NRL market watch 2022: Latest trade news from Broncos, Titans, Cowboys, Dolphins

Broncos football boss Ben Ikin has revealed whether a Red Hill homecoming is on the cards for Titans powerhouse David Fifita.

The Broncos have ruled out bringing David Fifita back to the club. Picture: Chris Hyde/Getty Images

The Broncos have closed the door on $3.5 million Titans turncoat David Fifita returning to Brisbane.

News Corp can reveal the Broncos have little interest in bringing Fifita back to Red Hill after he quit the club in 2020 to take up a rich three-year deal with the Gold Coast.

Fifita is racing the clock to return from a knee injury in Friday night’s Queensland derby at Suncorp Stadium, which will be his last opportunity to prove he is ready for State of Origin selection.

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Fifita, 22, has been linked with a return to his beloved Broncos, with speculation swirling that he could look to quit the Titans at the end of 2023 and seek a reunion with Brisbane or join ex-coach Wayne Bennett at expansion club the Dolphins.

But a Red Hill homecoming is unlikely, with the Broncos baulking at Fifita’s $1 million-a-season price tag and investing in young backrowers Jordan Riki, Brendan Piakura and TC Robati alongside the experienced Kurt Capewell.

David Fifita won’t be returning to the Broncos. Picture: Mark Kolbe/Getty Images

Fifita would have to slash his salary expectations to have any hope of returning to the Broncos club that signed him as a schoolboy.

“At this stage we are committed to developing the players we’ve got,” Broncos football chief Ben Ikin said. “While David Fifita is an enormous talent, no one can deny that, we are focused on getting the most out of the players that currently sit in our top 30.

“Jordan is a true professional, he’s got a lot of natural ability but his work ethic is exceptional. He is super fit, trains really hard and has a great attention to detail.

“He is setting himself up for a really solid career. He is an athlete who is still learning how to get the best out of himself from a football perspective. He is still learning the game.

“Capes has got great character. When things get tough, he is the bloke you want around. We are a club that’s rebuilding so there’s going to be a lot of difficult moments as we go from the bottom four to contending again.

“In those tough moments, he has the mental toughness and fortitude to guide that’s predominantly a young squad through those challenging times.

“The other thing I love about Capes is he won’t cop anyone missing their assignment, ever. He doesn’t and he has the fortitude to call out others that do. That is helping us lift the standards right across the group.”

David Fifita made his NRL debut at the Broncos in 2018. Picture: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

Fifita made his NRL debut for the Broncos in 2018 as an 18-year-old and played 44 games for the club that signed him in high school.

But he committed his future to the Titans, on a deal worth $1.2 million in its first season, as the Broncos were on their way to collecting the 2020 wooden spoon.

Fifita bagged a club record 17 tries in his first year at the Gold Coast, but has had a season to forget so far in 2022, scoring only twice and missing the past three games after being benched in the round 8 loss to Penrith in which he hurt his knee.

The Titans’ poaching of Fifita was seen as a huge blow to Brisbane at a time when the Broncos were at their lowest point in the club’s 34-year history. But his inconsistent performances, and failure to live up to his price tag, may have seen the Broncos dodge a bullet.

“I was surprised he left because we were such good mates and I thought he would stay,” said Broncos lock Pat Carrigan.

“At the end of the day, we had some conversations with him about why he left and I will never judge anyone for leaving a club. Everyone has their reasons.

“Sometimes I get a bit annoyed if people question their loyalty or integrity if they move on, but no-one always knows the full story.

David Fifita is hoping to return from injury this weekend. Picture: Chris Hyde/Getty Images

“Dave had a great opportunity to go to the Titans both financially and what they were building as a team. We’re still good mates. There’s already been a bit of a chat between us and I hope he is back on Friday night.”

Queensland legend Wally Lewis said the Broncos have overcome the loss of Fifita and didn’t need to bring him back to the club, but he should still be in the Origin selection mix.

“I think the Broncos have shown they are going just fine without Fifita, they’ve got plenty of depth and Kurt Capewell has been great in the back row with his experience,” he said.

“If he is fit I would consider him for Origin. He has been there before and his lack of conditioning doesn’t concern me. When it comes to a big occasion like Origin you just step up and the adrenaline overcomes any lack of fitness.

“Dave‘s been in that arena before and played well for Queensland so I would think he is in the mix for sure.”