By Kaiviti Silktails
Kaiviti Silktails Chairman Petero Civoniceva acknowledges it has been a tough first year for the team making their debut in the NSWRL Jersey Flegg Cup (Under 21s) competition, but the club will stay the course.
The Silktails have one game left in Sydney this weekend (Round 25 v Parramatta Eels) and then their final home game on Saturday (31 August) against the Wests Tigers in Lautoka.
The club sits on the bottom of the ladder with no wins from 22 games played in 2024, although five losses were by six points or less.
Civoniceva said there had been suggestions the Silktails should recruit overseas players with Fijian backgrounds to help in the team's development.
But the NRL Hall of Fame member and dual international said that would defeat the purpose of providing a Rugby League Elite Development Pathway out of Fiji.
Instead, the club – under the direction of Executive Director Stephen Driscoll - has doubled down on its commitment to recruit local players into the pathways program, which has seen a further six players contracted to the Silktails this year.
“We get inundated with players of Fijian heritage wanting to join our footy program from Australia and New Zealand. Unless they are prepared to go to Fiji and play in the secondary schools or local competition, then we won’t consider them,” Civoniceva told silktails.com.au.
“This concept was born out of my experience in the 2013 World Cup as Bati captain and the local players in that squad sharing about the lack of pathways to come out of Fiji.
“Recruitment of overseas players would probably help us get results quicker, but it would be blocking the path for locally-based players.”
With inaugural coach Wes Naiqama standing down mid-season after nearly five years and General Manager Damon Spooner also parting ways with the club, the opportunity is also there to prepare local staff along with players – and that is what makes the Silktails program special.
Driscoll, who has stepped away from his strength and conditioning role with the Sydney Roosters to concentrate on the Silktails and its mentoring system, is working closely with Football Manager Mereoni Tuinanuya.
Silktails Technical Advisor Joe Saukuru and Sydney Roosters Coaching and Development Manager Dean Feeney have been mentoring caretaker coach Timoci Duve.
Driscoll said they had been so impressed with Duve that the Silktails would begin conversations with the former Fiji Secondary Schools coach to take over as the Silktails coach.
The former science teacher will also assist in driving the education component of the program, which is part of the club’s compulsory Community Engagement and Work-Study initiative.
Driscoll said they would be staying the course with local staff and players despite the results.
“You put any player into an Elite Pathways Rugby League competition for the very first time with predominantly rugby union backgrounds and you are going to have a tough year in your first outing,” he said.
“Throw in the mix for our locally based Fijians straight out of secondary schools that this is their first full 26-round season of Rugby League, makes what these young men are doing such a massive achievement.
“Twelve of the 19 man squad that travelled to Australia on the weekend qualify for the (NSWRL) SG Ball Cup (Under 19s) competition this season.
“Next pre-season will be the first time ever in Fiji that 30 locally-based players will return for a second pre-season with a full 26-round competition under their belt.
“These young kids are the first lot brave enough to stay the full course starting in November and we should be applauding them for that. This will also help the new kids coming into the program for their first full season.
“Things will be different for us next year when we play.”
The Silktails are proudly supported by the Australian Government through PacificAus Sports. PacificAus Sports creates opportunities for Australian and Pacific athletes to learn, train, play, and grow together.
