NRL rocked as Roosters ‘withdraw’ David Fifita deal after 10pm phone call

Titans star David Fifita’s trainwreck relationship with the Roosters has spectacularly fallen apart after a 10pm phone call.

David Fifita has turned his back on the Roosters.

David Fifita‘s relationship with the Roosters’ has come to a dramatic end after just one week.

The Roosters on Wednesday released a statement confirming the club has pulled its offer to the 24-year-old following a late night phone call on Tuesday.

The Roosters’ savage move came after the club had been rocked by Fifita’s suggestion to club officials he was having doubts about his decision to leave the Titans.

After a month-long contract saga, the Queenslander was originally reported to have informed the Roosters last week he was ready to accept a $3.3 million, four-year deal with the Sydney club.

However, Fifita has now performed a stunning backflip and has told the Titans he wants to remain with the club.

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David Fifita of the Titans. Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images.

The club said in a statement: “The Gold Coast Titans can confirm David Fifita will remain at the club beyond 2024 and have approved his request to activate his player option for the next two seasons.

“This will result in Fifita remaining part of the Gold Coast squad until the end of 2026.”

The Roosters also confirmed the club’s cold-blooded move to severe ties with Fifita after hearing news of his doubts about the big move.

“The Sydney Roosters have withdrawn their offer to David Fifita,” the club announced on Wednesday morning.

“Despite his management making the initial approach to the Club and Fifita personally informing the Sydney Roosters’ Chairman and Head Coach of his intent to join the Club last Thursday, Fifita has since expressed doubt about his decision.

Trent Robinson, head coach of the Roosters. Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images.

“Consequently, the Club has elected to withdraw its offer with view that it is in the Roosters’ best interests. The Club wishes Fifita all the best.”

According to leading rugby league journalist Danny Weidler, Fifita gave the Roosters a phone call after 10pm on Tuesday night to express his feelings.

The Roosters then ripped the contract offer up hours later on Wednesday morning.

News Corp reports the deal was killed on the spot when Fifita’s management called Roosters supremo Nick Politis. The chairman did not take the news well.

“It is hard to understand,” Politis said.

“He approached us. And did the same with Penrith. After coming to Sydney to meet with Trent Robinson and the rest of the coaching staff, it’s hard to understand how he can display and create uncertainty.

“We’ve decided to withdraw our offer.”

It is not the first time the Roosters have made snap decisions over contract twists with the club famously turning its back on Latrell Mitchell in 2019 after he met with Bulldogs officials while negotiating a contract extension with the Chooks.

Fifita said in the statement released by the Titans that his family had helped him make the decision to remain on the Gold Coast.

“I’m extremely grateful for the time and interest shown in me over the past two weeks, but upon further reflection, I have made the decision that I want to remain a Titan beyond 2024,” Fifita said.

“I’m excited about the direction the team is taking and being close to home, and my family has been central to helping me make this decision.”

David Fifita has turned his back on the Roosters.

Fifita had activated a contract clause to leave the 16th ranked Titans earlier this month, after he signed a three-year deal just last year, although the final two years of his deal were under a player option.

Fifita had also weighed up a rich offer from the Panthers, having originally confirmed he wanted out of the Gold Coast.

It’s unclear what caused the change of mind. Under the NRL’s player contract rules, Fifita was allowed a 10-day cooling off period to break the deal off.

His expected move to the Roosters was going to cause major ripples across the league with rival clubs increasingly interested in snaring Angus Crichton away from the Bondi club — should the in-form forward’s agreement with French rugby club Montpellier fall through.

Fifita’s decision frees up the cash for the Roosters to re-sign the star edge forward, who made it clear he didn’t want to play second fiddle to anyone and that no one at the club had reached out to him about a potential new deal.

That now seems certain to change.

Titans chief executive Steve Mitchell is scheduled to address the media on the Gold Coast on Wednesday

He told The Courier-Mail, the Titans were only made aware of Fifita’s backflip via a phone call on Tuesday afternoon.

“We’re thrilled to have Dave staying here,” he said.

“He can see the club developing under Des Hasler’s program and this is wonderful news that he is taking up the option with us.

“David Fifita playing a role here is critical to our success and we always felt he was happy here.”

Originally published as NRL rocked as Roosters ‘withdraw’ David Fifita deal after 10pm phone call