David Fifita

David Fifita was a star in the making from a young age, featuring in Queensland development programs since he was 15.

The Souths Acacia Ridge junior, went on to captain Queensland Under 15 Schoolboys; Queensland Under 16s and Queensland Under 18s, as well as playing for the Australian Schoolboys against New Zealand Under 18s in 2017.

That same year, he won the Peter Sterling Medal as player of the match for Keebra Park in their 25-12 win over Westfield Sports High in the national final of the then GIO Cup in Sydney.

The young tearaway stunned the rugby league world when he progressed from Under 18s at Souths Logan, to NRL at the Broncos, in a matter of weeks, in 2018. Later that year, Fifita was chosen to represent the Queensland Under 20s, but had to withdraw, due to NRL commitments. 

Fifita capped a rapid rise by making his State of Origin debut for Queensland in 2019, after just 22 NRL games. He made history when he became the first player born in the 2000s to play State of Origin and NRL. He came off the bench in his Origin debut, a 18-14 win over New South Wales at Suncorp Stadium. He played all three games in 2019 and made his starting debut - in the second row - in Game I of the 2021 series.

For a young guy, David has that strength and attitude that I have now, and he's only just turned 19.

Felise Kaufusi FOG #195

Fifita signed with Gold Coast Titans in 2021 and scored a club record 17 tries in his first season with his new club. It was the most tries for a forward since the 1998 season, and included a double against his old club, the Broncos and hat-tricks against Newcastle and Souths.

Fifita represented the Indigenous All Stars in 2019 and 2020, and also represented the Junior Kangaroos against France, in Wollongong, in 2019. At the start of the 2021 season, he had played 66 NRL matches and scored 30 tries.