Titans coach Des Hasler has spoken publicly for the first time about his major decision to drop star forward David Fifita, following the team’s disappointing 38-18 defeat to the Bulldogs.
Fifita, instead of lining up for the Titans, played for the Ipswich Jets on Sunday—who were beaten 32-0. Playing in the back row, Fifita recorded 58 running metres and 20 tackles after being named among the extended reserves last Tuesday.
The Titans adjusted Hasler’s usual Tuesday media session, pushing it earlier in the day to avoid direct questioning on the squad selection before it was officially announced at 4pm. When eventually asked whether Fifita might return and what prompted the decision to drop him, Hasler explained the reasoning.
“We’ll assess things after the game,” he said. “He’s had a few areas to reflect on and needed to think through some things. It was about getting him to work on specific aspects of his game.”
Hasler added, “We’ll see how this weekend goes, then review the situation. It’s a short turnaround before we face Newcastle.”
Despite growing pressure amid a five-game losing streak, Hasler emphasized he wasn’t looking to make drastic changes to the lineup. He hinted that Jayden Campbell and Kieran Foran might return in Round 10.
Fifita, currently on a $1 million-per-season contract running through 2026, committed to the Titans last year after turning down a lucrative four-year offer from the Sydney Roosters.
When asked about the team’s latest loss, Hasler’s frustration was evident.
“We let the game slip away,” he said. “We overcame some challenges, like losing Tom Weaver early, but we managed to fight back. Unfortunately, we let ourselves down again after halftime with simple errors—missed tackles and poor execution.”
