David Fifita’s State of Origin hopes have taken another hit after Queensland legend Darren Lockyer openly questioned whether the Gold Coast forward "wants it" enough to return to the representative arena.
The 25-year-old’s fall from favour continued this week when he was dropped from the Titans squad ahead of Magic Round, just days after a flat return from injury against the Cowboys.
Once the NRL’s highest-paid player, earning $1.25 million per season, Fifita now finds himself on the fringe of the Titans’ first-grade side and, more worryingly, further away from a Maroons recall.
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Appearing on QLDER, Lockyer, who is part of Queensland’s selection panel, addressed Fifita’s form slump and his chances of featuring in the 2025 Origin series.
"It's just whether he wants it"
"We know the talent that Dave has, but we talk about what an Origin player is and Dave is probably still learning exactly what that's about," Lockyer said.
"It's the effort areas in the game that you need. He brings a lot to the game with the footy, but defensively, that's his biggest challenge. Billy [Slater] knows what's required and Dave is capable — it's just whether he wants it."
Fifita was overlooked by Slater in 2024 despite a string of injuries in the Queensland forward pack, and his recent demotion won’t help his case this year either. Coach Des Hasler dropped the second-rower after he made just 88 metres and missed four tackles in a quiet 59-minute outing off the bench against North Queensland.
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While Fifita had briefly looked back to his barnstorming best with a 203-metre performance against the Dragons, inconsistency and a lingering hamstring issue have limited his impact since returning from off-season surgery.
For now, Fifita’s path back to the Origin arena looks murky. Slater, for his part, has offered encouragement in the past, saying, "I've got no doubt that Dave will get back to the footy he played last year, and I'm sure he will wear a Maroons jersey in the future again."