The man who will be long remembered for helping deliver the Sharks their first NRL premiership trophy, Andrew Fifita has today announced his retirement from the NRL, bringing down the curtain on a celebrated 13-year career.
A career which included 251 NRL matches, international appearances for Australia and Tonga, 10 games for the NSW Origin team and six as a member of the Indigenous All Stars, Fifita’s last home game at PointsBet Stadium will forever be remembered for the sold-out crowd chanting his name.
"I have made the hard decision to announce my retirement from the NRL. I am extremely grateful for all the milestones and memories I have made at the Sharks.” Fifita said in speaking with Sharks Media on Tuesday morning.
Originally from Blacktown, Fifita began his playing days with twin brother David at the Doonside Roos before moving to Griffith in Central NSW.
As a teenager he signed with the Wests Tigers, playing in their NYC team in 2009, including at prop in the 2009 NYC Grand Final against the Melbourne Storm.
The next time Fifita would face the Storm in a Grand Final he would go on to etch his name in NRL history with a 68th minute try that only he could score, helping the Sharks secure their maiden NRL Premiership in 2016.
“I can retire knowing I’ve fulfilled everything I had dreamed of achieving.” Fifita said.
Andrew made his NRL debut for the Wests Tigers in round 2 of the 2010 season, coming off the bench to score a try. He would finish the year with 5 tries in 22 matches, earning his international debut for his father’s homeland of Tonga.
After 39 games for the Wests Tigers, Fifita made the move to the Sharks ahead of the 2012 season, his Cronulla debut coming in round one in a match against his former club.
Fifita went on to represent Cronulla in 212 games across 11-years, becoming just the 10th player in Sharks history to play over 200 matches for the club.
A member of the Sharks Team of the Half Century, Andrew Fifita will go down as one of the all-time best players to have represented the Cronulla club.
“Thank you to the Cronulla Sharks and to all of the members and fans for sticking with me and celebrating all of the highs I have experienced in my career" Fifita said.
It’s been quite the journey, with plenty of highs and a few lows along the way, a life-threatening throat injury last year amongst the challenges he has faced, however Fifita returned from his scare with a spring in his step, revitalised under the coaching of Craig Fitzgibbon.
“Andrew’s an amazing guy and an amazing club man. I’d worked with him a little bit in rep footy but not knowing him that personally the thing that really stood out to me is how much he cares about the club and the players.
He wears his heart on his sleeve and he embodies everything that we’re trying to achieve here at the Sharks. He has a real presence and leadership that will never be replaced, he can finish his career proud of what he’s achieved.” said Fitzgibbon.
