http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/...n-person-to-kelly-family-20160903-gr84pg.html
Andrew Fifita knows he has done the wrong thing and he wants to make amends. He wants to apologise to the Kelly family, who lost their son Thomas when he was punched by Fifita's long-time mate Kieran Loveridge.
"I'm heartbroken to think that I could or have upset the Kelly family," Fifita said as controversy raged about what he had written on his arm guard. "That is the last thing I want to do. I wish I could stand in front of them and say I was sorry."
Sharks coach confirms Fifita investigation
Shane Flanagan has confirmed prop Andrew Fifita is being investigated over allegations he's been consorting with a convicted criminal.
Loveridge is serving a 10-year sentence for the manslaughter of Kelly, who was killed by a single, savage blow in Sydney's Kings Cross. Fifita was embroiled in controversy last week after it was revealed letters written on his arm guard, "FKL", were in support of Loveridge. Fifita has asked the Sharks to see if the Kelly family will talk to him.
"Upsetting the Kelly family was never what I set out to do – they've been through enough. I was there in the courtroom, I know what he [Loveridge] did. I could feel the pain of the Kelly family. As a dad, I'd hate to go through that.
"I know it was wrong and I think about the Kelly family when I think about Kieran. My support for Kieran is there because he is sitting without a glimmer of hope and I want to give him some hope. There are very few people who are going to support him and my bond with him runs deep.
"But to say that I think he should be free is just so wrong. It upsets me that people would think that. He has to do his time because he did the wrong thing, but I can't ignore a bloke who grew up with me as family."
It was on the team bus where Michael Ennis asked Sharks boss Lyall Gorman what the letters "FKL" on Fifita's arm stood for. It shows how the topic was not discussed among the playing group. At all.
We now know the F is for "For". Weeks and weeks after he first put the letters on his arm his teammates still didn't know what it was about. He wasn't banging on about it at training. And he didn't think it was a big deal until police arrived at his home on Wednesday morning to give him the warning that he needed to cut back on his contact with Loveridge. "I consider Kieran family," Fifita said. "I know what he did, I know there is no excuse, but the way I live my life, and have always lived my life, is that you don't turn your back on your brothers ... It's how I was brought up."
It all goes back to Fifita's upbringing. "Where I grew up ... I know if it wasn't for football, I could have been in jail. People don't understand that this sport saved me and I don't want to disrespect the sport or the club."
Fifita wants it known that he visited Loveridge once, and that he has been in regular phone contact with him. He will do what the police have told him to do. "And I'm also sorry to Flanno [coach Shane Flanagan] and the boys for the disruption I caused this week," he said.
