Gorden Tallis has questioned how the struggling teams can compete in the player market amid news of David Fifita taking a pay cut to leave the second last Titans for the title-contending Sydney Roosters.
Fifita has reportedly inked a four-year deal with the Roosters from 2025 after exercising a clause in his contract to break his deal with the Titans before Round 10.
“It is a big blow, I am a little bit disappointed,” Tallis said on Fox League.
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“Dave was at the Broncos and there was a big chance for him to win a premiership there, so there is no guarantees in rugby league.
“I’m disappointed because I think the Titans are on the way up after getting Des Hasler.
“I know they haven’t had the greatest start to the year, but I can see improvements there.
“I haven’t spoken to anybody at the Titans, but I think they would be a little disappointed. I think dave has played some really good games and had some great moments.
“He probably hasn’t quite lived up to that tag, but I reckon under Des Hasler we were going to see a totally different David Fifita.”
Tallis took issue with players taking significantly less money to go to the big clubs, which doesn’t make sense to him.
“On a serious note this is what I don’t get, you have got these struggling clubs down below who are trying to compete in this premiership,” Tallis explained.
“He is on a three-year deal for $3 million and he goes to a club for less. That’s the part I don’t get.
“He has shopped himself around but now you have got to compete with the powerhouses in the game, but he goes for less. I don’t believe it.
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“That’s just me and that’s the cynic in me. When you are at a struggling club like the Tigers and you are trying to compete with the best guys in the competition and you are paying a guy $1 million a year and yet he goes for less.”
Tallis doubled down on his views on The Late Show with Matty Johns.
“It is a little bit disappointing obviously with where the Titans are at now and Des Hasler coming to the club,” Tallis said on The Late Show with Matty Johns.
“With Tino (Fa’asuamaleaui— injured you would think Dave is one of our marquee players and with the bottom sides you need players like this to get fans through the gate and all that kind of stuff.
“But it’s disappointing for the Titans.”
Nathan Hindmarsh questioned what effect Fifita’s exit would have on the Titans’ ability to sign and retain players going forward.
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Tallis conceded the Titans have to take some blame for inserting the unique clauses in Fifita’s contract.
“Absolutely (it hurts),” Tallis said.
“The Titans fought really hard to get him there and he had a clause in the contract and they fought again.
“It is partly the club’s fault for putting the clause in.”
Fletcher pointed out that the Titans could have also lost Fifita when former coach Justin Holbrook was sacked.
“The clause was after 10 weeks and Justin Holbrook had left, so they could have lost him when Holbrook left,” Fletcher said.
“So he had a clause then and this is the new clause.”
Matty Johns questioned if the Titans would be open to offloading Fifita early to free up salary cap space.
“Would the Gold Coast under any circumstances consider letting Dave go now?” Johns asked.
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Tallis believes Fifita is facing a huge period in his career where he has to prove his worth to his new club and repay the faith of his current team at the same time.
“I think the next six weeks for Dave is the most important in his career,” Tallis said.
“I think to show the Roosters fans what they are going to get, but the Titans have been pretty loyal to him, so $3 million over three years that’s a pretty big pay check for anybody playing the game and its surpirsing he went to the Roosters for $200,000 less.”
Johns raised the question of what Fifita’s signing means for off-contract back-rower Angus Crichton, who is in red hot form.
“It is interesting because he is a left side back-rower and the left side back-rower at the Roosters is Angus Crichton,” Johns said.
“You wonder if the Titans would entertain a swap?
“I think the Roosters would be crazy to let Crichton go now.”
“I think both of those guys can play both sides,” Tallis said.
“Crichton against the Broncos was absolutely outstanding.”
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“I have seen him play as good, but I have never seen him play better,” Johns added.
Fletcher believes the Roosters have too many first grade calibre back-rowers to keep them all.
“The Roosters have got Sitili Tupouniua, Nat Butcher and Egan Butcher and Siua Wong,” Fletcher said.
“They can’t all play reserve grade, so something is going to have to give.
“The mail was Crichton was going to rugby union, but the way he has played the last six weeks, I wouldn’t let him go.
“He can play on the right as well.”
Johns warned the Panthers missing out on Fifita’s signature should put the NRL on notice.
“We said last week that all the clubs are on high alert because the Roosters had a lot of money in the cap to spend,” Johns said.
“But now Penrith have a lot of money to spend and it is going to be interesting who their next target is.”
Fletcher questioned if the Roosters would prioritise recruiting a half to replace the retiring Luke Keary next.
“The Roosters have got no No.6 for next year,” Fletcher said.
“They have got young Sandon Smith, who has only played a handful of games.
“Do you think the Roosters would be on the lookout for a N.6?”
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However, Johns believes there is not enough talent on the open market to fill every roster hole in the NRL.
“But Fletch who?” Johns replied.
“This is the drama. What I have been saying all the time is the Titans have got a lot of money to spend, and they can go out there and get themselves a marquee halfback and then you go, but who is around?
“Jahrome Hughes is about to re-sign with the Storm until 2029, so like who is out there?
“If you have got a good No.6 and a really good No.7, these days they lock them down for a really long time.”
Source Agencies
