Craig Fitzgibbon may be playing it down but from his own experience Andrew Fifita suspects the Cronulla coach will be plotting something special for the Sydney Roosters on Saturday night.
After a decade as a Roosters assistant coach, Fitzgibbon will go head to head with Trent Robinson for the first time when the Sharks host the Tricolours at PointsBet Stadium.
In addition to completing his coaching apprenticeship at Bondi Junction, Fitzgibbon won the Clive Churchill Medal in the Roosters' 2002 grand-final triumph over the Warriors and played his entire representative career while at the club.
His Sharks charges say Fitzgibbon is playing it cool, which is no surprise considering his amicable departure from the Roosters last year was nothing like Fifita's axing from Wests Tigers in 2011.
Fifita, though, said that wouldn't stop Fitzgibbon from wanting to get one up on his old club.
"I take it quite personally when you're versing your old team. It is a thing. I'm not going to lie. I'm not going to downplay it," he said.
"For the Tigers, I always embrace it. I signed there for three years and the next thing I was getting the punt."
While initially hurt, the Sharks' 2016 premiership hero said the Tigers letting him go proved the most significant moment of his career.
"The best thing was the following year I made my debut for Australia and 'Sheensy' (ex-Tigers coach Tim Sheens) apologised to me in his speech," Fifita said.
"He said 'I'm so sorry for letting you go, I let go of the next Aussie prop'.
"So it's always in the back of your mind but it's a game of footy at the end of the day."
The Roosters clash isn't only a milestone for Fitzgibbon, with Fifita joining Sharks legends like Paul Gallen, Andrew Ettingshausen, David Peachey, Steve Rogers, Greg Pierce and current captain Wade Graham as only the 10th player to enter the club's 200-game club.
The former State of Origin, Australia and Tonga Test prop feared he'd never make it after fracturing his larynx and being placed into an induced coma following a match against Newcastle last year.
Typically, though, Fifita is more intent on helping Fitzgibbon gain bragging rights over the Roosters.
"I asked how Fitzy was going and he said he was loving it," the 32-year-old said.
"He's part of the Cronulla team, he's excited for the challenge and I know he has the utmost respect for what that club has done for him as a person and his coaching staff. He's coached over there for the last 10 years.
"But I know deep down we'll be in there trying to get the win for him. That's for us. We acknowledge that."
