The inside story of how the Gold Coast Titans convinced David Fifita to reject the Roosters

The Titans know how much family means to David Fifita, with a simple act of kindness from the club involving a $4 packet of biscuits helping prompt the star’s decision to remain on the Gold Coast.

(L-R) David Fifita and Trent Robinson.

David Fifita’s once-incarcerated father has emerged as a pivotal figure in the Queensland Origin star’s decision to renege on the Roosters and pledge his future to the Titans.

Roosters coach Trent Robinson woke on Wednesday morning to the news that his club had withdrawn their offer to their star signing Fifita.

It was about 5.30am before club chairman Nick Politis was able to contact Robinson to tell him of the events that had unfolded on Tuesday night.

Politis was blindsided by a phone call from Fifita’s management around 10pm informing him there might be an issue with the Titans back-rower, who had agreed to a four-year deal with the Roosters just six days earlier.

They say a week is a long time in politics.

David Fifita shocked the Rooster with his change of heart on Wednesday. Picture: Getty Images

In the cutthroat world of the NRL, it can make or break a multimillion-dollar contract.

In that time, Fifita had vacillated, fretted and worried himself to the point of becoming physically sick over the weekend.

He even wondered if perhaps he should have chosen premiers Penrith over the Bondi glamour club.

Impressionable by nature, there is a view Fifita had been charmed by a Roosters sales pitch that had won over a slew of stars over the years, including James Tedesco, Sam Walker, Brandon Smith and Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii.

But when the high-octane emotion of a multi-club poaching raid had settled, Fifita’s mind returned to the bedrock that had sustained him through some traumatic teenage years _ his family.

FAMILY FIRST

Mother Gwen has been his guiding star. When the Titans star’s father Siaosi was jailed in 2019 over seven offences – he was behind bars when his son made his Origin debut that season – Gwen Fifita again stepped up.

Fifita and his mum shared a collective strength traced back to his early teens, when Gwen worked extra jobs, stacking shelves at Woolworths to help fund her son’s burgeoning football career.

David Fifita with mum Gwen Fifita back in his Broncos playing days.

Over the past two years, Fifita has reconnected with Siaosi, who had been jailed for possession of drugs and receiving tainted property.

Upon release, Siaosi returned to the family home at Redbank Plains and began healing with his son. Fifita’s extended family are regulars at Titans games. Titans CEO Steve Mitchell buys a $4 packet of Monte Carlo biscuits to serve to Gwen and Fifita’s grandmother with cups of tea at every home game, evidence of the club’s commitment to the forward’s family-first ethos.

Gold Coast Titans CEO Steve Mitchell is the man behind the kind biscuit gesture towards Fifita’s family. Picture: John Gass

The reality of Fifita leaving behind his mother, father and Indigenous relatives to live alone in the rat race of Sydney, with all its trappings and temptations, triggered the backflip to stay close to what he knows best.

“We have always been together, we’ve never broken up,” Gwen told this masthead in 2020 when Fifita quit the Broncos to join the Titans.

“Dave’s dad has some mental health issues and fights the demons in his own head.

“Dave’s relationship with his dad is very good. He missed a lot of David’s growing up and he was really hurt to be in jail when Dave played State of Origin because it was such a special night for our family.

“He could have taken his own life a few years ago but I stuck by him and having us as a family means a lot to Dave.”

The Titans were within their rights to continue speaking to Fifita under the NRL’s 10-day cooling off period. Coach Des Hasler had been working overtime to convince Fifita to change his mind.

David Fifita and partner Shaylee Bent. Picture: Glenn Hampson

Hasler is one of the game’s quirkiest coaches, but he can also be one of its most convincing. Fifita’s teammates were also leaning on the star back rower.

Mitchell had never truly given up hope when he received a call from Fifita’s agent Michael Hudson on Tuesday afternoon. The seeds of doubt were palpable. Hudson indicated to Mitchell that Fifita wanted to stay. The parties spent the next few hours discussing Fifita activating his two-year option.

Just after 5pm on Tuesday, Mitchell was satisfied the Titans had ambushed the Roosters. Done deal. It was left to Hudson to relay the news to Bondi.

Tino Fa'asuamaleaui and David Fifita. Picture: NRL Photos

WORD IS BOND

Captain Tino Fa’asuamaleaui is close to Fifita and on Wednesday, when news of his U-turn became public, he posted an image of the decision on social media accompanied by the song, ‘Word is bond’.

To some, it was a hint that Fa’asuamaleaui and Fifita – close friends who had rejected the chance to leave the club last season when Canberra chased Fifita and the Storm tried to entice Fa’asuamaleaui to return to Melbourne – had a pre-existing arrangement to stay at the Titans together.

For the past week, it looked like that agreement had been broken. That changed dramatically on Tuesday night as Fifita shocked the rugby league world by deciding to take up his option at the Titans for next two seasons on a deal believed to be worth around $2 million, rejecting the Roosters’ $3.3 million over the next four seasons.

On Wednesday morning, Fifita advised Titans players he was going nowhere.

FIFITA DROPS ‘GOOD AND BAD NEWS’

Politis had a sense of what was about to unfold on Tuesday night. Even though he was unable to reach Robinson, he immediately withdrew the club’s offer to Fifita when he was told that the barnstorming back-rower was staying on the glitter strip.

The words of Fifita were still ringing in his ears from last week. When Fifita signed for the Roosters he told Politis that he was calling with ‘good and bad news’. The answer was the same to both bits of information – that he was now a Rooster.

Fifita had quickly developed cold feet. The Roosters knew that the last thing they needed was for him to arrive at the club doubting his move. Politis decided it was better to cut the cord now than deal with an unhappy player during the course of next season – not giving Fifita a chance to change his mind again.

Roosters coach Trent Robinson was blindsided by the Fifita news.

FIFITA YET TO CONTACT ROOSTERS

It is understood Fifita is yet to reach out to the Roosters to explain his decision. Instead, it was left to his management, who were understood to be as equally as surprised by their client’s decision, to relay the news to Politis.

Needless to say it came as a shock. Politis had already made plans to catch up with Fifita on Sunday with the Roosters and Titans Magic Round matches taking place on Saturday.

Fifita, his mum Gwen and Fifita’s partner Shaylee Bent had been invited to share a meal with Politis on Sunday. That is naturally off the table.

The Roosters had also made plans to sign Bent to their NRLW side with Bent having spoken with Roosters NRLW coach John Strange as recently as Monday regarding a potential positional switch from the forwards to the backs.

It is unclear if that deal will now go ahead with the Titans hopeful of keeping Bent.

Those close to Fifita have said the 24-year-old has been struggling since making the decision to leave the Titans. Yet even his teammates were caught off guard on Wednesday morning when news filtered through that he was staying.

Five-eighth Kieran Foran wasted no time posting an image of Fifita’s re-signing on social media accompanied by a love heart and the words: “That’s life.” He subsequently changed it and wrote: “Let’s get it brother.”

Foran said Fifita’s retention was a sign that the club was moving in the right direction.

“Mate, huge for the Titans,” Foran said. “Shows the direction the club is heading and where he feels we are going and clearly wants to be a part of it.”

The Roosters, no doubt, thought he felt the same about them.

Originally published as The inside story of how the Gold Coast Titans convinced David Fifita to reject the Roosters