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| Full name | David Fifita | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | (1989-06-28)28 June 1989 (age 36) Blacktown,New South Wales, Australia | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 6 ft 4 in (1.94 m) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 18 st 13 lb (120 kg) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Playing information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Prop | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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As of 30 May 2023 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Education | Blacktown Boys High School | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Alma mater | Patrician Brothers' College, Blacktown | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Relatives | Latu Fifita (brother) Andrew Fifita (brother) David Fifita (cousin) Solomon Haumono (uncle) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
David Fifita (Tongan:Tēvita Fifita) (born 28 June 1989) is aTonga internationalrugby league footballer who plays as aprop forThe Entrance Tigers in theCentral Coast League in NSW, Australia.
He previously played for theLezignan Sangliers in theElite One Championship and theCronulla-Sutherland Sharks in theNRL. He has spent time on loan fromWakefield at theDewsbury Rams in theChampionship.
He was born inBlacktown, New South Wales, Australia.
He attendedPatrician Brothers' College, Blacktown andBlacktown Boys High School.
Fifita is ofIndigenous Australian andTongan descent and played his junior rugby league forSt Patricks Blacktown andDoonside Roos, before being signed by theWests Tigers.
Fifita is the twin brother of fellowCronulla-Sutherland Sharks playerAndrew Fifita, and cousin ofGold Coast Titans playerDavid Fifita[3] He is not related toJohn Fifita, a former St George Dragons player.[4] Fifita's elder brotherLatu Fifita plays forWorkington Town in theKingstone Press Championship.[5]
In 2009, Fifita played for the Wests Tigers'NYC team[6] In 2010, he played forTonga alongside his brother.[3] In 2011, he moved on to the Tigers'New South Wales Cup teams,Balmain Ryde-Eastwood Tigers andWestern Suburbs Magpies. At the end of 2012, he joined theLézignan Sangliers in theElite One Championship.[7]
In June 2013, after finishing his season with Lézignan, he attracted the interest of NRL clubs,Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks andMelbourne Storm.[7]
He eventually signed a contract with the Sharks for the rest of the2013 NRL season, the club where his twin brotherAndrew played.[8] After playing 6 games for the Sharks in the NSW Cup, he re-signed with them for 2014.[9]
Fifita was a member of the 2013 NSW Cup premiership side which defeated Windsor Wolves 38-6 in the grand final.[10]
In Round 2 of the2014 NRL season, Fifita made hisNRL début for Cronulla-Sutherland against theCanterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs.[11] On 17 July 2014, he re-signed with Cronulla-Sutherland on a two-year contract.[12]
On 13 February 2015, Fifita played for theIndigenous All Stars against theNRL All Stars in the2015 All Stars match.[13] In October, Fifita was selected in Tonga's 48-man train-on squad for theAsia-Pacific Qualifier for the2017 Rugby League World Cup.[14] He would go on to make the final 18-man squad where he would be named the 18th man and would fill in for any late injuries, suspensions or tactical changes.[15] He would go on to play in that match, in what was only his second appearance for Tonga, after filling in forLeilani Latu.
On 7 May, Fifita played for Tonga againstSamoa in the 2016Polynesian Cup.[16] On 10 June, after gaining a release fromCronulla-Sutherland, he joinedWakefield Trinity in theSuper League on a one-year contract, with an option for a second year, effective immediately.Fifita turned into a big fans favourite atWakefield Trinity due to his physical dominance in the middle of the park.[17][18]
Fifita made 21 appearances for Wakefield Trinity in the2017 Super League season where the club shocked many by finishing fifth on the table.[19]
In the2018 Super League season, Fifita made 17 appearances for Wakefield as the club finished 7th on the table.[20]
Fifita played 22 games for Wakefield in the2019 Super League season where the club finished ninth on the table.[21]
On 28 August, Fifita was stood down by Wakefield after he refused to wear a GPS tracking device for coronavirus protocols.[22]Fifita played only nine games for Wakefield in the2020 Super League season as the club finished second bottom.[23]
Fifita played 25 games for Wakefield Trinity in the 2021 Super League season which saw the club finish in 10th place.[24]
In round 18 of the 2022 Super League season, Fifita scored a try and was later sent to the sin bin during Wakefield's 38-26 loss againstToulouse Olympique atMagic Weekend.[25]After seven seasons at Wakefield Trinity, Fifita announced that he would be departing the club at the end of the year. Fifita's final game for Wakefield was a 16-14 loss againstHuddersfield.[26]
After leaving Wakefield he joinedThe Entrance Tigers in theCentral Coast Division Rugby League.
In May, it was announced that Fifita would come out of semi-retirement to play for Wakefield Trinity after the club had lost its opening 13 matches. Fifita made his return in the clubsMagic Weekend loss againstLeigh in round 14. In round 15, Fifita played in Wakefield's 24-14 upset victory over Leeds to end a 14-game losing streak.[27]Fifita played a total of 12 matches for Wakefield Trinity in theSuper League XXVIII season as the club finished bottom of the table and were relegated to theRFL Championship which ended their 24-year stay in the top flight.[28]