BY BRETT KEEBLE
04 Feb, 2012 04:00 AM
FIJI World Sevens rugby union captain Watisoni Votu made the most of his chances by scoring a try for the Knights in their 32-0 victory over the Newcastle Rugby League representative side in a pre-season trial at Tomaree last night.
The 26-year-old winger and his 20-year-old countryman, Simione Sawene, arrived in Newcastle two weeks ago to trial for contracts with the club's NSW Cup squad.
Votu, who captained Fiji at the World Sevens in Dubai in December, started on the left wing last night and played the first two quarters.
The powerfully built finisher, who was given a hero's farewell at Nadi Airport when he left Fiji for Newcastle a fortnight ago, scored the Knights' second try last night when he received a pass from centre Marvin Filipo and touched down out wide just before quarter-time.
Sawene, who has been based in Brisbane playing club rugby and represented Fiji at the IRB World Junior Championship in Italy in June last year, came off the bench to play in the front row.
Knights football operations manager Warren Smiles said the club's recruitment manager, Peter Mulholland, had been tracking the progress of both players for some time.
Assistant coach Rick Stone, who was in charge last night because Wayne Bennett is on All Stars duty on the Gold Coast, said Votu and Sawene were works in progress.
‘‘Votu has got a bit of a profile in Fiji, and he's a bloke Pete has seen playing sevens. He's got a bit of ability and he's got a bit to learn,’’ Stone said.
‘‘There were some really good things he did, and there were some things you probably cringe a little bit about, but overall his attitude and his work ethic were good.
‘‘He hasn't been here that long, and we're still working on his positional play and his understanding of the game and what he needs to do, but he's more than willing.’’
Smiles said the Knights were likely to make a decision on the future of Votu and Sawene after they play for the Knights in another NSW Cup trial against Windsor at Peacock Field, Toronto, tomorrow week.
Playing with a combination of fringe first-graders and NSW Cup players, and a group of Newcastle Rugby League players who have trained with the club during summer, the Knights ran in eight tries to nil against an NRL rep squad that included former Knights Riley Brown, Terence Seu Seu and Sam Wooden.
Former Wests Tigers and Penrith prop Daine Laurie played the second and fourth quarters for the Knights and made several damaging runs, often taking three defenders to stop him.
Laurie set up a try two minutes before half-time with a strong charge and an unlikely grubber kick, which he regathered and off-loaded to centre Tonga Likiliki.
As is often the case in trial games, the Knights did not take conversion attempts.
They led 8-0 at quarter-time, 12-0 at half-time, and 20-0 after three quarters. The Knights’ National Youth Cup (under-20) squad scored nine tries to six to defeat host club Port Stephens Sharks in the curtain-raiser last night.
