Bati reps to decide future
It is just a little more than 100 days to go to the kick-off of the Rugby League World Cup (RLWC).
Less than 112 to the day the Fijian Bati line-up against the mighty Kangaroos.
While fans are eagerly waiting for the showpiece, national federations are scratching their heads on logistics pertaining to the COVID-19 era that sports have to deal with.
For Fiji National Rugby League (FNRL), most of the past one and half years had been behind the scene scenarios on possible preparation modes for the side should the Bati be restricted to any situation.
Ideally, the FNRL would want to prepare the team here in Fiji but should situations not permit, FNRL has drawn up possibilities of prepping the team in Australia or in England for up to a month before the tournament starts.
And as time ticks on nearing the pinnacle of the code, teams such as Australia, New Zealand, England, Samoa, Tonga, and others are slowly penciling in names that would be global superstars.
Nathan Cleary, Jason Taumalolo, Shaun Johnson, Josh Ado-Carr, Josh Papali’i, and others are being earmarked to carry the hopes of their nations.
Fiji too is quietly circling in names that could carry the honour of the Bati in England.
Optimistc
And while coach Joe Rabele is having a headache, he remains quietly optimistic on the availability of a few 2021 State of Origin winning New South Wales (NSW) stars.
Yes I’m talking about the cornerstone of NSW Blues which is highly likely to become to key pillars of the Bati in Tariq Sims and Daniel Saifiti.
The duo turned heads in the two matches that they are being touted to make themselves available for the Kangaroos.
However, their availability for Fiji will not only felt on the field but also in the tiny 330 islands that make up the Fijian archipelago and the almost one million people that are keeping their fingers crossed that Sims and Saifiti choose culture, tradition and Fiji over the riches of Australia.
Yes, Australia pay its players well but should the duo choose Fiji, match payments at the 2021 RLWC is the same across the board.
Yes, Australia will be had to turn down, but the Kangaroos already have depth in its team all across the board and the duo’s loss to Fiji will be a huge positive to the game.
Winning the tournament with a star-studded side is easy, ask the All Blacks, but playing and beating a world cup favourite has a far higher level of adrenalin, and ask the Argentine rugby team beat the All Blacks for the first time last year.
National pride
Ask Taumalolo what it meant to ditch the Kiwis for Tonga. He will tell you, it means more than just the jersey.
The Saifiti twins, the Sims brothers of Tariq and Korbin, Viliame Kikau, Tui Kamikamica, Kane Evans, Apisai Koroisau and Ben Nakubuwai, make up the backbone of the Fiji Bati and whose sacrifice and efforts are not going unnoticed in Fiji.
We truly appreciate that you choose Fiji over Australia.
Throw in a couple of homegrown juggernauts from the Kaiviti Silktails, and you have a team that has the ability to match fire for fire against any side on the planet.
The Bati play the Kangaroos first up on October 23, after England open their campaign against Samoa.
And if Daniel and Tariq chooses Fiji, they can be sure that Fiji chooses them always.
Koroisau’s chance
Meanwhile, Saifiti is ruled out of the third Origin series due to injury.
Saifiti has been a powerhouse for the Blues in the opening two games, after running for 142 metres and scoring a try in Game One in Townsville and backing that up by running for 128 metres in Game Two in Brisbane.
Blues coach Brad Fittler confirmed Saifiti was out with a rib cartilage injury suffered in
Newcastle Knights’ win over North Queensland Cowboys on Saturday night during a Zoom call to discuss his team selections.
Fittler had to take a break during the call to speak to team doctor Nathan Gibbs who was ringing to advise him that Saifiti would not be fit to play.
He becomes the latest player ruled out through injury with Nathan Cleary (shoulder) and Jarome Luai (knee) also unavailable.
This has given the opportunity to hooker Koroisau to play in the Origin debut after being on the bench in the last two encounters.