Andrew Fifita and David Fifita face off as coaches in the Tarsha Gale Cup

Cronulla’s premiership hero Andrew Fifita says he wouldn’t be doing his job as a dad if he didn’t help grow women’s rugby league, as he prepares for a coaching stand-off with twin brother David in Saturday’s Tarsha Gale Cup clash.

Sharks legend Andrew Fifita coaches the club's Tarsha Gale Cup team. Picture: Supplied

Cronulla’s premiership hero Andrew Fifita says he wouldn’t be doing his job as a dad if he didn’t help grow women’s rugby league, as he prepares for a coaching standoff with twin brother David in Saturday’s Tarsha Gale Cup clash.

The former NSW Origin star is nearing the end of his first season as coach of Cronulla’s under-19s women’s side who face against Wests Tigers on Saturday, where brothers David and Latu are assisting this season.

A week out from finals, the Sharks, sitting eighth on the ladder, have the chance to leap frog the Tigers into fourth if other results fall their way.

As a trio the Fifita brothers have had their fair share of battles but this one is new.

And it’s awkward.

“Mate of course, I am trying to brush his calls but he kept calling me during video the other day, and he knows it too,” Andrew says of his twin David.

David, and their older brother Latu, are assistants to Taiana Scanlan-Waddell this season and have had a brilliant year with five wins and two losses.

Fifita (pictured) will come up against his twin David, who is on the coaching staff of the Wests Tigers Tarsha Gale Cup team. Picture: Supplied

“They all said they were going to sleep over on Friday night but stuff that,” Andrew says with his trademark laugh.

“They’re all nervous because they know my girls, we’re below them on the table at the moment but they know what we can do.

“My girls are mostly from the shire and we’re catered that way.

“We’re not the biggest team but we’re fit. If you look at our results we’ve only lost by two points or four points max, it’s been those edgy games.

“My girls are capable, but it’s up to them. It’s not about our team it’s about the squad we have and whoever comes into the team on the weekend has to do a job.”

Andrew’s 10-year-old daughter Lyla was his inspiration to get involved in women’s footy.

It started out with touch football, where he formed a team with his daughter playing in an all-boys competition and from there the Sharks reached out to ask if he’d be keen to help out their female pathways.

Fifita got involved with the female pathways through his daughter. Picture: Supplied

“I just said I’d be happy to throw my hand up to do something but I didn’t know they would give me the 19 year old girls, but it’s something different,” he said.

“One thing for me, I know where my daughter is going to be and I don’t know her path or her fate, but I know she has a future in rugby league and if we can build it any way we can, I want to help grow the game.

“I think everyone knows that I have a daughter in the game, she does ball girl for the Sharkies and she absolutely loves it, it wouldn’t be fair as an ex-player or as a dad if I couldn’t help out her game.”

It’s ignited a new passion he didn’t expect.

“I give it 10 years, all those girls would have grown up playing rugby league and with a ball in their hands and the game will just excel so much,” he says.

But as for Saturday, the Fifitas are beefing.

“My whole family has known about this round where we verse each other,” he says.

“There might be a little side bet between all of us, that’s for sure.”

Originally published as Andrew Fifita and David Fifita face off as coaches in the Tarsha Gale Cup