Canterbury Bulldogs hooker Penioni Tagituimua is anticipated to be included in the Fiji Bati squad today. This comes after Wests Tigers captain and Fiji representative Api Koroisau is set to miss the Pacific Championships due to a three-match suspension for a dangerous tackle during his team’s defeat to the Eels.
Koroisau’s tackle on Clint Gutherson, assessed as a Grade 2 offense in the 52nd minute at Campbelltown Sports Stadium, led to the ban, which was given for his second violation and could have been mitigated with an early guilty plea.
National coach Wise Kativerata expressed confidence in Tagituimua, stating, “In the past, Tagituimua has always given his best for the jersey. We saw that in the last World Cup; Tagituimua did a great job, and we look forward to seeing him back in the squad.”
Tagituimua began his rugby league career in 2013 with the Nadera Panthers in the Vodafone Cup competition. In 2019, he was the sole player from Fiji’s domestic league named in the national squad for a mid-season match against Lebanon. Initially chosen as the 18th man, he secured a spot in the lineup due to injuries and made his Test debut off the interchange bench in a dominant 56-14 victory.
Fiji Bati will commence their Pacific Bowl campaign against Papua New Guinea on Saturday, October 19, in Fiji, followed by a match against the Cook Islands the following week. The winner of the Pacific Bowl will face the third-placed team in the Pacific Cup in a promotion-relegation match at CommBank Stadium on Sunday, November 10, for a spot in next year’s tournament. The team is scheduled to be announced today.