David Fifita surgery: Brisbane Broncos and Maroons star set to miss State of Origin
Just like the Tom Trbojevic dilemma facing the Blues camp, the lack of games and training confronting surgery-bound David Fifita over the next six weeks makes his State of Origin participation very questionable.
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David Fifita’s Origin chances have been dealt a huge blow after the star backrower opted to go under the knife to repair his injured ankle.
The outgoing Broncos superstar suffered a syndesmosis injury in a tackle during their Round 19 loss to Parramatta last week.
The 20-year-old had an MRI scan on Monday at Brisbane’s Clive Berghofer Centre Qscan facility where doctors decided surgery was the best option.
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“David saw a surgeon (on Monday) and it was decided that the best course of action is for David to have surgery to repair his ankle,” Broncos head of performance Paul Devlin said.
“The surgery will be completed in the coming days.”
Surgery recovery time can take between six to eight weeks – just when the Origin series gets underway.
There is a chance Fifita can still play Origin, however he won’t have the same six-week training period as his Maroons teammates.
It will also mean Fifita has played his final game for the Broncos, having signed with the Titans for next season.
The Broncos will pitchfork youngster Jordan Riki in his place for Thursday’s XXXX Queensland Derby with the Cowboys.
Brisbane skipper Alex Glenn expected the 20-year-old to be a future star of the game.
“It’s a huge opportunity for him to start in that backrow position,” Glenn said.
“He’s got plenty of talent.
“I’ve got so much faith that he’s going to be an elite athlete in the future and it’s exciting for him to get a starting position against the Cowboys this week.”
Meanwhile, Kotoni Staggs will play in the Broncos No. 6 jersey for Thursday’s clash after fill-in playmaker Tyson Gamble failed to overcome a concussion assessment in last week’s match.
Staggs filled in at five-eighth for a majority of their Parramatta game and impressed many onlookers.
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“On the weekend, I thought Kotoni filled in that position really well,” Glenn said.
“Kotoni’s a player that has so much talent. He’s so strong.
“He can do anything on the field.
“I really enjoyed him playing out there. I thought whenever he had the ball in his hands, he was a worry for the defence and no one knows what he’s going to do.
“He’s a running threat. He’s got a good kicking game and he’s powerful.
“At the end of the day, when you get a ball in his hands he can do anything he wants to.”
Originally published as David Fifita surgery: Brisbane Broncos and Maroons star set to miss State of Origin