Wakefield forward David Fifita believes that if Super League truly wants to align itself via the NRL via rule changes, then they have missed the most important change of all for 2019 – reducing the number of games players are forced to endure.
Fifita admits he’s looking forward to the speed of Super League games increasing this season, having experienced changes such as reduced interchanges and shot clocks during his time in the NRL with Cronulla.
However, he maintains that the biggest, and most significant, change would be having a 24-game season like the NRL. Super League clubs will play five more regular-season games this year, as well as participating in the Challenge Cup.
“I don’t mind the rule changes, they’re great,” he told League Express.
“Speed the game up by all means, I think most players will say they’ll enjoy that – but it’s the fact of how many games we play that I don’t like.
“If you want to try and copy the NRL by having the same rules and everything like that, cut the games down to what they play. They play 24, we play 30-odd games.
“We’re not robots, we’re humans and that’s the main thing that’s annoying me. Other than that I don’t care; my job is to get out there and have some fun, and that won’t change in 2019 with Wakefield Trinity.”
Fifita has also laughed off talk that Wakefield’s big pack may be one of the teams that will struggle most with the reduction in interchanges from ten to eight – saying people can’t have been paying too much attention to them in 2019.
He said: “Last year we only rolled with seven or eight interchanges anyway, and we were sat in the changing rooms at half-time and realising we’d only made two or three – so don’t be thinking that’s going to have a big impact on us.
“Clearly not many people have watched us too closely last year if they think knocking the subs down by two is going to be a problem!”
The popular forward also believes it is time Wakefield take the next step in their development in 2019 – and compete for a piece of silverware.
“I think it’s time for this club now,” he said. “I’ve had a talk with Chezzy (Chris Chester) and he’s laid out what he expects. We’ve done brilliantly to get a player like Danny Brough in because we needed some direction, and I think he can help us take that next step.”
