NRL 2020: Cronulla Sharks’ Andrew Fifita opens up on injury setback
Andrew Fifita played his first match in three months last week against St George Illawarra, explaining his season was dented less than 24 hours after returning to training in early May.
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A torn calf tendon — and not his widely reported knee issue — is what forced Andrew Fifita to wait three months before returning to the NRL last week.
Claiming his knee is as good as it’s “ever been” and that medical retirement hadn’t been considered, the ex-NSW Origin prop instead told how he had deliberately bulked-up to 124kg — as he plans to play less minutes, but with a higher rate of force and power.
“My knee is actually really good at the moment — probably the best it’s ever been. I’m squatting 270, close to 300 kilos. It was just about getting that calf right (before I could play again),” Fifita said.
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The senior Sharks forward underwent a knee arthroscope and stem cell surgery at the end of last year, which given his limited pre-season forced his withdrawal from the NRL and Indigenous All Stars match in February.
He recovered to feature in Cronulla’s first two rounds (Souths and Melbourne) before the COVID-19 premiership shutdown.
Fifita played his first match in three months last week against St George Illawarra, explaining his season was dented less than 24 hours after returning to training in early May.
“I trained all over the break, I felt as fit as ever. And then when I came back in on the first day on the field, I tore my calf,” Fifita said.
“It was the worst feeling.
“During the break, I really knuckled down ... to be the fittest I could be. I installed a home gym and really took it upon myself — and to have that (torn calf) happen, it was the toughest thing.
“The first two rounds I was playing at 119kg — which I felt was way too light for my liking. So I wanted to go up and put the right muscle in the right places, especially a lot more muscle in my legs, so that was the main focus over the (COVID-19) break.
“I feel really comfortable with where I’m at.
“The best thing for our team with the limited minutes I’m getting, I can afford to put on those extra kilos.
“If I was playing my usual 65-70 minutes, I’d probably drop a few kilos, but at the moment I feel comfortable.”
Fifita played 43 minutes against the Dragons, producing 12 carries for 107m.
“It was a risk to play on the weekend with my calf, but it’s kind of tough at the moment with the Sharkies and I really needed to get out there and help my club,’’ Fifita said.
“I think there’s a lot of outside noise when it comes to me personally, but at the moment, my body is doing really well.”
Senior Sharks weigh in on Morris future
Sharks leaders Chad Townsend and Andrew Fifita have moved to scupper any pressure on John Morris by declaring the head coach has the playing group’s full support.
In the midst of a turbulent 18-months to start his career as a head coach, Morris’ Sharks are currently 13th on the NRL ladder and facing a must-win clash with 15th-placed Canterbury on Sunday at Bankwest Stadium.
With just one win from five games this season, Morris has been forced to defend his position amid speculation over his future and with Cronulla’s finals hopes on the verge of slipping away.
But premiership-players Townsend and Fifita said the onus and pressure fell back onto the entire playing group and that the only way to silence the speculation surrounding their coach was by beating the Bulldogs.
“Bomber (Morris) is doing a great job with some of the adversity that he’s faced in his first year and a half as coach,’’ Townsend said on Wednesday.
“I speak as a senior player here at the Sharks, we fully support Bomber and what he’s been doing and the things that he’s been implementing.
“He’s not the one out there playing the game. He’s given us every chance to play well and is preparing us really well, so we support him 100 per cent.”
Asked if Townsend felt the players had extra motivation to ease the pressure on their coach, the Sharks halfback said: “We need to take the pressure off everyone, we’re all under pressure at the moment.
“We’re not getting the results that we need too and I truly believe we’re doing it to ourselves.
“We’re the most ill-disciplined team in the competition.
“We have the lowest completion rate in the competition and those two areas are what we’re doing to ourselves.’’
Despite the noticeable dent the loss of Matt Prior (UK), Josh Morris (Roosters) and Bronson Xerri (suspension) has had on the Sharks, Fifita said he believed the squad was capable of performing under Morris.
“I know we’ve got the squad to do what we can and we stand by Bomber (Morris) no matter what,’’ Fifita said.
“For us down here, we’re tight-knit, we’re all-in-all.
“We know the only way we can help the club out in general is just win.’’
Steady, Eddie: Morris shrugs off Sharks coach rumours
By Matt Logue
Dual-code legend Mat Rogers has declared Eddie Jones would be a revelation as an NRL coach and is certain his former Wallabies mentor would take the jump to rugby league in his stride.
Rogers played under Jones for three years when he switched to the 15-man code in the early 2000s, and claims the current England rugby coach’s work ethic is among the best in sport.
Jones has been linked with Rogers’ former club at Cronulla, with reports suggesting the Sharks could consider him as an option to replace current coach John Morris.
The 60-year-old has never coached in rugby league, but Rogers believes from his dealings with Jones that his knowledge of the game and capacity for hard work mean he would quickly pick up the intricacies of the sport.
“He’d be a revelation,” dual-international Rogers said.
“He has a brilliant mind. A brilliant sporting mind. And his work ethic is relentless. He knows the game of rugby league, he knows it really well. “Alan Jones did it (at Balmain), and I would put Eddie Jones on another level in his work ethic. I can see him being a success 100 times over. “There is no way I look at it where I can’t see him being a success, the way he operates.”
Jones is tied to English Rugby until 2023, and they have indicated there has been no request Rogers points to the way Jones built Japan’s national side ahead of the 2015 Rugby World Cup and has subsequently turned England back into a powerhouse.
“He’s a brilliant coach and a hard taskmaster. He will get the best out of his players,” Rogers said.
“The great coaches demand a lot from their players.
“Look at Des Hasler, Craig Bellamy and Wayne Bennett. These guys are hard taskmasters but they are fair.
“Whoever landed (Jones) as coach would do well. It might be a year or two transition until he gets the squad he wants. But he is a career coach.” Morris, whose side are aiming to recover from a 1-3 start when they face St George Illawarra on Sunday, said he had been surprised by reports of Cronulla’s interest in Jones.
“They came from left field,” he said. “I can’t control that, I can’t control the rumours or innuendo around the game ... I can’t get caught up in off-field matters like that.
“My contract goes until the end of 2021. I’m really committed to this club and building something special.”
Cronulla coach John Morris isn’t concerned about rumours linking Jones to his head coaching role at the Sharks, saying he is determined to secure his future with strong results.
Morris is contracted until the end of the 2021 but influences around the club are having a quiet look at alternatives following Cronulla’s 1-4 start to the season.
Other names to be mentioned as potential coaches at Cronulla are North Queensland Cowboys Paul Green, a premiership winning coach and former Sharks grand finalist, and Warrington coach Steve Price, who briefly worked in an assistants’ role at the club.
Morris said he was “quite surprised” when he read reports linking Jones to the Sharks.
“It certainly came from left field. Think everyone was surprised by it. I don’t know where it came from and I can’t control rumour and innuendo around the game or what gets reported.
“All I can control is what happens here inside Shark Park and preparing our footy team and I can’t get caught up in off-field matters like that.
“I’m contracted until the end of 2021 and I’m really committed to this club and building something special.
“I’m really excited about the season ahead. When we get everyone out on the park we will be really hard to beat.”
Morris confirmed the Sharks will welcome back halfback Chad Townsend (hamstring) and prop Andrew Fifita (calf) for Sunday’s crucial local derby against St George Illawarra.
Fifita hasn’t played since the club’s round 2 loss to Melbourne, so his addition is a major boost.
Morris is focused on helping Cronulla back up last week’s big win over North Queensland with a victory over the winless Dragons and their desperate coach Paul McGregor.
The Sharks will also face former premiership-winning mentor Shane Flanagan, who is now as assistant at St George Illawarra.
“There is a lot of attention around the Dragons,” he said.
“We certainly can’t control what is happening in their camp, but we know that they will need no extra motivation to get up for a local derby.
“I think it is a game that both clubs need.
“The Dragons are looking to turn around their season and we are looking to build on our win last week.”
Morris also confirmed the Sharks have signed former St George Illawarra, Sydney Roosters, Gold Coast and North Queensland outside back Nene Macdonald, who is expected to arrive in Sydney this week.
Cronulla was chasing an outside back after Josh Morris’ departure to the Roosters, Bronson Xerri’s provisional drug suspension and Ronaldo Mulitalo’s long-term knee injury, which will force the youngster out for four weeks.
Morris said he will wait up to three weeks to allow MacDonald to build fitness before handing him his Cronulla debut.
“We’ve secured Nene, which is exciting news,” he said.
“He has shown some really good signs over the last few months. He is training really hard and his life is back in order.
“He is coming down for a second shot at it. We all know the talent that he was and he will bring much needed experience as well as a different body shape.”
SHARKS VETERAN TO HANG UP THE BOOTS AFTER SHUTDOWN
—David Riccio
A “player’s player” is how Cronulla forward Jayson Bukuya will be remembered after announcing his immediate retirement after 13-years in the NRL.
Hugely popular among his peers, the robust Sharks forward has made the decision not to return from rugby league’s 10-week isolation period, opting to retire from Cronulla’s challenging 2020 campaign.
Bukuya’s retirement has provided the Sharks with unexpected salary cap relief and allowed them to secure winger Nene McDonald, while the club is also circling Souths veteran Bryson Goodwin and Tigers forward Matt Eisenhuth.
Hanging up his boots with a career-highlight 2016 premiership-ring and 186 NRL appearances, including 18-matches for the Warriors in 2014, Bukuya also represented Fiji at the 2008 and 2013 world cup.
His durability and consistency to average 18-games per-season over more than a decade of NRL after arriving as a teenager from Brisbane was why Bukuya was always one of the first players chosen by his coaches, particularly under former Sharks head coach Shane Flanagan.
The 31-year-old underwent off-season ankle surgery and while originally focused on playing again this season, time spent with family during the COVID-19 stand-down provided the robust ball-runner with a change of heart.
Bukuya’s immediate retirement will also have a major impact on the Sharks salary cap, which had been under heavy strain due to a $350,000 penalty for the 2019 and 2020 seasons.
Originally published as NRL 2020: Cronulla Sharks’ Andrew Fifita opens up on injury setback