in Origin … but you're playing reserve grade.
"It's like there's a zero care factor - you need to prioritise rugby league
Sounds like he needs to be in Auckland rather than Gold Coast or Sydney to get his career back on track, his lifestyle possibly won't allow him to sit on that $ till end of next year and retire at 26 due to no suiters, he needs to perform lol
Even if we had a bunch of talent coming through, if someone of Fafita's talent were available and willing to come to NZ at the right price, with Webby thinking he could get the best out of, it's a no brainer imo.
Not that it would happen, but if Fafita fell massively out of favour and couldn't get a gig elsewhere, and he was keen to come to NZ for $700k, you'd take it in a heart beat. It would be worth losing a Laban quality level rookie for imo (and I rate Laban quite highly). Obvs all on the belief that Webby would get the best out of Fafita
Agreed, that's why I said it would have to be for like $700k, which imo would be worth it.
I dunno, if we're lucky Laban will get to about half as good as what Fafita is at his peak, which is the best damaging forward in the NRL. If we can get that for $700k, id be willing to gamble what Laban potentially could be for us.
Imagine peak Fafita and Leka on each edge. Crazy.
Again, it's all a moot point as we wouldn't get a look in for less than a mill, which I don't think is worth it.
Nah man! Leka is playing way better than him and he's 19 and already being shaped by webby. He's the new Fafita!
McFadden always says he wants the get the right people at the club, fafita doesn't fit that bill.
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