Crash Tackle: Will the Broncos be brave enough to drop David Fifita
He has survived the axe so far as a desperate Anthony Seibold tries to get some wins on the board. But will the coach keep David Fifita in the team when all is lost near the end of 2020?
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ON SUNDAY I asked the question: ‘Will the Broncos be angry or brave enough to do a Justin Hodges on David Fifita?’
Well we have our answer, and it’s probably what most people were expecting.
In 2001, Broncos coach Wayne Bennett – feeling betrayed by the loss of young star Hodges to the Roosters and claiming he had to move on – famously dropped the 19-year-old to their feeder club.
Disgruntled Broncos fans were asking whether history would repeat itself this winter following Fifita’s defection to the Titans from next season.
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We were tipping it probably wouldn’t because of one overpowering reason – such is the crushing pressure on coach Anthony Seibold to save his career he needs every win he can get.
Whether it comes via the deeds of loyal players or others like Fifita, who seemingly doubts his methods, is immaterial. He has nine games to save it all.
But the thought of “doing a Hodges’’ can still not be totally discounted, not so much for now but later in the season when the Broncos have long faded from finals contention and their young fringe forward prospects are starved of match practice due to the cancellation of the Intrust Super Cup.
The case for writing off the season and planning for next year will be strong.
THE SPIN-OFFS
FIFITA may seem overpriced at $1 million a year but there are financial spin-offs which will offset the costs.
Instead of having to pay huge overs to entice players to the Titans the fact that Fifita, the Melbourne Storm’s Tino Fa’asuamaleaui and Herman Ese’ese are all Gold Coast-bound may entice others to follow them at market value rather than inflated odds.
And the Titans sponsorship department also sent up a cheer when the news broke on Saturday because they can sell the one commodity every club needs – hope.
OVER THE ODDS
NEWS of Fifita’s signing broke as an inescapable fact of rugby league was laid bare – many top players are overpaid.
As News Corp league chief Peter Badel stated, the salary cap is too high.
News Corp’s list of the game’s 100 top paid players included four players in the top 10 – Anthony Milford ($1 million), Michael Morgan ($1 million), Ben Hunt ($1.2 million) and Ash Taylor ($1.05 million) who are yet to live up to their price tags.
All things considered they are all fortunate to get such large pay packets in our financially challenged world.
MAL THE MAGICIAN
MAL Meninga has had a challenging time as culture chief of the Titans but the Fifita deal has made it all worthwhile.
Had there been no Meninga there would have been no Fifita signing.
Meninga knew the Titans needed a circuit breaker, a dice roll, a get-out-of-jail card.
Call it what you will but sometimes you have to think big and Mal not only campaigned strongly for Fifita’s signing but remained flexible in his thinking to adjust the offer whenever the Broncos responded.
THE LONG ROAD
IT may have been a total accident but Fifita has given one key lesson to young players in demand – don’t rush it.
Don’t make a decision until you have to. Fifita had at least 20 meetings with the Broncos before rejecting their offer and while his patience was due to a fallout with his manager he became a huge beneficiary of not signing the first thing that was put in front of him.
The war between the Broncos and Titans became like one of those big brother-little brother backyard games where pride and ego butted their way into the equation.
THE MISSING LINK
NO prizes for guessing what sorts of players will finish on the Broncos shopping list with the cash that could have been gobbled up by Fifita.
They need more middle-aged generals, the 25-30 years olds who are tough of body and spirit and can guide younger men with more fragile minds.
The Broncos are concerned by their lack of resilience. They feel any team who scores a couple of quick tries against them believes they fold and are incapable of fighting back.
MORE FIFITA NEWS
David Fifita contract: Titans eye more recruits after signing coup
Why David Fifita really quit Brisbane Broncos for Gold Coast Titans
‘This is bulls***’: Former Bronco in disbelief as Titans lure Fifita away from Red Hill