NRL 2020: David Fifita provides ‘toxic’ twist in Brisbane Broncos mess

David Fifita’s decision to join the Titans on a $3.5 million mega deal reveals the Broncos have a far bigger problem than just on-field results.

David Fifita is a huge loss for the Broncos.

Life in Brisbane got even worse over the weekend when David Fifita pledged his allegiance to Gold Coast for the next three seasons.

The boom 20-year-old was weighing up whether to stay with the Broncos or accept a $3.5 million deal from the Titans and in the end he decided to head to the glitter strip.

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The Broncos were thumped 46-8 by Melbourne on Friday, suffering their eighth loss in nine matches and that bad news was compounded by Fifita’s decision.

The Courier Mail reported part of the reason the talented back-rower quit was because he’d lost faith in the Broncos under the leadership of coach Anthony Seibold, who is under huge pressure to keep his job.

Former NSW hooker Michael Ennis said the loss of Fifita was an “alarming” blow for the club as it sinks to its lowest ever ebb.

“It is an enormous blow for the Broncos,” Ennis said on the Big League Wrap on Sunday night.

“When you look at those sides that Brisbane had through their golden eras and Wayne Bennett’s mantra was that players stayed there for less because they wanted to be part of the Broncos and to stay to be part of a successful club.

“The fact that David Fifita and someone of his quality doesn’t believe he can achieve his best football at Brisbane is an alarming concern for the coach.”

Fox Sports NRL reporter James Hooper said things were now “toxic” at Red Hill.

“For the Broncos, just when you think things couldn’t sink any lower it becomes even more toxic,” Hooper said.

“For them to lose a player of this talent and to be in the fight and telling people behind the scenes that they were never going to lose him.

“For them to sign players like Matt Lodge, Payne Haas, Tevita Pangai Jr and Joe Ofahengaue all in front of this young man (Fifita) and then see him slip through their fingers, I can’t think of a more challenging time in the history of this proud club. It is their lowest ebb.”

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David Fifita won’t be a Bronco in 2021.

These comments come as Brisbane legend and director Darren Lockyer admitted the Broncos’ poor form hurt the club in its quest to fight off the Titans.

“When everyone’s struggling in the place and you’re not winning football games, there’s no enjoyment factor there and then what happens is people start making excuses around the place,” Lockyer told Channel 9 yesterday.

“When you’re losing it’s not fun and I’m sure that would have played its part.

“There was a lot of different things at play. There were management issues, there was family, you had three or four people from the Titans talking to David and probably the same from the Broncos and at one time Souths were in there.”

Lockyer said when the Broncos and Fifita started negotiating a year ago they were confident he would stay and NRL guru and Nine commentator Phil Gould questioned whether the move to the Gold Coast was the best thing for his football.

“From David Fifita’s perspective, I don’t know whether it’s a great career move, but it’s very hard for anyone to knock back that sort of money,” Gould told Nine.

“I think the money is irresponsible. I’ve quite often said that the money in the market is set by the desperate clubs and obviously the Titans are desperate for a marquee player.

“If it improves their membership, commercial operations and crowds they get in attendance, I suppose they’ll say the money is justified. But from the game’s perspective he’s not worth that amount of money at this stage of his career, in fact I don’t think any back-rower is.”