Writing in his league column published across Nine newspapers, Fittler recounts meeting Packer midway through 1995 at his city office. Packer was trying to persuade Fittler to join the Sydney Roosters, where Phil Gould was coaching, rather than link with Manly.
"So, Fittler, how do you think you win a grand final?" Packer asked.
Fittler says he drew on what he knew: the 1991 premiership Gould had steered Penrith to when Fittler was just 19. He was part of a crew of local juniors including Greg Alexander, Mark Geyer, Brad Izzard and John Cartwright. Alongside the born-and-bred western Sydney players were Steve Carter, who played juniors and went to school in the area after growing up on the Central Coast, winger Paul Smith, and club icon Royce Simmons from Gooloogong in country NSW.
Fittler is using the anecdote to argue, three decades later, that a title cannot be bought a view he presents as proof that Packer was wrong.