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Fiji NSW Cup Bid

C

CQ Italia

Juniors
Messages
1,143
Fijian footy still at the forefront for Civoniceva

While nations like South Africa, Lebanon, Canada and Spain continue to fight for qualification for the 2017 Rugby League World Cup, Fiji is sitting pretty knowing they have automatically carved themselves a place in the upcoming tournament.
But that isn't enough, especially for the face of Fijian football – former Broncos, Panthers, Maroons and Kangaroos prop Petero Civoniceva – as he continues to work behind the scenes to build the bigger picture of rugby league in Fiji.
While building blocks have been laid over the past two World Cups with Fiji making the semi-finals in their last two attempts (52-0 and 64-0 losses to Australia in 2008 and 2013 respectively) Civoniceva is still looking to create legitimate pathways for the Bati including hopes for a Fijian team to be introduced into the NSW Cup in 2017.
"It would be nice to have overnight success but it's going to take a while. We have to build our own development programs in the country first and hopefully then they'll be the cornerstones, the foundations, the building blocks of creating a really strong national team moving forward," Civoniceva told NRL.com.
"We have been buoyed by the success we had in the last World Cup but obviously there's a long way to go if we are to compete with the likes of New Zealanders and the Australians. It's been amazing to see what Samoa did at the past Four Nations so it gives us hope and we're definitely on the right track.
"[The NSW Cup team hope] all looks really positive. We're just waiting I guess for the green light from the NRL and NSWRL. We're working really hard in the background trying to build on our progress and hopefully we'll be pushing to play in the 2017 season."
Imperatively the success of Fijian players in the NRL will act as a cornerstone for the locals to jump across from the favoured rugby union to rugby league.
Players like Eels winger Semi Radradra, Storm powerhouse Marika Koroibete, Knights trio Akuila Uate, Tariq and Korbin Sims and Wests Tigers three-quarter Kevin Naiqama are examples of who Fijian rugby league are relying on to succeed.
"The way the game has grown in Fiji has been phenomenal and the interest of rugby league and players like Semi Radradra and Marika Koroibete has certainly helped that," Civoniceva said.
"I know we're trying to create an opportunity for the local players to come across and hopefully we'll be seeing another Semi or another Marika. That's the most exciting thing about it; they're building those pathways for these players.
"Rugby union is Fiji's number one code but the tide is certainly starting to turn because of the amount of rugby league that's shown on free-to-air TV, and there's interest there from the young players now wanting to participate in rugby league.
"Bringing a NSW Cup side into the country will only lessen Union's stranglehold on the country."

http://www.nrl.com/fijian-footy-sti...oniceva/tabid/10874/newsid/90462/default.aspx
 
alien

alien

Referee
Messages
20,279
if they don't get accepted into the nsw cup, maybe the qld cup would accept them
 
Perth Red

Perth Red

Post Whore
Messages
65,800
Wonder if there is a magic number of jnrs you need playing the game to develop X amount of NRL standard players? Development Systems in place of course
 
myrrh ken

myrrh ken

First Grade
Messages
9,817
From a practical point of view, where would they be based? If in Sydney I can't see a problem. If in Fiji, I imagine there would be massive logistical costs over the course of 26 weeks if playing against NSW based teams.
 
jim_57

jim_57

Moderator
Staff member
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4,360
myrrh ken said:
From a practical point of view, where would they be based? If in Sydney I can't see a problem. If in Fiji, I imagine there would be massive logistical costs over the course of 26 weeks if playing against NSW based teams.
Click to expand...

It's about the same in Price and flight time to Perth, hardly a major issue. I'm sure it's all part of the plan for the bid anyway.

CC_Roosters said:
Don't understand the piss poor communication from the governing bodies. A while back there wasapress release that it Was all being finalised. I wonder will the NRC thing discourage the bid now
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The NRC team is sure to snap up alot of talent that the NSW Cup team could have signed, at the very least. I don't think this should or will discourage them, but it's a major opportunity missed to get in before Union. An update on why it's taking so long would be helpful, maybe it's the NSWRL holding up proceedings in which case it may be time to give QRL a call..
 
jim_57

jim_57

Moderator
Staff member
Messages
4,360
Foreign Legion said:
All we need now is tonga, samoa and cook islands and we are sweet
Click to expand...

I don't personally think any of those have the population or money to sustain a semi-pro team, especially Cook Islands with 20,000 people. But, I'd love to see NZ NSW Cup teams partner with them and Hawaii to provide a genuine professional pathway for local players and maybe playing 1 game a year in each. Add in Fiji with links to the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu and PNG Juniors and perhaps a second club and that is the Pacific Sewn up.
 
Marlins

Marlins

Juniors
Messages
1,340
What is seriously with all this talk of Hawaii do they even know RL exists.

Let's start with getting a Bati/Fiji side in the NSWcup first then maybe in the next
10-20years plan to have a South Pascific Islands side in the Nrl with that Bati/Fiji side as a feeder club.

Same should go with Wellington/Christchurch have one if not both of them cities as teams in the Nswcup then down the road if expansion is in the cards prop one them up to the Nrl and the other remain a feeder club.
 
Perth Red

Perth Red

Post Whore
Messages
65,800
Just got back from Rarotonga, far too small a place to have a nsw cup side. You could have a Sth pacific side made up of the best players from the Tonga, Samoa and cook isaland comps which would work. End of day you have to ask the question what is the end goal? Player development, game profile, career pathway for elite players???
 
Foreign Legion

Foreign Legion

Coach
Messages
11,392
http://www.nrl.com/fiji-hoping-to-get-nsw-cup-green-light/tabid/10874/newsid/102234/default.aspx

Fiji could have their entry into the NSW Cup rubber stamped as early as Friday as they seek to uncover the next generation of Semi Radradras.

The bid team, which is being spearheaded by Queensland and Fiji rugby league legend Petero Civoniceva, will make their case to the NSWRL board as they aim to enter the reserve grade competition next year.

The project has been three years in the making and is well advanced with plans to play out of the 15,000-capacity ANZ Stadium in Suva and set up a base at Sigatoka, where the players would eat, sleep and train in a live-in environment.

The consortium earlier in the year hosted NSWRL CEO Dave Todden to present their case and the final hurdle is to prove they have the financial and corporate backing to stand on their own two feet.

It was born out of Civoniceva's experiences playing for the Fijian national side in the 2013 World Cup where he heard first hand from his teammates the difficulty they had finding a pathway to the NRL.

"Unless they're scouted or found at school by an NRL scout, there's no real pathway into the game," Civoniceva told AAP.

"Someone like Suliasi (Vunivalu), he was in New Zealand and seen there playing rugby union.

"What we want is a direct, local pathway in a professional environment. We'll have a camp set up. They'll be fulltime and live out of it."

The Fiji bid model is based on the PNG Hunters, who have enjoyed strong success since entering the Queensland Cup in 2014 and this year finished second on the ladder.

The prize on offer is the deep well of talent that exists in Fiji as officials battle with rugby union for access to the country's top players.

The country has a proud tradition of cultivating talent stretching back to the likes of Noa Nadruku, Lote Tuqiri and Civoniceva.

Of late, the likes of Radradra, Marika Koroibete and Melbourne winger and this year's top try scorer Vunivalu have proven themselves some of the most exciting players in the game.

It has long been identified as a fertile breeding ground for footballers with French rugby clubs establishing academies in the tiny Pacific island of 900,000 in the hope of scouting the best young players.
 
J

jason1359

Juniors
Messages
41
Would be great for them to play next year in the lead up to the World Cup Fiji would definitely be a stronger team
 
S

siv

First Grade
Messages
6,562
jim_57 said:
I don't personally think any of those have the population or money to sustain a semi-pro team, especially Cook Islands with 20,000 people. But, I'd love to see NZ NSW Cup teams partner with them and Hawaii to provide a genuine professional pathway for local players and maybe playing 1 game a year in each. Add in Fiji with links to the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu and PNG Juniors and perhaps a second club and that is the Pacific Sewn up.
Click to expand...

Gee with all of these pacific and NZ teams in NSW Cup

Maybe all NSW based teams should drop back and play RM Cup to save on travel costs
 
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