Titans poach Queensland Rugby’s brightest schoolboy star Jojo Fifita

The Titans have poached TSS First XV standout Jojo Fifita from the Reds Academy - despite having never played a minute of rugby league.

The Gold Coast Titans have poached Queensland rugby union’s brightest up and coming outside backs prospect from the Queensland Reds Academy.

The Southport School outside centre Jojo Fifita, 17, will join the Titans top 30 squad on a three-year-deal upon his 18th birthday in January despite having never played a minute of rugby league.

The prodigious centre is one of the most highly regarded teenagers in the country with Wallabies coaches Dave Rennie and Matt Taylor among the regular spectators at his high school rugby fixtures.

Jojo Fifita of TSS runs with the ball against BBC during their GPS Rugby clash. Photograph : Jason O'Brien

Fifita joined the Reds Academy as a 16-year-old in 2019 and featured off the bench for the Queensland Schoolboys in the National Championships that season.

In his first match of the 2020 season Fifita crossed for four tries before suffering a shoulder injury that sidelined him for the majority of the season.

Titans coach Justin Holbrook said he couldn’t wait to work with the former under-15 national sprint champion.

JOJO FIFITA: QUEENSLAND’S TOP 50 SCHOOL STARS OF 2019

“It’s great to have such a promising local product as part of our system,” Holbrook said.

“Jojo was in high demand and I’m pleased he has chosen the Titans to develop his career.”

Fifita’s schoolboy coach, former Auckland Blues high performance manager Mike Wallace, said Fifita’s intelligence would allow him to successfully transition to a new code.

“Most of the Super Rugby franchises would have been interested in singing Jojo,” Wallace said.

“Jojo was genetically gifted with a great physique but on top of that he works really hard on all the things that make a footballer.

JoJo Fifita, The Southport School. TGS vs The Southport School, GPS rugby union. Saturday, 10th Aug, 2019.

“That’s probably the area that sets him apart from a lot of physically gifted kids; his attention to detail and understanding of what it takes to succeed.

“Australian rugby were extremely supportive and keen to keep him in the game but when I had a conversation with Jojo (about the decision) he said he wanted to challenge himself in a new area.”

While the Titans now have 30 players on the NRL roster with pre-season less than a week away, there is wiggle room for promotion and demotion from the squad if new players are signed before round one.

Originally published as Titans poach Queensland Rugby’s brightest schoolboy star Jojo Fifita