The Broncos have reportedly had their eye on David Fifita for a while, regardless of the membership solely going public with its recruitment raid this week.
It was revealed on Wednesday night time the highly effective Queensland membership has emerged as a reliable participant within the scrap to signal the Titans’ former $1.2m-per-season man.
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According to 7News’ Mishelle Bishop, the Broncos are “going hard” for Fifita with the cash freed up by shedding Tom Flegler and Herbie Farnworth to the Dolphins.
Fifita famously left the Broncos on the finish of the 2020 season after signing a deal that made him the highest-paid ahead in rugby league.
The 23-year-old has did not ship on the hype since becoming a member of the Titans and he’s reportedly taking a look at a large pay minimize whereas the Titans, Raiders and Broncos struggle it out for his signature.
Bishop advised SEN Breakfast on Thursday Fifita seems to have decided he needs to stay in south-east Queensland — ruling the Raiders out.
The Raiders had been reportedly hoping to lure the Fifita to the nation’s capital in a package deal take care of his associate, NRLW star Shaylee Bent.
“Brisbane, they are going in hard,” she stated.
“This is an 11th hour bid for him. They got to free up a little bit of space in their cap for him with Herbie Farnworth and Tom Flegler. I do know Brisbane would have gone earlier, they were absolutely interested, but salary cap was an issue. He’s 23, he’s got offers all over the joint. Ricky Stuart did his best to bring him to the nation’s capital. The titans, they want to retain him.
“My sources are telling me he’s very much going to be staying in Queensland one way or another. The Raiders had hoped to retain both of them in a Millie-Boyle-Adam Elliott type situation down there. But as I said he’ll be staying in Quensland and the Raiders are out of the race.”
The Broncos’ pursuit of one other second-rower has been questioned whereas the membership already has Jordan Riki and Kurt Capewell on its books.
“I find it an unusual decision,” NRL 360 host Paul Kent stated.
“They are trying to replace Farnworth and Flegler who are going to the Dolphins, so you have got a middle forward and a centre going and they are going to replace them with an edge forward. I just don’t understand it.
“Now I will say there will probably be an appetite for the Titans given his huge salary on the salary cap and how much rooms he takes up there, to get him out of there to free up some room given their return on their investment probably hasn’t been what they would have liked.
“That means the Broncos could probably get him for cheaper than market value, so that makes sense from that point of view.
“In the cattle trade you could sort of work it out, but as far trying to sure up their positions for the players they are losing it doesn’t make sense.
“Whoever is running the roster management (former NRL 360 co-host Ben Ikin) up there has got no idea (laughs).”
— with foxsports.com.au
Source web site: www.foxsports.com.au
