He’s a junior Kangaroo who could hop into the senior Kangaroos squad in a week.
That’s the reality facing David Fifita after the Brisbane star impressed in Australia claimed the inaugural World Cup Nines trophy on Saturday.
Fifita was one of the Kangaroos’ best in the shortened format, leaving a trail of nations in his wake with a series of destructive performances.
France will be his next victim when the 19-year-old powerhouse turns out for a revamped Junior Kangaroos team in a curtain-raiser to the senior side on Friday.
Mal Meninga’s side take on New Zealand in the main fixture in Wollongong, where the squad gather on Sunday to begin preparations for the encounter.
Having already lauded the Broncos forward for his damaging display on day one of the tournament, Meninga was again left searching for superlatives on day two.
And now the Australia coach concedes he may have no choice but to invite Fifita on the plane to Auckland the following week for a Test against Tonga.
“He’s pushing us. He’s playing juniors next week,” Meninga said.
“We got 18 players ready to go for the New Zealand Test match, and we’ll take another couple with us out of those junior Kangaroos over to New Zealand.”
Fifita’s combination of size and strength proved almost indefensible at the nines, where he made a name for himself during a Commonwealth Games exhibition.
He made his debut not long after and has quickly become a Broncos staple.
“If you’ve got mobility, speed and a bit of size, that certainly helps. And then you’ve got some skillsets,” Meninga said when asked to describe the perfect nines player.
“You gotta have a big motor. You gotta be able to play long minutes.”
Kangaroos second-rower Wade Graham could be looking at a limited preparation after playing through a back strain during the tournament.