Fifita’s partner, Titans NRLW player Shaylee Bent, hails from Glenmore Park – just five minutes from Penrith. Fifita has told those close to him that he wants to win a premiership and is considering a move away from the Titans, who are languishing in 16th position after nine rounds.
The Panthers are known for their diligence in managing the salary cap and are unlikely to offer Fifita seven figures if they decide to pursue his services. A meet and greet on Sunday afternoon will be pivotal in determining the next step.
Should discussions progress beyond Sunday’s meeting, the Panthers will consider restructuring their forward pack to accommodate the arrival of Fifita.
The Panthers have several options with the funds available to them, including pursuing Wests Tigers prop Stefano Utoikamanu.
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Utoikamanu has clauses in his deal that allow him to leave the Tigers at the end of the year if they fail to make the top eight, or he fails to play at least two Origin games for NSW this year.
The Panthers have placed an emphasis on retaining homegrown talent throughout a successful regime under Cleary and have not been in a position to sign a marquee player from a rival club for many years. The last time the club spent big dollars on a player from a rival club was when signing James Tamou (2017) and James Maloney (2018), both of whom were brought to the club under former general manager Phil Gould.
As well as Fisher-Harris, the Panthers will also lose Jarome Luai and Sunia Turuva to the Wests Tigers next season. They have managed to retain hooker Mitch Kenny and centre Taylan May in recent months.
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