Bulldogs dodge a bullet on Fifita deal

The Canterbury Bankstown Bulldogs have completed a dramatic backflip by terminating contract negotiations with prized recruit Andrew Fifita.

The current Cronulla Sharks prop was due to join the Dogs for the 2015 season, after agreeing to a massive deal just a few weeks ago. It was worth a reported $3.5 million over four years.

However, the Bulldogs released a statement yesterday stating that they had advised Fifita’s management that he would no longer be joining the club, as the final terms of his contract couldn’t be agreed upon.

The conspiracy theories immediately surfaced, starting with whispers that third-party deals couldn’t be guaranteed. They then quickly moved to reports that the Dogs may have been wary of signing a player who had stated last week that he regretted the contract, and wanted to play rugby union instead.

Whatever the reason, the bottom line is that it’s a blessing in disguise for the Bulldogs.

As a Dogs fan, I was never impressed with the acquisition of the 24-year-old Australian and New South Wales representative forward.

Though an undeniable talent, there were a number of reasons why my excitement over the signing was less than enthusiastic. First and foremost, as damaging a player as Fifita can be, the Dogs didn’t need him. They just wanted him.

There is nothing wrong with the desire to have a player of Fifita’s calibre at your club, but the truth is that the Dogs forward pack was already a strength of the team. Fifita wouldn’t have exponentially improved the side.

With a forward pack that includes James Graham, Aiden Tolman, Sam Kasiano, Tony Williams, Frank Pritchard and Greg Eastwood, there was no requirement to boost the engine room. The Dogs’ needs lie elsewhere.

Despite posting a couple of 40-point games this season, the Dogs lack flair and potency in their backline, primarily due to the absence of Ben Barba at fullback.

Barba’s absence is compounded by the fact the Dogs’ other spine players – Michael Ennis, Trent Hodkinson and Josh Reynolds – aren’t brilliant ball players.

In that regard, addressing the backline issue should have been a much larger priority for the club than signing another forward, regardless of how good he is.

We then get to the elephant in room, which incidentally is the animal that would have needed to carry Fifita’s wallet around.

The Dogs reportedly signed Fifita for $850,000 a year. Although a large portion of that was due to come from third-party deals, so wouldn’t have counted against the salary cap, it was a lot of money that could be spent on another player or players.

No disrespect to Fifita, but he simply isn’t worth it, especially not at a club that has holes elsewhere in their roster.

Then there were Fifita’s staggering comments soon after signing the contract with the Dogs: “If I could go back now, I wish I chose rugby and then I wouldn’t be getting all the s*** I’ve been catching now,” he said.

“I grew up playing rugby so it was one of the best things. It’s always going to be there and I will eventually go to union. It’s another dream and I just want to chase another dream.”

Though Fifita’s comments didn’t come from a place of disrespect towards the Bulldogs, they were nonetheless disrespectful. The club had just committed a lot of money to him, and he almost immediately showed little to no respect for the jersey.

It’s understandable that Fifita didn’t welcome the increased attention that came with signing a big contract, but that comes with the territory of accepting a truckload of money. He needed to be a little smarter with how he responded to the increased scrutiny, because his comments would have set alarm bells ringing out at Belmore.

Loyalty is a vital part of all rugby league clubs, and though it is purchased in this day and age, the fact remains that once bought it needs to be demonstrated. Fifita’s comments didn’t do that.

Whatever the details, the Dogs dodged a bullet. They ended up not getting a player they didn’t need, who they were going to overpay, and who didn’t really want to be there anyway.

That’s win, win, win from where I’m standing.