Veteran Michael Jennings shone with a hat-trick as the Vodafone Fiji Bati dominated the Cook Islands, winning 56-6 in their second match of the NRL Pacific Bowl Championship in Suva.
The match began with the Cook Islands taking an early lead thanks to Rua Ngatikaura’s quick try. However, the Fijians swiftly responded with a series of impressive plays, scoring four tries in quick succession. Sunia Turuva was the first to put Fiji on the scoreboard, followed by Jennings who secured two tries, and Kitione Kautoga finished the first half’s scoring. Taane Milne successfully converted each try, leading to a halftime score of 24-6 in favor of Fiji.
The second half was dominated by the Fijian team, which attacked relentlessly and added six more tries to their tally. Semi Valemei and Maika Sivo each scored twice, while Jennings and Ben Nakubuwai also crossed the line. Milne had a standout performance, accumulating 230 metres, converting seven tries, and providing three offloads.
This victory keeps the Fiji Bati in contention for the Pacific Bowl and a chance to be promoted to the Pacific Cup in 2025. Their hopes now hinge on the Cook Islands needing to secure a win against Papua New Guinea in the upcoming Week 3.
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