Fifita, who will make his Kangaroos debut against Fiji at Suncorp Stadium, revealed the past year was one of the most difficult of his life. His career had stalled on the Gold Coast, where a bad ankle injury and a demotion to reserve grade limited him to just eight games in a season that followed his high-profile backflip on a move to the Sydney Roosters.
Asked if he considered walking away from the game, Fifita told Brisbane Times: "It always does [make you think]."
"I had a bad ankle injury, it's been well documented around the media, but I just had a good support system around me and people who loved me and cared for me. They know who I'm talking about," he said.
"This time last year was very, very, very hard for myself and my family on personal levels. But just to be here and look back at how far I've come, I'm so blessed and grateful for the people who stuck beside me through the hard times."
The constant scrutiny around his work ethic, mindset and inability to produce the same form that made him one of the game's highest-paid forwards clouded Fifita's mind for a period. His move to South Sydney under Bennett reignited his career.
"It's just Wayne Bennett: he understands the person and understands family, but mainly it's just me having fun and being in an environment that's really professional that I want," Fifita said.
A hamstring injury hindered his start at the Rabbitohs, but Fifita reminded the rugby league world in 2026 what he could achieve when he was switched on and content on and off the field. His exploits earned a call-up from Kangaroos coach Kevin Walters, who he knew from his early days at the Broncos.
"Kevvie was at the Broncs early on when I started my career, he was assistant coach under Wayne back in 2017," Fifita said. "In fitness, he would run with me back when I was a 17-year-old boy, and we had that relationship from there."
The 26-year-old said it would be an emotional moment when his mother presented him with his Kangaroos jersey on Sunday, having gained a greater sense of pride in his Australian roots after captaining the Prime Minister's XIII in Papua New Guinea before the World Cup.
"Seeing the kids' smiles and stuff like that, running towards the bus and all that, it just goes to show we're so blessed to live in this country," he said.
Teammate Reuben Cotter praised Fifita's mindset and performance. "He's been powerful for the Bunnies all year. I love what he does with the ball, but he's also worked hard on his game off the ball as well," Cotter said. "He's in a good headspace, and he's quite a character."