EXCLUSIVE: Freddy urges scorned Angus Crichton to push Roosters for big upgrade
Andrew Johns says the scorned Roosters must re-sign Angus Crichton "yesterday" following the shock backflip of gun forward David Fifita.
But Brad Fittler says the Chooks will now have to pay more to keep Crichton after the star was all but pushed aside by the club.
Crichton was left disillusioned last week when the Tricolours handed Fifita a four-year deal worth $850,000 a season.
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The timing seemed bizarre to many outside the club, given Crichton is off contract and arguably in the best form of his NRL career.
After a difficult 2023 campaign - largely caused by off-field issues - Crichton has been one of the Roosters' best this year and is steaming towards a State of Origin recall with New South Wales.
Angus\u00a0Crichton celebrates scoring a try. Getty
Fifita turned his back on the Chooks and re-signed with the Titans on Tuesday, leaving a spot in the team and plenty of money under the salary cap to offer Crichton a new deal.
"You would sign Angus yesterday if this fell through with Fifita," Johns told Wide World of Sports' Freddy and the Eighth.
"(Crichton) is the form player of the competition nearly, he would be up there in the top three.
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"It's good to see Angus killing it. We know he had a couple of troubles last year.
"You wouldn't meet a nicer young bloke, humble fella."
Crichton's deal is worth $600,000 this year - significantly less than the Roosters offered to pay Fifita.
South Sydney, where Crichton started his career, is one rival NRL club rumoured to be interested in the back-rower's services.
Fittler says the star's manager should now be pressuring the Tricolours to stump up close to the same money they were willing to pay Fifita.
"It just cost (the Roosters) $100,000 though, if he has a decent manager," Fittler said.
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The rugby league world is trying to understand why Fifita snubbed the Roosters and opted to stick with the Titans, who have played only one finals game since he arrived in 2020.
Fifita is considered a generational talent, but Gold Coast is one of the competition's perennial battlers.
Johns would have liked to see the Queensland star test himself at the Roosters.
"It would have been interesting if going to a really strong club like the Roosters, whether they unlocked him," he said.
"Fifita is a weapon, like if he was in a good system... with some world-class halves bringing him into play, getting him one-on-one all the time... holy smokes.
"(Defence) is his Achilles heel, those effort areas. But at the top clubs the senior players hold everyone to account.
"When you've got strong senior blokes... good luck to him."