NRL summer market watch: Can love lure David Fifita to the Raiders?
After watching Adam Elliott leave to join Millie Boyle in Newcastle, Canberra are looking to attract their own power couple to the nation’s capital in time for their new NRLW team.
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The Titans are facing a huge battle to retain David Fifita with the Raiders launching a $2.7 million poaching bid for the Queensland Origin wrecking ball.
And the Green Machine will tug at Fifita’s heartstrings to pull off the deal, also targeting his Jillaroos girlfriend Shaylee Bent for Canberra’s inaugural NRLW squad as part of a cleverly-constructed package deal.
News Corp can reveal Canberra bosses are ramping up their interest in Fifita, with the Raiders keen to fly the Titans back-rower to the nation’s capital for a tour of their headquarters and a meeting with coach Ricky Stuart.
It is understood the Raiders are armed with a multi-year offer and prepared to pay up to $900,000 a season to lure Fifita from the sunny Gold Coast to chilly Canberra.
Suddenly, the Titans have a major salary-cap headache trying to keep Fifita at Parkwood.
The 22-year-old is off-contract next year and opted to head to free agency from November 1, opening the door for NRL rivals such as the Raiders and Dragons to make a big-money play at him.
Since joining the Titans from the Broncos last year, Fifita has failed to live up to his massive $1 million-a-season deal and the Gold Coast were banking on keeping the damaging forward on a vastly-reduced salary.
But Fifita’s raw talent is always seductive and Canberra’s strong interest is set to drag the Titans into a bidding war they were hoping to avoid.
The Titans were expected to pay around $700,000 a season to keep Fifita, but they may have to up the ante – or risk losing the strike weapon to a Canberra outfit that likes the idea of his attacking punch on the edges.
Titans coach Justin Holbrook isn’t surprised by the interest in Fifita but remains confident the Tongan Test star will commit to the Coast for 2024 and beyond.
“I’m confident David will stay,” Holbrook said.
“I’ve made it clear I’d like Dave to stay and all the indications from Dave are that he will be here.
“We’ve managed to get a number of guys to recommit to the club. Tino (Fa’asuamaleaui), Beau Fermor, AJ Brimson, Jojo Fifita, we are keeping the guys we want and I believe David wants to stay.
“We still have to go through a process with his management. It was hard to do anything while Dave was away (at the World Cup for Tonga), but we will do everything we can to keep him at the club.”
Love, and money, could well be an irresistible pairing that convinces Fifita to wear lime green.
The Raiders have also expressed an interest in Fifita’s partner Bent as they begin to piece together a squad for their entry to the NRLW next season.
Bent is regarded as one of the best female players in the game, having recently helped the Jillaroos claim the World Cup in England.
It is understood the Raiders are open to making Bent one of their marquee players – the classy back-rower played the recent NRLW season with St George Illawarra and is a former winner of their female player-of-the-year award.
Canberra’s pursuit of Bent raises the prospect of a double swoop for the Jillaroos star and Fifita, in much the same way Newcastle signed Adam Elliott and his partner Millie Boyle.
Like Fifita, Bent is expected to tour the Raiders’ facilities and speak to senior officials in coming weeks as Canberra look to strike a seismic double blow in the player market.
When Gold Coast shocked ‘Big Brother’ Brisbane two years ago by poaching Fifita, rated a once-in-a-generation talent, it was hailed as a seminal moment for the Titans.
Fifita was tipped to spearhead a premiership drive for the Gold Coast.
Instead, he has endured two seasons of turbulence.
Despite criticism of his maiden year at the Titans in 2021, Fifita was largely outstanding, scoring 17 tries from 22 games to break the club record for most four-pointers in a season.
But the Maroons wrecking ball lost his way last season, axed to the bench, losing his Origin jumper and even stationed in the centres at one point as Holbrook desperately searched for the formula to get Fifita firing.
Canberra believe a change of scenery could reignite the fire in Fifita, who has played 84 games since his NRL debut for the Broncos in 2018.
The Raiders have two impressive back-rowers in Hudson Young and Elliott Whitehead, but the latter turns 34 next year and is approaching retirement.
The Green Machine have also lost lock Elliott to the Knights, freeing up some money in the salary cap to table an attractive package to Fifita.
One advantage for the Titans is Fifita’s strong ties to Gold Coast captain in Fa’asuamaleaui and Tanah Boyd, with whom he played junior football at Keebra Park High.
There was speculation Fifita had fallen out with Holbrook but the Titans coach insists that isn’t the case and hopes a bumper 2023 campaign will convince the 108kg hulk to sign on for another term.
“We all have to play a part in helping Dave,” Holbrook told News Corp last month.
“We all get excited in the game on what he can do and then everyone criticises him every time he doesn’t beat five blokes to score a try.
“He is built for speed and power, he isn’t built for endurance, so you can’t have everything.
“Dave has to work hard on that endurance part of his game and he knows to play bigger minutes next year, it’s through his fitness.
“Then it’s up to us as coaches and the halves to make sure we use him smarter.
“We got caught in ruts during the year trying to get him early ball and the opposition knows it’s going to happen, so they get numbers up on him.
“I put him in the centres for one game so we mixed him around a bit and even changed sides of the field with him.
“All in all it’s a collective approach to get the best out of Dave, but at the back end of the year he improved when the cohesion of the team improved.
“It’s not all on Dave.”
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