Gold Coast’s $1.25 million man is once again under the gun after criticism from a retired premiership hero.
Scott Sattler took aim at barnstorming Titans backrower David Fifita following their loss to Parramatta on Saturday.
“David Fifita, although he scored an amazing try on Saturday night, I think he’s one of their worst players at the moment, to be quite honest,” Sattler told SEN radio on Monday.
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“They need to find more out of him. If they don’t, I’d think about putting him on the bench.”
Fifita, 22, is one of the highest paid players in the NRL since moving down the road from Brisbane on a deal worth $1.25 million a season.
He can be the most destructive ball runner in rugby league, and regularly slices through defensive lines with brute strength like no one else can, to score or set up thrilling tries.
But for large periods during games he has a habit of disappearing. He’s been accused of picking and choosing when he wants to put in effort, instead of constantly exerting himself to the level his pay cheque demands.
“If he’s getting big bucks, he’s got to have big performances,” league legend Wally Lewis told Wide World of Sports’ QLDER.
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Broncos great Darren Lockyer likened Fifita to his former teammate at Red Hill, Payne Haas.
Haas is earning as much as $500,000 less this year than Fifita, but he is considered one of the best props in the NRL and a vital cog in the Brisbane team.
Lockyer wants to see Fifita respond to Sattler’s comments by applying himself and working on the parts of his game that are being criticised.
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“Poke the bear. It will be interesting to see the reaction we get from Dave,” Lockyer said.
“We talked about Payne Haas before, and what makes him good is not just his impact, but his work ethic and his effort areas.
“I think David is so explosive and can be so dynamic, (but) a lot of people are looking at where are the effort areas in Dave’s game that requires him to be someone who is paid over $1 million.
“It’s up to Dave, really, if he wants to improve that area of his game.
“The tries we see he is capable of, they will keep coming, but it’s the effort areas that maybe in the grandstands people don’t recognise, but players and coaches recognise.”
The Titans next take on Manly on Saturday.
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