- Rugby League Writers
- Posts
- David Fifita: What Went Wrong At The Titans & How Things Change At The Rabbitohs
David Fifita: What Went Wrong At The Titans & How Things Change At The Rabbitohs
He's one of the most physically gifted players in NRL history, but David Fifita wasn't able to reach his potential at the Titans. Will it be any different at the Rabbitohs?
It’s felt like a long time coming, but David Fifita has officially left the Gold Coast Titans and is headed to join Wayne Bennett and the South Sydney Rabbitohs on a two-year deal.
He’s one of the most polarising players in the NRL; never quite as good as people thought at his peak in the six-again season, but not the liability he’s become known as more recently. Here I’m looking back at that famous 2021 season, how it stalled his development, and how he can correct the course at the Rabbitohs.
Key Points
- The Six Again Season: As if the six again rule change wasn’t poorly thought out and rushed through enough, Fifita made a mockery of the fatigue in the game. 
- What Went Wrong At The Titans? A lot of what went wrong on the field with his time at the Titans is how good it all was in 2021. 
- 🔒What To Expect At The Rabbitohs: Despite the injuries, Souths still scored a whopping 62% of their tries down the left edge in 2025. 
🔐 Support independent rugby league analysis: ~70% of the content here is on the house, but for only $5 a month, you can unlock all of the extras and help to keep the lights on - sign up now for three months free.
The Six Again Season
You can’t think about David Fifita without picturing him taking a short ball from dummy half and crashing over the line in 2021.
As if the six again rule change wasn’t poorly thought out and rushed through enough, Fifita made a mockery of the fatigue in the game to score 17 tries in 22 matches. No player has ever made picking the ball up from dummy half to score close to the line look so easy as he did.
But as the players around the competition have caught up to the speed and more rule changes slightly slowed things down, Fifita hasn’t been as effective as a try scorer. He’s scored only 20 tries in the 68 games and four seasons since that highlight reel 2021 campaign.


Reply