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'He's looking down': Fifita determined to do dad proud
Margie McDonald, AAP • September 9th, 2026 6:00 am
David Fifita will be thinking of his late father when he returns to finals action with Souths. (Dan Himbrechts/AAP
South Sydney forward David Fifita says he's honouring his father's legacy by returning to the NRL finals in his first year with the Rabbitohs.
Five years ago, Fifita was a 21-year-old coming off the bench for Gold Coast in an elimination-final loss to the Sydney Roosters.
A lot has changed since then, with Fifita undergoing a horror run of three ankle surgeries across 2024 and 2025 to ruin his last seasons with the Titans.
But he moved to South Sydney for a fresh start this year after losing his father Siaosi last September - and to reunite with coach Wayne Bennett, who handed him his NRL debut at Brisbane in 2018.
Bearing the memory of his dad, David Fifita has six tries from 11 games since a return from injury | Photo: Mark Evans/AAP
"I do everything for Dad, and I know he's looking down on me, and I hope I'm making him and my mum proud," Fifita said.
"I loved my dad. I cherish the moments – I still have all the videos and all the calls on my phone, stuff like that.
"He was a Broncos fan because of Wayne – everyone loves Wayne Bennett.
"It's good to be here with Wayne. He's from Queensland and he's got my back and I've got his back.
"I've known him since I was 16 years old in the Broncos juniors coming through. It was a tough time when he left … and then I went to the Titans.
"But now I'm back with him and we've come full circle."
Wayne Bennett's return to Souths was a key inducement for Fifita to join the club | Photo: Dean Lewins/AAP
Fifita said he knew many people thought he had not fully reached his potential, but he said they didn't know all he had been through.
"I've had those dark days with my injuries – people thought I was done.
"Wayne trusted me and believed in me. I'm on the other side now.
"I'm very blessed to be back on the field so I'm looking forward to repaying the faith."
That starts with Friday night's elimination final against the Newcastle Knights at Allianz Stadium, where Fifita's block-busting runs will likely be a feature if Souths prevail.
Teammate Cody Walker said Fifita was now in an environment where he was greatly cared for.
"I think he gets underestimated by what's been portrayed of Dave over the years," Walker said.
"Ever since he's put a Souths jersey on he's in the kick-chase line. He's taking tough carries, he wants the ball and he's scoring some wonderful tries.
"I'm not sure what happened in previous clubs but he's well-respected within our club, he's well-liked and we love having him part of our group."
Cody Walker says the 'underestimated' David Fifita has been a force at Souths | Photo: Dan Himbrechts/AAP
Despite a hamstring strain keeping Fifita on the sidelines for six weeks, he returned for Souths in Round 14 and has scored six tries in 11 games.
"Just enjoying my footy, mate. I'm coming to work with a smile. All the boys and staff here are really tight and very welcoming," he said.
"I came from the Titans with a really bad ankle injury. I've overcome that and I've got a coach that backs me and loves me – I feel that love.
"I had some doubts, second-guessing myself and thinking, 'Do I still have it?'
"But I'm really confident again in my ability and I'm moving forward."
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