12 Jun 2021

Fiji's Kaiviti Silktails look to build momentum

8:21 am on 12 June 2021

The Kaiviti Silktails rugby league team are hoping to keep their winning momentum when they play the Windsor Wolves in Sydney on Saturday.

The Kaiviti Silktails will remain working towards their return to action on 31 May.

The Kaiviti Silktails are working towards playoffs Photo: Facebook / Kaiviti Silktails

The Fijian side came from three tries down to beat the Dirty Reds 30-22 last weekend, breaking a two-game losing streak to keeps their Ron Massey Cup playoff hopes alive.

Coach Wes Naiqama said they had set a goal to finish in the top three, and remained on track to make quarter finals.

"You know if we can sort of keep getting better with a really good mentality switched on, and making this team really work for both their yards and all their tries, that'll put us in good stead for the game," he said.

"From week to week you fine tune a few things where you want to target your attack, but in regards to our style, I think it's just the boys understanding what the process is in the game and what it takes to win the game which we're getting better at every week."

The return of captain Penioni Tagituimua and young flyer Vuate Karawalevu is a major boost to the Silktails' chances.

The duo have been playing in the New South Wales and Jersey Flegg Cup competitions respectively.

Wes Naiqama said while the Silktails is proving to be a pathway for players to compete at a higher level, the boys have been able to step up in their absence, turning to their third captain to lead the team in a month.

"Kuki's [Apakuki Tavodi] been great, he was our inaugural captain for the Silktails last year. He's a leader both on and off the field, he's got really good principles in both life and football that he lives and dies by.

"He doesn't say much, but when he does talk the boys really do listen and he did a great job to drive what we wanted to see on the field last week."

The Kaiviti Silktails have relocated to Australia for the 2021 Ron Massey Cup season.

The Kaiviti Silktails have relocated to Australia for the 2021 Ron Massey Cup season. Photo: Facebook/Kaiviti Silktails

"If we just come in, keep applying ourselves and keep training hard, playing well, not only will the competition look after itself in regards to how successful we are, but these boys - which Peni and Vuate have shown the way - it's definitely our opportunity and a pathway for these boys to play at a higher level."

The Windsor Wolves will be looking to keep their momentum after three straight wins and currently sit eighth on the competition ladder, just two spots behind the Silktails.

The Wolves edged the Fijians by four points back in Round Four, but Naiqama said they just need to play their best football.

"They're probably the team flying under the radar in the competition scraping away and getting wins every week...but it comes down to the team that turns up to play well and it's no different this week. They've got a mobile forward pack but we've just got to play our best football."

"We think where we are now, we're a much more rounded football team. The middles have really laid the platforms for our performances over the last few weeks and they're just getting better and better every week. Two of the last three weeks we've played against top teams...so we've definitely got points in us, it's just going to come down to defence."