For a guy who was dropped from first grade by the Wests Tigers at the end of 2011, Fifita’s form this year has been utterly stunning. It is also quantifiable – by the stats, Fifita was not only the best-performing prop by far in the comp after 20 rounds, but the best-performing player. He was top of the list of Sports Data’s Contributor Value Rating, a measure of a player’s whole-of-game output, ahead of other CVR luminaries such as Robbie Farah, Greg Inglis and team-mate Paul Gallen.

Not too bad for a man who was coming off the bench for much of the season. Fifita is the quintessential modern impact forward coming into the game with the clock running, and when his CVR is averaged out on a per-minute basis, only Souths’ George Burgess comes close. This effectiveness from the interchange caught the attention of the NSW Origin hierarchy, who brought Fifita aboard for this year’s series, and was judged by many observers as the Blues’ best.

Fifita’s barnstorming play is all the more heady considering he was a 70kg winger well into his teens. “I haven’t seen many blokes who can do what Fifita does, if any,” Roach says. “It’s a blessing he started off on the wing and ended up in the front row. It’s better than starting your career in the under-sevens and being typecast in the front row all your life.

“He’s 114 kilos and pigeon-toed. He’s elusive, for a big bloke. I know that sounds funny when you talk about a big bloke.” Those who saw Fifita score from 50m out against Wests, stepping the fullback in the process, will surely attest to that.