LeagueNews.co | Cooper McEnroe
David Fifita, the Gold Coast Titans star back-rower, has addressed his recent demotion to reserve-grade by head coach Des Hasler ahead of his game in the QLD Cup.
After a disappointing start to the 2025 NRL season, where he had been mostly coming off the interchange bench, Fifita was unexpectedly dropped from the squad on Tuesday.
The Titans opted to include Iszac Fa'asuamaleaui, Josiah Pahulu, and Klese Haas instead.
Fifita, one of the highest-paid players in the NRL with an annual salary of around $1 million, has shown flashes of brilliance since joining the Titans but has not replicated the form he had while playing for the Brisbane Broncos.
This inconsistency has contributed to the club's struggles to make the NRL Finals.
As Fifita's teammates prepare to face the table-leading Canterbury Bulldogs, he will be competing for the Ipswich Jets in the QLD Cup.
He remarked, "It is what it is," accepting the situation with a sense of resignation.