NRL 2023: Kevin Walters and Justin Holbrook go to war over David Fifita
The Queensland derby battle for Gold Coast’s $1 million man David Fifita has intensified. Read the latest developments
Titans coach Justin Holbrook claims Broncos rival Kevin Walters is in secret talks with David Fifita as the Queensland derby battle for Gold Coast’s $1 million man explodes.
News Corp can reveal Fifita’s partner Shaylee Bent has knocked back an offer from the Raiders — scuppering Canberra’s package-deal poaching plan and virtually ruling the Raiders out of the race for the Queensland Origin hulk.
That leaves the Broncos and Titans in a southeast Queensland dogfight for Fifita and Holbrook concedes the tug of war has intensified as Brisbane bosses ramp-up plans to bring the back-row sensation home to Red Hill.
“The Broncos are definitely keen, 100 per cent,” Holbrook said ahead of the Titans’ season-opener against the Tigers on Sunday. “I know ‘Kevvie’ (Walters) has been ringing him and has been talking to him.
SCROLL DOWN TO SEE WHAT WALTERS SAYS
“He’s allowed to do that. Dave is off-contract, so that’s fine, the Broncos are entitled to talk to him.
“I’m hearing mixed reports (on Brisbane’s interest).
“On one hand, the Broncos can’t afford him but on the other, their coach is ringing him.
“Why would Kevvie do that if they can’t afford him?”
As revealed by News Corp, the Broncos are considering an eleventh-hour bid for Fifita following the Dolphins defections of Herbie Farnworth and Tom Flegler which has freed-up $1.5 million in Brisbane’s salary cap.
Now, it appears the Broncos are getting serious. They have yet to make a formal offer, but revelations Walters is in dialogue with Fifita will ring alarm bells for the Titans given the Broncos coach gave the blockbusting forward his State of Origin debut in 2019.
It is understood the Titans’ offer is north of $800,000 a season, while Canberra’s multi-year package is around $900,000 annually. But Fifita’s girlfriend’s decision to reject the Raiders in recent days is a sign the Green Machine are virtually no hope of pulling off a package deal.
Fifita was expected to decide his future before round 1, but Brisbane’s fresh interest is a curve ball the Titans can do without as Holbrook tries to secure the 23-year-old for 2024 and beyond.
Asked if the Broncos can outbid the Titans, and whether Fifita is truly happy at Parkwood, Holbrook was candid.
“I don’t know how that (losing Farnworth and Flegler) affects the Broncos. I don’t know much from their end, other than Kevvie having talks with Dave,” he said.
“I genuinely believe Dave is happy at the Titans.
“He is happy here, but he is such a nice guy that he doesn’t like disappointing anyone and making a big decision on his future can be hard for him.
“I really enjoy coaching Dave and we would love him to be here long term, but he’s a talented player so I can understand why he is in demand.
“I am still confident we can keep Dave. I have felt that way all along, but it is a bit harder now that the season is kicking off and all our focus is on football, but the media starts to get restless about why he is still off-contract.
“Since November, Dave has been able to negotiate with other clubs, but now that the season is starting, the focus is on the football again.”
WALTERS SAYS FIFITA IS ALWAYS ‘PART OF BRONCOS FAMILY’
Walters has left the door ajar for Fifita to return to Brisbane as the Titans hulk’s mentor, Gorden Tallis, made a comeback of his own to the Broncos.
As revealed by News Corp, Brisbane are weighing up an eleventh-hour bid for Fifita in the wake of the Dolphins defections of Herbie Farnworth and Tom Flegler which has freed up $1.5 million in the Broncos’ salary cap.
The development came as Fifita’s personal mentor at the Titans, Gold Coast ambassador Tallis, made a surprise appearance at Red Hill on Thursday to fire up Brisbane players for Friday night’s round 1 blockbuster against the Panthers.
Fifita played 44 games at the Broncos and is almost certain to seek the counsel of the ‘Raging Bull’ Tallis, with Walters saying Brisbane are open to a Red Hill homecoming.
Asked if he would consider bringing Fifita back, Walters said: “Being a former player, certainly.
“If our players do wear the Broncos jersey, you are always part of the Broncos family, no matter what club you are playing at, that’s not just Dave, that’s every player who has worn the jersey here.”
Pressed on whether the Broncos had begun formal negotiations to poach Fifita, Walters said: “I won’t make any comment on that, the club policy is not to speak about contracted players so we will leave that one for the people upstairs.
“We got Reece Walsh back this year (from the Warriors), which is great for us, he won’t be playing this weekend (due to a fractured cheekbone) but he will be back next week against the Cowboys.
“Our focus is Penrith, our boys are ready to go and we’re looking forward to what happens in the next 24 hours.”
In a bid to steel his troops for a daunting road trip to face the premiers, Walters reached out to his premiership-winning teammate Tallis, who spoke to Broncos players about the famous jumper … and the legacy they could leave.
Walters and Tallis were at the vanguard of Brisbane’s glory years, when the club won six titles between 1992-2006, and the Broncos coach believes his class of 2023 can spearhead a new era of success.
Three years ago, Tallis launched a savage attack on Broncos players, accusing them of being rock stars and saying they had “won nothing”, but the Raging Bull is backing the ‘Kev-olution’.
“It was great to get him here,” Walters said of Tallis.
“Gordie is a lovely fella and instances like this with the game in front of us, it would have been great to have him in the side. But we have got guys in the team now to take the baton off Gorden, guys like Payne and Patty Carrigan are ready to grab the game and go after it.
“I don’t think Gordie has ever been isolated from the Broncos. Gordie is a former club captain here and he spoke about being a Bronco and what it means to wear the jersey.
“Gordie is passionate about the club and he came back and spoke about his passion for the club.
“The message was very clear to the players.
“It’s not about what we did five, 10 or 15 years ago. It’s about this group now and the legacy they want to leave and I am in charge of that legacy and this group will leave a legacy.
“There is no doubt in my mind this group has the ability and drive to do some good things this year.”
The Broncos had a trouble-free captain’s run on Thursday with skipper Adam Reynolds overcoming a back injury to lead Brisbane’s offence in his halfback shootout with Penrith champion Nathan Cleary.
“Reyno is fine,” Walters said.
“He is really healthy. It was a really smart decision not to play him in that final trial game, he is fit, firing and ready to go.
“His enthusiasm through the week has been very infectious, we need all of our players on deck and it will be great to have him running the side as captain.
“We have had a really good pre-season and going to Penrith, we’re looking forward to heading down there and having a good crack.”
HOW THE FIFITA NEWS WAS BROKEN
The Broncos are weighing up a dramatic eleventh-hour bid for Gold Coast star David Fifita after Herbie Farnworth and Tom Flegler’s Dolphins defections cleared $1.5 million in Brisbane’s salary cap.
News Corp can reveal the Broncos have emerged as a late contender for Fifita’s signature as they consider getting one back on their south east Queensland rivals the Titans by luring the barnstorming forward back to Red Hill.
Fifita, 23, has multimillion dollar offers on the table from Gold Coast and Canberra, but the Broncos have been keeping an eye on negotiations with a view to entering the race for the Queensland Origin star.
The Broncos were last month approached about their interest in Fifita, who is off-contract at season’s end, but were hamstrung by salary cap constraints with bumper offers on the table for Farnworth and Flegler.
However with Farnworth and Flegler pledging their futures to the Dolphins last week, Brisbane has bolted back into the mix for Fifita – one of the NRL’s most damaging forwards.
Broncos officials have been quietly working in the background on a deal for Fifita after being approached by his management to gauge their interest.
At the time it was lukewarm given they were battling to hold onto Farnworth and Flegler, but the duo’s decision to join the Dolphins has given the Broncos breathing room.
Former Broncos skipper Corey Parker believes Fifita could benefit from some mentoring if he opted for a Red Hill resurrection.
“David is certainly a player you would consider to put in your roster, but at what cost?” Parker said.
“That’s the key.
“I actually feel for David on a personal level – he needs to go to a club that has an established and strong culture along with experience in the spine.
“What does David Fifita want to be in his NRL career? That’s the question for him.”
News of the Broncos’ potential interest will be a body blow to the Titans and Raiders, who had hoped to have a response from Fifita this week.
It is understood Fifita held talks with his management on the Gold Coast on Tuesday but there is every chance he will delay a decision as the Broncos consider making an official offer.
Fifita’s future will have ramifications for his partner Shaylee Bent, one of the game’s elite female players.
Bent has delayed a decision on her future while she waits for Fifita to have more clarity around his destination in 2024. The Titans and Raiders have both attempted to sign Bent to their NRLW teams.
The Raiders have done everything in their power to sign Fifita, tabling an offer worth up to $900,000-a-season to convince him to move to the nation’s capital.
Raiders coach Ricky Stuart also met with Fifita’s mother Gwen when he was holidaying on the Gold Coast over the Christmas period.
What they didn’t count on was Brisbane entering the race for his services. Fifita made his debut for the Broncos as an 18-year-old in 2018, going on to play 44 games for the club.
He was lured to the Gold Coast on a lucrative three-year-deal worth in excess of $3 million – including a staggering $1.25 million in the first season – as Brisbane plunged to the 2020 wooden spoon.
Fifita has played 40 games for the Titans, scoring a club record 17 tries in his first season with Gold Coast before struggling last year with injuries and poor form.
While he completed school at Keebra Park High on the Gold Coast, Fifita grew up in Brisbane’s outskirts and has a long history with the Broncos.
Broncos coach Kevin Walters handed Fifita his State of Origin debut in 2019 while he was at the helm of the Maroons.
Fifita also has a close relationship with Broncos recruitment manager Simon Scanlan, who signed him to Brisbane’s Academy as a teenager and rates the Tongan international highly.
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