Source :- THE AGE NEWS
David Fifita’s resurgence for South Sydney has earned him a place in Australia’s extended World Cup squad, while teammate Latrell Mitchell is also making a late bid for a Kangaroos jersey after sending a goalkicking SOS to a Canberra legend.
An emotional Fifita this week spoke about overcoming “dark days” when injuries left him wondering if he would ever recapture his devastating early-career form.
Friday’s elimination final against the Newcastle Knights will fall a day before the one-year anniversary of his father’s death.
Fifita’s barnstorming runs on the right edge, especially over the past month, have not escaped the attention of Kangaroos coach Kevin Walters, whose starting back-rowers from last year’s Ashes, Hudson Young and Angus Crichton, are injured and linking with rugby respectively.
Penrith’s Liam Martin, Canterbury’s Jacob Preston, North Queensland’s Reuben Cotter, Fifita and Souths teammate Tallis Duncan have all been included in the preliminary 40-man squad all World Cup nations had to submit last Friday. Players can be added from outside the squad at a later date.
“David is an elite player, and he’s put himself in the frame by getting back to the form we all know he’s capable of,” Walters said on Thursday.
“He’s a big man, he likes to use his weight and power to his advantage – he loves the physical stuff. Because he’s such a big body, he needs to play regularly, which he’s been doing. He’s getting better each week, and the further Souths progress into the finals will only help him.”
Souths captain Cameron Murray will be back in the green and gold should he remain fit, especially with question marks over the fitness of Panthers lock Isaah Yeo, while Mitchell is also in the frame for the end-of-season World Cup.
“A person of Latrell’s calibre, the more footy he can play at this time of year, the more he’ll push his chances – we saw last week what he can do and what he brings to a team,” Walters said of Mitchell.
Fifita played for the Prime Minister’s XIII and Australia’s nines team in 2019, but his only Test appearances were for Tonga at the 2022 World Cup.
Meanwhile, Raiders sharpshooter Jarrod Croker made the hit-and-run trip to Heffron Park on Tuesday to work with fellow left-footed kicker Mitchell.
Souths’ goalkicking strike rate of 64.7 per cent (88 from 136) this season is the worst in the NRL. Improved kicking could have been the difference between fifth and sixth when you consider Cronulla finished level on competition points but 36 ahead on differential – equivalent to 18 goals.
Mitchell himself has kicked 41 of 65 attempts for a strike rate of 63.1 per cent. He slotted 61 from 78 (78.2 per cent) in 2022.
Croker, who now lives on the Gold Coast, launched his own range of kicking tees, which are used by Mitchell.
“He reached out on the Monday, and I was at training on Tuesday,” Croker said. “The other night [against the Roosters] was his first full game back from injury, so there was a bit of fatigue, and he didn’t really have much of an exit.
“An ‘exit’ is like your follow through, which gets harder when you get wider out, and only because kickers want to kick the ball harder, then stop and look up to see where it’s going.
“I told him to try and keep the follow through happening, and aim it just inside the left post. The key is, ‘Aim small, miss small’, and if he’s aiming just inside that left post with his natural shape, he’ll be thereabouts most of the time.”
‘Money’s not everything’: The contract conundrum facing Panthers
Adrian Proszenko
Penrith enforcers Moses Leota and Liam Martin have spoken of the agonising decisions they will soon be required to make on their playing careers, with the latter declaring “money’s not everything at the end of the day”.
The Panthers have a raft of key stars uncontracted beyond 2027 who will be free to negotiate with rival clubs on November 1. Some of them – headlined by Nathan Cleary, Isaah Yeo, Martin, Leota and Isaiah Papali’i – have parked negotiations to focus on the upcoming finals, beginning with Sunday’s blockbuster clash against the Roosters at CommBank Stadium.
The club has made progress with Yeo, who was able to dedicate some time to his contract discussions while recovering from a pectoral injury, while Cleary is in no rush to make a call.
The club granted Leota a brief window to explore his options earlier this season, but the Kiwi international hasn’t made a decision on where he will be playing in 2028.
Martin, who has been strongly linked with the PNG Chiefs, will also be in hot demand if he doesn’t recommit to Penrith before November 1. The NSW and Australian back-rower said he would “love to stay” at the Panthers, but would give his future more attention after their premiership campaign ends.
“Obviously there could be more money elsewhere, but money’s not everything at the end of the day,” Martin said. “It’s also enjoying your footy. I’ve got a great bunch of mates here, like best mates, that I’ve played with since I was 18.
“And I’ve been in Penrith for 10 years now, and got a little boy. So, yeah, there’s a lot to weigh up. It’s not an easy decision, but I guess I’ll have to make it in due time.”
Martin and Leota have been the cornerstones of a Panthers pack that has won four premierships since 2021. They will have to balance the prospect of higher wages available elsewhere against the likelihood of joining a less successful team.
“That success is so addictive, and what we’ve got here is just an incredible culture,” Martin said. “And it’s going to be very successful for a long time, this club, when you have the likes of Casey [McLean], Blaze [Talagi], Billy Phillips coming through. So, yeah, it would be hard to walk away …
“It’s sort of the duality of it. You couldn’t imagine going somewhere and experiencing failure and just how tough that would be. But also the challenge of building a successful club somewhere else, and I feel like I could offer something. It’s a tough decision.”
Leota is grappling with similar sentiments before making a call on what will likely be the last contract of his career.
“Penrith is my home and this is all I’ve ever known, so it’d be hard to sort of get me away from here. But we’ll see what happens,” Leota said.
“I’m leaving it up to my manager, and if it gets done before or after [November 1] it is what it is.”
The Panthers host the Roosters in a qualifying final at Commbank Stadium on Sunday. One of the highlights will be the clash between Roosters firebrand Spencer Leniu and his former teammates. Leniu almost lost his cool on several occasions in last week’s clash against the Rabbitohs, including during a running battle with Keaon Koloamatangi.
“Spenny, I’m sure he would love to have his time again, and I’m sure he’ll learn from that lesson, and probably won’t be quite as fiery this week, I’m sure,” Martin said.
“I’m really looking forward to the clash. We always have good battles out there. I’m really looking forward to it … he sort of can break the game open. He’s one of those real dynamic and explosive players, I’m sure he’ll be looking to do that this weekend. So we’re going to have to do a job of containing him.”
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