Veteran player Michael Jennings netted a hat-trick as the Vodafone Fiji Bati crushed the Cook Islands 56-6 in their second match of the NRL Pacific Bowl Championship in Suva.
The Cook Islands initially took the lead with a try from Rua Ngatikaura, but the Fijians quickly responded with four consecutive tries. Sunia Turuva opened the scoring for Fiji, followed by Jennings who added two more tries. Kitione Kautoga capped off the first half, with Taane Milne successfully converting all the tries, giving Fiji a 24-6 advantage at halftime.
The second half saw the Fijians dominate completely, dismantling the Cook Islands defense to score six additional tries from Semi Valemei (2), Maika Sivo (2), Jennings, and Ben Nakubuwai. Milne concluded the match with an impressive 230 meters gained, alongside seven successful conversions and three offloads.
This victory keeps the Fiji Bati’s hopes alive in the pursuit of the Pacific Bowl and a chance for promotion to the Pacific Cup in 2025. For their next match, they will need the Cook Islands to secure a win against Papua New Guinea in Week 3.
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