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David Fifita girlfriend detail emerges as Shaylee Bent responds to Sydney Roosters backflip

Bent says she is thankful that Fifita opted to stay on the Gold Coast.

ben talintyre
Sports Reporter
·3-min read

Gold Coast forward Shaylee Bent has revealed that she was relieved at her partner David Fifita's decision to turn his back on a $3.3 million deal with the Roosters and recommit to the Titans. Earlier this month Fifita shocked the NRL world by backflipping on his decision to leave the Titans at the end of the season.

Fifita initially agreed to join the Roosters from next season, signing a four-year deal and even turned down a rival offer from Penrith in the process. However, the highly sought-after star had second thoughts and ultimately pulled the pin on the deal during his ten-day cooling-off period and decided to re-sign with the Titans for a further two seasons.

Pictured David Fifita left and Shaylee Bent right
Shaylee Bent says she was relieved at her partner's David Fifita's decision to backflip on his decision to join the Roosters and stay at the Titans. Image: Getty

While the Titans were relieved at their star player's decision to stay, no one was arguably more thrilled than his partner. After four seasons with the Dragons, Bent signed with the Titans ahead of the 2023 NRLW season.

A major factor in her decision to head up to the Gold Coast was her relationship with Fifita, which began in 2022. The pair had a long-distance relationship for a year before she uprooted her life to head up to Queensland.

Speaking at the NRL's Indigenous Round launch, Bent said she was grateful that they wouldn't have to split their time between Sydney and the Goldy once again. "I honestly was so pleased," Bent admitted.

" I've moved from Penrith to the Gold Coast — I'd been back and forth from the Dragons. To finally have a year when I'm on the Gold Coast full time and I don't have to do long distance coming back and forth is so pleasing for me."

GOLD COAST, AUSTRALIA - APRIL 20: David Fifita of the Titans celebrates a try during the round seven NRL match between Gold Coast Titans and Manly Sea Eagles at Cbus Super Stadium, on April 20, 2024, in Gold Coast, Australia. (Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)
David Fifita will remain a Titan for at least the next two years.

Bent is off contract at the end of the upcoming NRLW season - which kicks off on July 25 - however has stated her intent to stay on the Gold Coast. "I'm so thankful that we're both at the Titans this year and hopefully, for me next year as well because my life is up there now," Bent said.

"I'm really happy where I am at the Titans and I love my team. The success we had last year — making it to the grand final after coming dead last the year before. So, we're building something big and I want to be there [for that].

"It's the same with David, [the Gold Coast] is our home now. We love the community, we love the fans, we love the club and we love our teams. We've built a life up there so we're really happy. "

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Trent Robinson says he is glad the Fifita circus is finally over and insists he is relieved that he didn't come to Sydney if his heart wasn't in it. "I'm glad there was a 10-day cooling-off period. I think it is a good thing if someone doesn't want to be there," Roosters coach Robinson said.

"Circumstances come up. I don't know what happened. I don't want them coming down for four years and not wanting to be there either."

Robinson did, however, admit he was disappointed that he would not get the chance to work with Fifita anymore. "When that happens, you know it wasn't right. It was the better position for us to be in, him not coming," he said. "I was excited by the challenge (of coaching Fifita) but not any more."

with AAP