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Andrew Fifita

Saint Pedro

Juniors
Messages
601
Fifita was arguably the best prop in the game a few years back. Would everyone take lazurus , beetson or Matt Scott in their twilight? I know I would for the young fella to grow up around. He was a great offloading, hard to tackle, dirty old prop, if he still has that skill set albeit slower, why not?
 

possm

Coach
Messages
15,591
Out of all the signings Griffin has made since coming on board, the majority have been for the prop position. Griffin has worked to find props that will harden up our front row. Alvaro, Faamausili, Molo and now Fifita, signed to harden up our front row and join with Vaughan and Lawrie to give the team greater depth.

Vaughan to improve out of sight in 2021, manly because he will not have to shoulder the vast majority of work on his shoulders.

  • Alvaro is now starting to show us why Griffin signed him. A tough prop with a big motor.
  • Faamausili a young prop who came through the Roosters program, yet to show us his best form but has shown a lot of vigour on the field to date.
  • Molo demonstrated why Griffin has signed him by putting in a big performance in the Cowboys game against us in round 2.
  • Fifita still yet to sign-up but if he does, will produce the mongrel we are missing.
The signing of these 4 props will put the likes of Vaughan, Lawrie Merrin, Ellis, and Blacker on notice to perform if they really want a contract extension.

Ellis, Merrin and possibly Blacker might not be at the Dragons in 2022 - unless of course they lift their game substantially.
 

The calm one

Juniors
Messages
945
Out of all the signings Griffin has made since coming on board, the majority have been for the prop position. Griffin has worked to find props that will harden up our front row. Alvaro, Faamausili, Molo and now Fifita, signed to harden up our front row and join with Vaughan and Lawrie to give the team greater depth.

Vaughan to improve out of sight in 2021, manly because he will not have to shoulder the vast majority of work on his shoulders.

  • Alvaro is now starting to show us why Griffin signed him. A tough prop with a big motor.
  • Faamausili a young prop who came through the Roosters program, yet to show us his best form but has shown a lot of vigour on the field to date.
  • Molo demonstrated why Griffin has signed him by putting in a big performance in the Cowboys game against us in round 2.
  • Fifita still yet to sign-up but if he does, will produce the mongrel we are missing.
The signing of these 4 props will put the likes of Vaughan, Lawrie Merrin, Ellis, and Blacker on notice to perform if they really want a contract extension.

Ellis, Merrin and possibly Blacker might not be at the Dragons in 2022 - unless of course they lift their game substantially.
Just my own opinion. Merrin will retire Ellis and Blacker seem bound for over seas. They just don't cut it.
 

kit66

Bench
Messages
3,620
The Fifita story is all over the media now and what concerns me is that some other team will snap him up before we get through " monitoring " his situation , as one news source put it. Doggies, Melb, Newcastle all love signing the biggest blokes they can find and it's the big packs that are winning the games right now.
Just hurry up and sign him. He could be playing for us in a couple of weeks.
 

muzby

Village Idiot
Staff member
Messages
45,712
The Fifita story is all over the media now and what concerns me is that some other team will snap him up before we get through " monitoring " his situation , as one news source put it. Doggies, Melb, Newcastle all love signing the biggest blokes they can find and it's the big packs that are winning the games right now.
Just hurry up and sign him. He could be playing for us in a couple of weeks.
We’re pretty much the only team with any cap space left this year tho..

IMHO I reckon we’ll get him..

We need some mongrel, he wants (and is good enough) to play first grade..

Sharks can free up a few hundred thousand of cash, and we’re one of (if not the only) club who can afford him..


The only thing left to decide is how Millward will be blamed for it..

If he goes badly, he’ll be demonised for wasting our cash..

If he goes well, he’ll be demonised for only being able to sign him because he fell into our lap..
 

_Johnsy

Referee
Messages
27,381
Fifita was arguably the best prop in the game a few years back. Would everyone take lazurus , beetson or Matt Scott in their twilight? I know I would for the young fella to grow up around. He was a great offloading, hard to tackle, dirty old prop, if he still has that skill set albeit slower, why not?
If he didn't have the pure dickhead about him then 100%. sadly he has that in abundance, enough for 5 blokes. I don't think this ends well if we do land him.
 

possm

Coach
Messages
15,591
If he didn't have the pure dickhead about him then 100%. sadly he has that in abundance, enough for 5 blokes. I don't think this ends well if we do land him.
Griffin has the relationship and his respect. We will get the deal done.

Maybe a clean swap for 2021 - McInnes / Fifita. Contact for 2022 at 600k.
 

matPORTS

Juniors
Messages
556
If we are aiming for 2021 to be any more than a 're-building year', then Andrew Fifita needs to be in the squad before ANZAC Day - in fact I'd say he needs to be rolling out for us by no later than the game against Parramatta three Sundays from now.
 

possm

Coach
Messages
15,591
If we are aiming for 2021 to be any more than a 're-building year', then Andrew Fifita needs to be in the squad before ANZAC Day - in fact I'd say he needs to be rolling out for us by no later than the game against Parramatta three Sundays from now.
Surely, if the two clubs are in agreement and if Fifita is happy with the terms and given a medical clearance by our club doctors, there should be no holdup at all. Just get on with it.
 

Inisai Toga

Juniors
Messages
1,445
We’re pretty much the only team with any cap space left this year tho..

IMHO I reckon we’ll get him..

We need some mongrel, he wants (and is good enough) to play first grade..

Sharks can free up a few hundred thousand of cash, and we’re one of (if not the only) club who can afford him..


The only thing left to decide is how Millward will be blamed for it..

If he goes badly, he’ll be demonised for wasting our cash..

If he goes well, he’ll be demonised for only being able to sign him because he fell into our lap..
or.......if we sign him it will be well done Griffin; if we don’t- it will be Millward’s fault!
 

Slippery Morris

First Grade
Messages
7,472
On his day can be great. The Sharks GF win was all him. But I feel, Fifita has a brain explosion or 2 per game. For all the good he does, he always seems to do something stupid. I feel he gets baited easy. I am sure Hook and Elliot will sort that out.

Will definitely boost the forwards.

Saints are pretty smart not throwing their money in the offseason. They know that bargains like this will come up. Well played if it comes off. Geez I hope nobody else snaps him up. Seeing Saints are close by, that may give Saints the edge.
 

possm

Coach
Messages
15,591
DRAGONS’ FIFITA CHASE AS A WIN-WIN FOR SHARKS

St George Illawarra’s chase for out of favour Sharks prop Andrew Fifita has ramped up with NRL.com reporting that the Dragons have identified an area of Cronulla’s roster that needs more depth — something they could do if the club had some cash freed up.

It comes off the back of The Australian’s Brent Read reporting that the Dragons have “genuine interest” in Fifita earlier this week.

Utility back Connor Tracey has been named in Jesse Ramien’s centre spot for Cronulla’s clash with Parramatta on Saturday. Ramien is sidelined through a suspension and last week’s replacement Mawene Hiroti has dropped back to the reserves after he was hooked in last week’s game.

Tracey has filled in at centre off the bench but has never spent a full NRL game there.

According to NRL.com, the Dragons see this as the perfect opportunity to float their Fifita intentions to their rivals, with the argument that a deal could benefit both parties.

The Red V want more depth in their middle forwards and coach Anthony Griffin has already briefly chatted to Fifita — who has spent the opening rounds in reserve grade — while the Sharks could use the money freed up by the Fifita move to invest in some outside backs.

NRL.com reports Fifita has told Dragons players that he is interested in playing with them. However there some hurdles to overcome first, mainly Fifita’s hefty salary.

The 31-year-old is contracted to the Sharks until the end of 2022 on around $800,000 per season. The Dragons would need to foot half of the bill for next season ($400,000) and half of this season’s remaining salary if they were to bring him over immediately. With almost five months of this season’s salary already paid, that would be around $465,000.

Read said on Tuesday that St George Illawarra were “certainly watching the situation” and are keen “if they can make a deal work.”

Fifita’s Sharks teammate Matt Moylan said the former NSW Origin and Kangaroos forward is working on improving his game because “he really just wants to play first grade” while Dragons skipper Ben Hunt backed his club’s chase.

“I definitely think he could play a role. I think he would be a good asset for the team,” he told SEN 1170.

“He brings something different to our team that we don’t really have a lot. He is obviously really big, he has got a good offload in his game and he is a pretty mobile big boy so I think he would be an asset for any team.”

NRL 2021: Transfer Whispers, Andrew Fifita to Dragons, Sharks, Adam Reynolds, Rabbitohs, Reece Walsh Broncos release, contract news, signings | Fox Sports
 

ALSGI

Bench
Messages
3,101
As a spectator I can’t stand A. Fifita. Comes across as a total tool, he’s now injury prone, a referee magnet and did I mention he seems like a dickhead?

If Hook and co are chasing him and Hunt seems keen well I need to (reluctantly) bow to their superior knowledge and judgement on this.
 

TruSaint

Referee
Messages
20,264
As a spectator I can’t stand A. Fifita. Comes across as a total tool, he’s now injury prone, a referee magnet and did I mention he seems like a dickhead?

If Hook and co are chasing him and Hunt seems keen well I need to (reluctantly) bow to their superior knowledge and judgement on this.

Yeah, I've changed my mind.

I think I read somewhere yesterday that we only have 4 players with over 100 games first grade experience. Believe it was nrl.com

I no fan of his, but if he could deliver some impact, on discounted price, then let him rip.
 
Messages
8,480
  • Fifita is 31 years old (32 in June).
  • McCullough is 31 years old.
  • Both have (had) dodgy knees.

There's 2/3rd's of your front row (aside from subs etc).

Personally - I would have thrown a lot of muscle at getting Brandon Smith instead of McCullough. To me Smith is the future, McCullough has filled a gap. I've always liked Andrew Fifita despite some of the negativity that floats around about him. But at 32, 33 years old as a prop - he becomes a gap filler.

Jimmy Graham left us at 34. and in his last few games for us in 2020, he was a bench forward. There's not many players in the Red V i've loved more than James Graham but despite wanting him to play forever he was just simply behind the pace. And he never had the size or knee issues of Fifita. Props over 31/32 that are still firing on all cylinders are a rare breed. Graham was one - for a year or two. I dunno if Fifita can return to be one, and especially under the new rules (fatigue etc).

At a great price, then it becomes worth it. I haven't seen Fifita play anywhere near well consistently in over 2 seasons and so I wouldn't expect him to break all the shackles and become that brute force again week in week out.

I'd prefer they invest in getting targetting others.
 

Illusion

Bench
Messages
2,823
As a spectator I can’t stand A. Fifita. Comes across as a total tool, he’s now injury prone, a referee magnet and did I mention he seems like a dickhead?

If Hook and co are chasing him and Hunt seems keen well I need to (reluctantly) bow to their superior knowledge and judgement on this.
Mate , with you on this never loved the guy because of the way he comes across ..... but hated when we played against him because he was a grub on field ..... So I look at it this way if he is still capable of playing and at the right price then yea take him ..... Our pack at this time dont have a player that can put the opposition off their game he can .....
 
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