Andrew Fifita believes his 2015 pre-season is equivalent to his breakout year of 2013, as he chases a return to the representative arena.
Injury and an ugly contract wrangle with Canterbury made 2014 a year to forget for the 25-year-old after the season before when he debuted for NSW and Australia.
But with the ASADA drama behind the Sharks and Fifita playing with a clear head after a battle with depression, he is raring to go ahead of Cronulla’s NRL season opener at home on Sunday against Canberra.
“I don’t feel any pressure at all,” Fifita said.
“It is a clean slate – this is what I really needed last year.
“The whole pre-season from November, I have been here since day one. It can take me back to the same I was in 2013 when I got a really good pre-season under my belt.
“I can’t wait; I’m ready to fire; I can’t get any fitter.
“If I have the opportunity to get in those rep teams again, I won’t let anyone down.”
A broken arm seven months ago brought an almost fitting end to Fifita’s forgettable 2014.
With the Sharks’ supplements saga concluded at the end of last season, they begin 2015 free of the off-field dramas that have dogged the reigning wooden spooners for the past two seasons.
“It was different. I didn’t know to expect when I walked through the gates (at the start of the pre-season) – it was just so different,” Fifita said.
“There’s only two of the coaching staff here from last year.
“It’s gone from such a low place where we come to training and no one is enjoying it.
“But come November 1, it was totally different; it was so professional. We have taken it to another level.
“I haven’t seen this in a long time.”
KEY STATS:
* Cronulla have won 20 of 29 v the Raiders at Shark Park
* Canberra conceded the most tries of any team in 2014 (4.7 per game) and the second-most linebreaks (5.7 per game)
* Sharks playmaker Ben Barba has scored seven tries in five games against the Raiders
* Canberra have won just once in round one in the past eight seasons. That was against the Sharks in the nation’s capital in 2011
* Captain Jarrod Croker needs eight points to become the third Raider to score 900 points for the club behind Clinton Schifcofske (1052 points) and David Furner (1218)
Source: Fox Sports Stats
