2019 was a break-out year for front rower Daniel Saifiti.
Cementing his position as the nib Newcastle Knights first choice front rower alongside David Klemmer, Saifiti achieved plenty in a big year for his club and state.
The man known as ‘D-Saf’ was outstanding in the opening few months of the competition, with his good form culminating with a State of Origin debut for New South Wales. Ironically, Saifiti was called into camp to replace an injured Klemmer.
Saifiti was massive for his state and helped lead the Blues to back to back series wins for the first time in 14 years.
With the experience of winning the series under his belt, Saifiti continued to go from strength to strength while wearing the red and blue jumper.
In his 21 appearances, Saifiti ran for almost 2000 metres at an average of 94 per game. He also made 533 tackles at an efficiency of over 90%.
His eight offloads and 13 tackle-breaks also contributed greatly to the Knights attack.
With his starting spot cemented and another gruelling pre-season behind him, Saifiti is set to go to another level in 2020.
