NRL transfer news: Titans star David Fifita weighs up Raiders offer, Tino Fa’asuamaleaui may commit long-term
While one Titans star could commit to the club in the coming weeks, David Fifita could postpone making a decision on his future as he weighs up a $4m deal from a rival club.
Titans star David Fifita could postpone a decision on his future until the end of the season as he weighs up a $4 million poaching raid from Canberra.
But Gold Coast captain Tino Fa’asuamaleaui may commit to a four-year extension within weeks after giving the Titans first crack at retaining him.
The Titans have made moves to lock up their two best players after the Queensland Origin duo became free agents following the sacking of coach Justin Holbrook in June.
Titans management agreed to insert clauses into Fifita and Fa’asuamaleaui’s rich contracts that allowed them to quit the club if Holbrook departed.
Incoming Titans coach Des Hasler has spoken to Fifita and Fa’asuamaleaui in attempt to keep them on the Gold Coast.
While Fa’asuamaleaui immediately entered negotiations on an upgraded and extended deal until the end of 2027, Fifita has been slower to act on the back of Canberra’s public interest.
Fifita’s manager Michael Hudson is overseas until later this month, making it more difficult to reach a resolution before the end of the NRL regular season.
Fifita and Fa’asuamaleaui have until mid-September to finalise their futures and the Titans remain only an outside chance of playing finals, meaning their season will end against the Bulldogs on September 3 unless they qualify for the play-offs.
Interim Titans coach Jim Lenihan said he had no concerns about the duo following Holbrook to his next club as he weighs up a potential move to the Bulldogs.
“They are the happiest blokes in the world,” he said with a grin.
“They love the Gold Coast and we hope they’ll stay here forever.
“I don’t think there’s any sort of threat or drama about that (Holbrook’s next move) at the moment.
“We’re more than happy with what we’ve got, who we’ve got and how it’s going.”
Titans five-eighth Kieran Foran said he hoped the duo remained on the Gold Coast ahead of Friday night’s near sellout clash with the Warriors at Cbus Super Stadium, which Fa’asuamaleaui will miss as he serves the final game of a three-match suspension.
“I haven’t had too many discussions with those boys, that is a personal decision for them to make,” Foran said.
“I’m really confident they will be here.
“They’re really loyal club guys and have built a great reputation here. They are wonderful leaders of this group, especially Tino. He’s the captain and an inspirational leader we all look to every week.
“I’m really confident those guys will hang around and be here for a number of years to come.
“We’re thinking optimistically about it. I can’t comment on their personal headspace around it.
“We’re hopeful they’ll be here. They’re an integral part of this club moving forward and we need them to be here.”
Fa’asuamaleaui, 23, has received interest from at least six rival clubs, but has indicated he will not entertain offers before the Titans make their final pitch.
The 12-Origin forward was set to become a free agent at the end of 2024 anyway due to options in his contract, so the Holbrook clause has just fast-tracked the extension process.
Fifita, 23, only re-signed with the Titans in March on a three-year extension until the end of 2026, but has found himself a free agent just three months later.
The Raiders are prepared to offer him a four-year contract worth about $1 million-a-season and are desperate to lure him to the nation’s capital after failing to land his signature earlier this year.
Titans co-owner Rebecca Frizelle said she hoped the Maroons duo remained at the club.
“We were very much aware of those clauses,” she told Fox League about sacking Holbrook.
“That’s a decision up to Dave and Tino. We have the utmost respect for both of them and would love to see them stay with the club.
“I’m confident they will because they believe in where we’re going and what we’re trying to achieve as a club.
“Tino is incredibly rare. He gives it everything. He leads by example.
“He is young and learning different aspects, but you look at his humility, commitment and pure heart he gives everything, and his loyalty.
“He is only going to get better with age and it’s up to us to make sure he’s in the right environment and has the right voices mentoring him.
“(Fifita) is so focused and disciplined and determine to win. He is buying in on the strategy and goals of the club.”
COWBOYS STAR MAKES CALL ON FUTURE
—Travis Meyn and Peter Badel
Cowboys pivot Tom Dearden has declared he wants to stay at North Queensland as he prepares to fight fire with fire in a derby showdown with electric Broncos rival Ezra Mam.
Dearden and Mam will go toe-to-toe in Townsville on Saturday night in what is expected to be one of many battles between the rival Queensland five-eighths over years to come.
Dearden made his State of Origin debut for Queensland in the No. 6 jersey last year and Mam shapes as the biggest threat to his plans to one day replace Cameron Munster in the Maroons’ spine.
Before that, Dearden will be out to help North Queensland bounce back from last Sunday’s shock loss to the Titans, which ended a six-game winning streak for the resurgent Cowboys.
And he has no plans to quit the Cowboys as he edges towards NRL free agency in November, with his current contract to expire at the end of next year.
The Cowboys have made moves to extend Dearden’s tenure in Townsville and the 22-year-old said he owed North Queensland after the club rescued him from the scrap heap at Brisbane.
“I definitely want to stay here, that’s my preference,” he said.
“I have loved my time up here and it’s a great club to be a part of. Hopefully I can continue my journey up here.
“They did show faith in me. I came up here after a few struggling seasons to start my career.
“Toddy (Payten, coach) and the coaching staff, it was great for them to show that trust in me to get better and develop my game and I have really learnt so much. I am really enjoying my footy up here.
“It would mean everything to win a premiership, not only to the club but the whole community. North Queensland is a massive community for rugby league. I would love to win a grand final for the region.
“The Cowboys suit me. They are a hardworking club and their resilient sort of culture suits me.
“It’s not only instilled in the club, but in the community as well and it’s something I love being a part of. It sits well with my values as well.”
EXCLUSIVE: BELLAMY CONFIRMS SHOCK STORM BID TO POACH HAAS
—Peter Badel and Brent Read
Super coach Craig Bellamy says Melbourne will “put their hands up” to sign Payne Haas if the Storm can afford the Broncos superstar under the NRL salary cap.
As revealed by this masthead, the Storm have formally expressed interest in Haas in a bid to secure Brisbane’s brilliant front-rower for the 2025 season.
Haas is contracted to the Broncos until the end of 2024 and his manager Ahmad Merhi has advised Brisbane bosses the NSW Origin enforcer plans to test his value on the open market from November 1.
It is understood Haas will only consider offers from clubs in premiership contention, making the Storm – the NRL’s most consistent team of the past 20 years – a genuine threat to the Broncos.
Bellamy concedes Melbourne’s salary-cap position will make it difficult to afford Haas, but he believes the 23-year-old would be a revelation in Storm colours as the club looks to replace premiership trio Felise Kaufusi and Jesse and Kenny Bromwich.
“We’ll certainly put our hands up,” Bellamy said.
“To be honest, I don’t know if we would be able to afford him. I imagine he is a guy in high demand.
“But if that’s the case (Haas testing the open market) and he is a free agent, we would certainly have a conversation.
“Then we would have to see what we could do, but I imagine every club in the competition would like to get him.”
Bellamy is keen to bolster Melbourne’s forward stocks following the loss of the Bromwich brothers and Kaufusi to the new Dolphins franchise this season.
Haas is a rare athletic specimen. The 118kg Broncos enforcer is averaging 187 metres and 28 tackles per game this season and is the fittest prop in the game with a remarkable tackle efficiency of 98 per cent.
That means he rarely makes a defensive error and Bellamy says Haas’ attitude would fit in perfectly at a Melbourne club that prides itself on hard work.
“If we can get a hold of him, great,” the legendary Storm mentor said.
“In his position, to play like he plays for the minutes he plays, his quality is just remarkable.
“I don’t think there is another prop like him.
“He is top of the tree in the competition so I have always been a fan of his.
“He is elite.
“Payne looks like he has some great leadership qualities.
“I don’t know him personally but it looks like he is a leader and that’s something we miss having lost the Bromwich boys and Felise Kaufusi.
“Our young guys are doing a good job, but Payne is a player every club needs and he would certainly fit in with us really well.”
Storm recruitment chiefs still rue how close Haas came to signing with the club in 2016.
As a teenager, Haas was set to board a plane to Melbourne with his father Gregor to ink a rookie contract with the Storm when Wayne Bennett, then coaching the Broncos, convinced him to sign with Brisbane.
Now Bellamy hopes to turn the tables.
“Funny, I don’t remember the story that we nearly signed him,” he said.
“He must have been a kid when we spoke to him.
“Our recruitment guy is still a bit dirty we never ended up getting him.
“I’m not quite sure the reason it didn’t happen.”
The Broncos remain favourites to keep Haas, but if there is one club with the money, clout and premiership pedigree to be a serious challenger, it’s Bellamy’s Storm juggernaut.
The Storm will have to pay at least $1 million a season to have any hope of securing Haas, but Broncos legend Gorden Tallis is not convinced the Origin and Test bookend is worth seven figures.
“A $1 million player has to change the result of the game in my opinion,” Tallis told NRL 360.
“Someone like Glenn Lazarus (legendary Broncos prop) changed the result, but the best season Payne Haas had, the Broncos got the wooden spoon (in 2020) and he was outstanding.”
Tallis said Haas needs more variety in his game and must display the defensive aggression of Penrith hardman James Fisher-Harris.
“How many metres do you want to make?” he said.
“Payne has to add an offload, a pass before the line and a pass after the line and then in contact, when he has three guys on him, an offload would be so valuable for him.
“I think he is still learning his craft.
“Maybe if he goes to another club, he might learn that.
“I haven’t actually seen Payne really whack someone.
“Those Penrith forwards (led by Fisher-Harris) beat Parramatta up last year in the first 20 minutes (of the grand final).
“I don’t think I can watch a game where I see Payne beat a guy up yet.
“For me, you have to change the result to get $1 million.”
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