‘Unjustified’: Legend urges Fifita to leave Titans as tensions boil over with feeder club in ugly saga

A rugby league legend has urged David Fifita to walk out on the Titans with the club reportedly in turmoil behind the scenes.

A rugby league legend has urged a David Fifita to depart the Titans while Gold Coast powerbrokers are reportedly infighting with their own feeder club the Ipswich Jets.

That is according to Code Sports, who are reporting Titans powerbrokers contacted Jets powerbrokers to vent frustrations regarding their public support of the maligned backrower.

Jets chief Steve Johnson also reportedly claimed Fifita was being played out of position by Gold Coast coach Des Hasler, adding fuel to the fire.

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It comes after Fifita turned out for the Jets in Queensland Cup, having been dropped by Hasler and playing reserve grade while having a painkilling injection on his ankle.

Fifita was criticised for his performance for Ipswich, but Johnson threw his support behind the $1 million edge forward.

“The criticism of David is unjustified,” Johnson said.

“Our starting front-rowers had four and five hit-ups, while Dave made 19 tackles with no misses.

David Fifita training with the Ipswich Jets this week. Credit: Supplied.

“In fairness to Dave, if you watch the game, he was heavily marked and had three and four blokes gang-tackling him at every opportunity.

“We had our pants pulled down by a very good team that were bolstered by Cowboys NRL players. Dave committed totally to the team which says a lot about him as a person.”

Fifita was reportedly sent to see a surgeon following his Jets appearance, with a clean-out surgery on his ankle looming and a month on the sidelines.

As Fifita’s situation at the Titans continues to bubble, league legend Scott Sattler urged the former Maroons star to leave the Gold Coast.

Reports have surfaced the Titans have shopped the gun back rower to rival clubs, and Sattler, who played a role in building the Gold Coast’s first roster, has urged him to leave the club.

“As much as it would pain me to see him leave the Gold Coast, at 25 he has so much upside in the rest of his career and I’d love to see him go to a club without a lot of comforts,” he said.

“I think he is at a point in his career where if he actually gets out of his comfort zone and goes to another club, outside of south east Queensland, he will flourish. Absolutely flourish.

“We will start to see the best of Dave Fifita. It’s about taking a bit of ownership and not having those creature comforts around you.”

Fifita has previously come desperately close to departing the Gold Coast, backflipping on a three-year deal with the Roosters in 2024.

Originally published as ‘Unjustified’: Legend urges Fifita to leave Titans as tensions boil over with feeder club in ugly saga