@citizen cub said:
@willow said:
@citizen cub said:
Fifita was a stand out for mine, he's an absolute handful for any team, good to see Sheens show faith in him by starting him in the front row. I think he has showed a good level of fitness to start the season and this has shown in his performances thus far.
Just one aspect he needs to work on is his slowness around the ruck, he's been pinged for slowing down the play the ball in the past and has been awfully close to doing so this year.
I wonder where Willow (a HUGE critic of Fifita's last year) is now?
Poor trolling. You questioned why Fifita didn't get much gametime last year which was due to his fitness as I pointed out and you tried to argue this while putting the boot into Galloway who was one of the Tigers stronger players. I was never a huge critic of Fifita as you make out and merely stated he wasn't getting much gametime due to letting his weight blow out from poor diet as the season went on. Fifita himself admitted this earlier this season and getting minimal gametime in the finals last year was the catalyst for him having a strong pre-season. Oh, I gave him an 8/10 for his effort against the Raiders too.
Poor diet? :roll what, do watch over him every night and see what he eats for dinner. Gee Willow, I respect most of your posts on this forum as they are constructive and well thought out, but you can't really tell me he had a 'poor diet' when you haven't met the guy. How do you come to these conclusions? And he had no notable weight increase last year either.
Wrong again cub. Fifita got slack with his diet and gained weight - Naturally his fitness suffered. I don't know why you're even trying to argue this point. Sheens has come out publicly and said Fifita had weight issues, you don't need to be einstein to work out a person's diet is going to affect their weight. Fifita started last season at 112kg. He finished it at 118kg. He is down to 110kg this season and it shows with his workrate.
Oh, look what I found:
Fifita slims down to get himself off the bench
Brad Walter - SMH
March 14, 2011
**FRUSTRATION with his lack of game time in last year's finals has spurred Wests Tigers strike forward Andrew Fifita to shed eight kilograms for this season.\
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Fifita, who was a member of the emerging NSW Origin squad chosen by Blues coach Ricky Stuart in the off-season, admits he was initially upset about how long he spent on the interchange bench as the Tigers charged to within one win of last year's grand final.\
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But the 21-year-old said he realised he had to get fitter if he wanted to become a regular member of the Tigers forward pack and break into State of Origin. Tonight he takes the field against the Bulldogs at a trimmed-down 110kg.\
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''I didn't want to be unfit coming into the new season so I have stepped it up at training,'' Fifita said. ''I guess I was getting a bit out of shape but this year I am looking to get my weight back down.\
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''I am 110 kg now; I was 117kg or 118kg by the end of last season. I could feel myself that I was getting a bit less fitter than I was at the start of the season, so this year I am going to try and do extras so I can play to the best of my ability all season.''**
Fifita acknowledges there is plenty of competition for a place in the Tigers forward pack.
Simon Dwyer and Ben Murdoch-Masila are emerging contenders and highly rated rookie Aaron Woods has returned from a season on the sideline with injury.
But Fifita said his selection in the Origin squad had made him determined to build on last year.
''It's a really good feeling to know that you have got to first grade and after that you want an Origin jumper or to play for your country,'' Fifita said. ''You would do pretty much anything for that.
''Origin is the next step so I have to play to the best of my ability. It is just about performing and taking the extra step up every year. I don't want to be known just for my first year.''
Despite not playing at all last season, Woods was also named in the 53-man emerging Origin squad that enjoyed a weekend in camp with Stuart in the off-season. Big things are predicted for the Leichhardt junior.
''It was awesome and considering the year I had last year, it has really lifted my spirits up and made me want to work harder,'' Woods said.
''I was out for 12 months so I didn't think there was any way it would happen. I was just happy to be back training so to get selected in that side was massive. I just want to get back on the field and play consistent footy.''
Prop Keith Galloway, who has enjoyed his first full off-season without injury in several years, said the depth in the Tigers forwards this season would help them to achieve their aim of winning the premiership.
''Definitely, that is our goal. We were close last year and that has been our benchmark,'' Galloway said.
