Another day, another story circulated about Titan's marquee man David Fifita potentially moving away from the club.
Wayne Bennett has reportedly "confirmed interest" in one of the game's most damaging forwards.
Hardly a surprise given what Fifita can do on his day.
It seems as though Fifita has constantly been linked with a move away from the club ever since the day he signed his mega-money Titans deal.
Moved into the centres recently before being relegated to the bench, Fifita's impact has be inconsistent all season.
Perhaps this is a chance for the Titans to accept an "out" and move Fifita's reported eye-watering salary off their books to re-invest into problem areas?
Whether or not the Titans should jump at the chance or fight tooth and nail to keep their star, albeit underperforming, asset is a matter for another day.
Assuming that Wayne Bennett and the Dolphins do manage to lure Fifita up the coast, the Titans would need to move on... and quickly.
How do you replace a player who was brought to the club to lead the new era? A player who, on his day, can bust 15 tackles and score a try that few other players in the game can replicate?
Easily enough, funnily.
Here is how I can see the Titans not only covering the loss of Fifita but using the potential move as a positive moving forward.
1. Re-invest elsewhere and make do
Cameron Munster is off-contract at the end of 2023. So are Selwyn Cobbo, Jesse Ramien, Justin Olam and a host of other name star players.
David Fifita is currently on $1.1 million (reportedly). It would take something similar, or perhaps even more, to tie down their strike weapon.
That $1.1 million puts them in the hunt for Munster, a player who could completely change the outlook of the club right away.
Or it means they can lodge a serious run at Ramien and Olam, forming one of the game's most lethal combinations, with money to spare.
Yes, they lose Fifita but you offer me Munster for Fifita and I take that switch every day of the week.
I hear the screams. How do you replace Fifita though if you spend all the money allocated to him?
Simple; don't spend $1.1 million on a player when you can attract similar output for far less.
They don't have the match-winning potential of Fifita but Teig Wilton, Liam Martin and Shaun Lane are all off-contract.
Again, you offer me Olam and Liam Martin with an extra 100k left over to upgrade someone else, or Fifita... This is a club that needs an overhaul. The answer seems obvious.
If I were running Recruitment & Retention for the Titans, I would want him out of there ASAP. He may be brilliant on his day, but his days are few and far between. Playing him at Centre or off the bench shows that the coach has got no idea what to do to get the best out of him. Shuffling a guy round who isn’t costing much (like Sifa Talakai) is not a problem, but shuffling round a guy on around $1.1m is a big problem.
So, if they can persuade the Dolphins to take him, then great ! If they can persuade the Dolphins to take him without having to throw in more than $100K that will be even greater!
For the player, a new coach and team, on anything above $750K must be appealing. Especially if it’s a potentially successful club with a great coach. The best outcome for all three would be for him to move to the Dolphins on $800K, with the Titans throwing in an extra $100K for 2023.
As for who to sign to replace him, well – as you say – there are plenty of good quality guys coming off contract, and the Titans could pick up a pair of them for a million.