I know this thread is usually for single player signings, and maybe this post should be in the International forum, or even the expansion forum, but the Sharks have signed up to join forces with Fiji and give their players a direct pathway into the NRL.
This is a great move by the club.
https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/s...n/news-story/55a7180b900504372ef6f130a59c96d0
Cronulla Sharks aid Fiji’s NRL dream with NSWRL inclusion
David Riccio, The Daily Telegraph
November 26, 2019 3:27pm
Subscriber only
Fiji is a step closer to joining the NRL.
In a major move towards the expansion of the NRL competition into the Pacific Islands, local Fijian team, the Kaiviti Silktails, will field a team in the NSWRL Ron Massey Cup competition next season - with the Cronulla Sharks joining forces with the Silktails.
Beating the Wests Tigers to form an alliance with the Silktails, the Sharks will help develop the next-generation crop of Fijian stars by exposing them to the club’s coaches, training facilities, fields and programs and other key resources.
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A Fijian team will play in the Ron Massey Cup competition. Picture: Kai Schwoerer
The Sharks logo will also feature on the Silktails jersey when they debut in the Ron Massey Cup, which sits below the current NSW Canterbury Cup.
The Silktails boast around 80 contracted players including women, a junior academy list and it’s senior men’s team.
The relationship between the Silktails and the Sharks is two-pronged with Cronulla eager to aid the development and open the pathways for a fresh wave of Fijian talent into the NRL, while also having the first opportunity to potentially sign the next Maika Sivo or Semi Radradra.
The venture are linking with Cronulla to develop a new pathway for Fijian players. Picture: Brett Costello
Fiji have made no secret of their desire to be part of the NRL one day, raising their level of funding towards the growth of the sport locally and in-return, their increased level of professionalism.
An indication of the country’s potential was evident in the Fijian national team’s 44-18 Oceania Cup victory over Samoa earlier this month.
The Sharks and NSWRL chief executive David Trodden will announce the historic partnership at a press conference on Wednesday.
The Ron Massey Cup is a semi-professional development level rugby league competition run jointly by the NSWRL and Country Rugby League and is comprised of 13 teams drawn from the Sydney metropolitan area.
Cronulla will get the first crack at Fijian talent. Picture: Brett Costello
As has been the case with the inclusion of the PNG Hunters in the QLD Intrust Super Cup competition, the ultimate goal of including a Fijian side into the Ron Massey Cup is that players from the small island progress to the NSW Canterbury Cup or NRL.
Outstanding Melbourne Storm centre Justin Olam is a product of the Hunters.
In an interview with Triple M last week, NRL chief executive Todd Greenberg forecast the growth and expansion of the game by the arrival of a Fijian side into the NSWRL competition.
“There’s a fair bit of work going on around our board table at the moment (on expansion),’’ Greenberg said.
Fijian stars continue to star in the NRL. Picture: Brendon Thorne
“It’s not just expansion at the NRL level, and I’ve said this before, whenever you say expansion it’s, ‘more teams, where are you going?’
“But next year we bring Fiji into the NSW competition. We’ve already got PNG in our QLD Cup competition.
“To have NSW as a fully-fledged state competition we need some regional centres to have NSW Cup teams and teams below that.
“So expansion is multifaceted, it’s not only at the elite level, it’s also at the level below.’’
