Rabbitohs captain Cameron Murray backs star signing David Fifita to succeed at Souths
Ben Horne
News Sport Network
dailytelegraphcomau
January 17, 2026
In a wide-ranging interview, Rabbitohs captain Cameron Murray has backed star recruit David Fifita to succeed, while opening up on his injury woes, and making a stark admission over the NRLās controversial rule changes.
South Sydney recruit David Fifita is set to explode at his new club after five wretched years on the Gold Coast.
Thatās the opinion of Rabbitohs captain, Cameron Murray, who says Fifita has blown him away with the way heās tackled his first pre-season in red and green.
Speaking at an Asics āshoe swapā event at Centennial Park in Sydney on Saturday morning, Murray gave a comprehensive update on the Rabbitohsā 2026 plans, declaring teammate Brandon Smith is ālooking phenomenalā and one of three players vying to start at hooker, and Latrell Mitchell also yet to be locked into a position in the backline.
Fifita is one of the NRLās most underperformed players, but Souths believe theyāve signed a sleeping giant who can finally awaken under the magic tutelage of supercoach, Wayne Bennett.
Murray warned NRL rivals that Fifita has recovered well from his foot injury and is ready to make his mark.
Heās really good. Heās really impressed me,ā Murray said as a brand ambassador for Asics new GEL-NIMBUS 28 runners, which were being handed out for free at Centennial Park on Saturday in exchange for old runners to be sent off for recycling.
āHeās coming with a great attitude. He was there to get his foot right when he started, and he didnāt leave any stone unturned with his rehab and was working hard in the gym.
āThen once he got out onto the field, heās been all guns blazing.
āHe seems happy and he seems like heās getting fitter and it seems like he wants to get back to his best footy and thereās no doubt that heāll get the opportunity to do that here at the club.ā
Murray said Souths were still weighing up the best positions to unleash strike weapons Brandon Smith and Latrell Mitchell.
āBrandon was coming off that knee injury, so regardless of how hard you trained you in that rehab of an ACL, youāre always going to be a little bit underdone,ā Murray said.
ā(This pre-season) heās looking phenomenal, so hopefully Cheese (Smith) is back to his best.
āI think (Latrellās best position) is still being weighed up, to be honest.
āThereās lots of experiments getting thrown around at training at the moment.
āBecause weāve got such a star studded squad, itās just about getting them in the right positions and making sure that weāre playing to each otherās strengths.
āI donāt envy the coaches, having to choose a team because thereās so much talent. Everyone is fighting and training hard and pushing for spots.ā
Murray declined to give an opinion on the NRLās controversial proposed change to the kick-off rule ā which South Sydney coach Bennett has been the biggest advocate for.
However, the Test and Origin lock admits it will significantly change the game.
Bennett is yet to discuss the mooted rule change with his players, despite his public support for the benefits of the team that has had a try scored against them to receive the ball off the subsequent kick-off.
āHe doesnāt talk much, you know,ā Murray said.
āItās got to be a pretty big change. I canāt remember the last time the kick-off rule got changed in rugby league. If it does get changed, itāll be a pretty big change and because of the weight that it holds, there will be a fair bit of tactics involved and strategy.
āItās definitely something weāre going to have to think about and try and figure out whatās best for us. I think it will have a big impact on the game.ā
Murray said man-mountain Fifita is one opposition player he has always wished was on his team.
āAfter all these years of trying to tackle him, itāll be nice to have him next to me,ā Murray said.
āHis attitude (has impressed me most). That mentality of trying to get better every day and turning up, giving your best, and thatās what Iāve seen from him.
āThatās the best indicator heās given himself the best chance to play good footy.ā
Murray said he feels he has āblown the cobwebs outā after returning from an Achilles injury for the final round last season ā but admits he will still be nervous running out for the new campaign, given the severity of what he has come back from.
āIām as confident as I can be. Thereās still going to be nerves, no doubt. Probably more than normal for the start of the season, because of how much footy I missed last year,ā he said.
āBut Iāve given myself the best chance and Iām just trying to be as calm as I can be with my mind.ā
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