David Fifita set for early exit, Rabbitohs emerge as frontrunners
A Sydney team have expressed an interest in negotiating with him for 2026.
International and State of Origin back-rower David Fifita is reportedly set to depart the Gold Coast Titans at the end of the 2025 NRL season despite having a further 12 months left on his contract.
One of the highest-paid players in the NRL, with an annual salary of around $1 million, Fifita has had glimpses of brilliance since signing and moving to the Gold Coast, but hasn’t looked like the same player he was during his time at Red Hill with the Brisbane Broncos.
Finding himself out of favour at the Titans, which saw him axed to the QLD Cup, reports recently emerged that he is being shopped around to rival clubs despite still being contracted until the end of the 2026 NRL season.
Destined not to be at the Titans for much longer, reports from 9News have now emerged that Fifita is now set to leave the club at the end of the season with the Rabbitohs being the lead candidate for his signature.
“Nothing has been signed and there hasn’t been any negotiations yet but South Sydney have contacted the Gold Coast Titans and expressed an interest that they’d like to negotiate with him to take him to the Rabbits next year,” journalist Ben Dobbin said on 9News Brisbane.
This comes just over 12 months after he backflipped on a four-year contract to join their rivals, the Sydney Roosters.
Earlier on Thursday morning, Rabbitohs coach Wayne Bennett confirmed that the club have an interest in him for the first time.
“I don’t know what the situation is with David and the Titans,” Bennett told The Courier-Mail.
“If he is available, I would be interested, yes for sure. Until he gets permission to talk, we pretty much have our hands tied. If he comes onto the market I would be interested in him.
“David is a great talent – I gave him his debut at the Broncos. He is a contracted player at the Titans at the moment, so I don’t want to get myself into trouble.
“I know what David is capable of and if comes onto the market, I’d like to talk to him.”
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