The Vodafone Fiji Bati rugby league team faces a critical match against the Cook Islands this Saturday, as they aim to advance to the promotion-relegation match. This urgency follows their recent defeat to the Papua New Guinea Kumuls, who triumphed 22-10 at HFC Bank Stadium, Suva, last Saturday.
The victor of the Pacific Bowl Championship will take on the third-ranked team from the Pacific Cup, with the winner earning a place in next season’s Cup championship. Bati head coach Waisake Kativerata expressed disappointment in his players’ performance, which did not align with their game plan.
The Kumuls established a significant lead of 16-0 by halftime. Kativerata pointed out, “We didn’t play to our standard,” emphasizing the critical errors made in the first half, including conceding four consecutive seven-tackle sets. He noted that against a team like Papua New Guinea, such mistakes are detrimental.
He added that while they created opportunities, they failed to capitalize due to issues with passing and timing. “Even if we finished a set, our kicking game didn’t reach the point where we wanted it,” he said, acknowledging the advantage the Kumuls had with prior game experience.
Looking ahead, Kativerata is focused on the upcoming match against the Aitu men, noting the need for improvement in the week to come. He pointed out the diverse club backgrounds of their opponents in the NRL and plans to collaborate with his coaching staff to develop a strategy.
The coaching team features experienced individuals, including longtime Rabbitohs player John Sutton, whose roots trace back to Rotuma, and Jarryd Hayne, who also plays a mentoring role for the team. Kativerata praised the forwards for their resilience in the match against the Kumuls.