Titans ambassador Gorden Tallis is confident the riddle that is David Fifita can be solved.
Tallis made that clear during the Titans’ pre-season match against the Broncos on the Sunshine Coast on Sunday night, which resulted in a 24-all draw.
Fifita was a disappointment in 2022, drifting in and out of games, failing to impress with his work rate in defence and only crossing for seven tries — a dip from 17 four-pointers in 2021.
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The enigmatic second-rower has also started a clump of games on the bench at the Titans.
Queensland State of Origin coach Billy Slater overlooked him for Maroons selection in 2022.
But Tallis believes Fifita can rediscover his damaging best.
“I think we can unlock David Fifita,” Tallis said on Fox League.
“Kieran Foran just being so experienced … he’s won competitions.
“Just to unlock something … they just need a change of angle and (to) get him one on one.
“We all know what David Fifita can do.”
Tallis hopes Foran, who penned a two-year deal with the Titans, can get Fifita running threatening lines with the assistance of the former Manly playmaker’s expert passing.
Titans coach Justin Holbrook is desperate for Fifita to emerge from his rut, especially as the 22-year-old is reportedly earning $1.2 million per season.
Phil Gould believes Fifita’s price tag distorted the player market.
”If you go out and pay $1.2 million for a rookie forward who’s had 30 games because he scores a try every now and then, then what’s James Tedesco worth? What is Nathan Cleary worth?” Gould said on Wide World of Sports’ Six Tackles with Gus podcast last year.
“They play him off the bench … you can’t have a bench player on that kind of money.
“You can’t even have a back-rower on that sort of money unless he’s producing 80-minute performances every week and winning you games.”
Why Fifita contract created NRL false economy
Gould added that it was “irresponsible” of the Titans to sign Fifita on $1.2 million per season.
“I said it would end up stifling them and I didn’t know if it would end up producing any better results, which is the way it’s turned out,” Gould said.
“Now that’s not David Fifita’s fault. He is a very talented player.
“It actually caused dramas with the whole player market, with the values in the market. When you get an outlier purchase like that, where someone goes and pays a ridiculous amount of money for a young back-rower, then the other back-rowers, fullbacks, halves, forwards in the competition say, ‘Well, if he’s worth that, what am I worth?’.
“It created a whole false economy and a whole false expectation.
“It was an irresponsible signing — on the money perspective — for the game, for the game itself.”
The Titans had another woeful season in 2022, finishing in 13th on the ladder.
They’ll open their 2023 campaign in a clash with Wests Tigers at Leichhardt Oval on March 5.
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