Silktails To Stay The Course With Local Players and Staff Only

Despite still searching for their first win of the season in the clubs first year in the NSWRL Jersey Flegg competition, Kaiviti Silktails Chairman Petero Civoniceva has responded to suggestions to recruit overseas players into the Silktails squad with an emphatic “no.”

Such a suggestion to the NRL Hall of Famer and former Fiji Bati Captain is seen as defeating the purpose of providing a Rugby League Elite Development Pathway out of Fiji. Instead, the club – under the direction of Executive Director Stephen Driscoll, has doubled down on its commitment to recruiting locally based players into their Elite Development Pathway Program which has seen a further 6 players contracted to the Silktails, and they don’t plan to stop there.

“We get inundated with players of Fijian Heritage wanting to join our footy program from Australia and New Zealand. Unless they are prepared to go to Fiji and play in the secondary schools or local competition, then we won’t consider them” said Civoniceva .

“This concept was born out of my experience in the 2013 World Cup as Captain and the local players in that squad sharing the lack of pathways to come out of Fiji. Recruitment of overseas players would probably help us get results quicker, but it would be blocking the path for locally based players.”

With inaugural Coach Wes Naiqama standing down after 4.5 years and General Manager Damon Spooner parting ways with the club, the opportunity is there to prepare locally based staff along with local players – and that is what makes this program special.

Executive Director Stephen Driscoll, who stepped away from his S&C role with the Sydney Roosters and is juggling his role as CEO of Pacific Facility Services has implemented a mentoring system and is working closely with Football Manager Mereoni Tuinanuya into the General Managers role, and is working closely with all Silktails staff since Spooner’s departure.

Silktails Technical Advisor Joe Saukuru and Sydney Roosters Coaching and Development Manager Dean Feeney have been mentoring Caretaker Coach Timoci Duve, and have been so impressed with Duve that the Silktails will begin conversations with the former Fiji Secondary Schools Coach to take over as the Silktails Head Coach. The former science teacher will also assist drive the education component of the program which is part of the clubs compulsory Community Engagement and Work / Study initiative.

Driscoll said they will be staying the course with local staff and players despite the results. “You put any player into an Elite Pathways Rugby League competition for the very first time with predominantly Rugby Union backgrounds and you are going to have a tough year in your first outing” said Driscoll.

“Throw in the mix for our locally based Fijians straight out of secondary schools that this is their first full 26 round season of Rugby League, makes what these young men are doing such a massive achievement. 12 of the 19 man squad that travelled to Australia on the weekend qualify for the u/19 SG Ball competition this season and 5 of them are still eligible for that competition again next year. The other 5 players in the 17 all have another year in Jersey Flegg also.”

“Next pre-season will be the first time ever in Fiji that 30 locally based players will return for a second pre-season with a full 26 round competition under their belt. These young kids are the first lot brave enough to stay the full course starting in November and we should be applauding them for that. This will also help the new kids coming into the program for their first full season. Things will be different for us next year when we play.”

Driscoll, who has been involved at this level with the South Sydney Rabbitohs and Sydney Roosters Pathways programs for over 20 years, says that there needs to be some perspective put into this.

“Look at Melbourne Storm for example. They are the most successful NRL club of the Modern Era but their Jersey Flegg side has never made the finals and has averaged 4.8 wins a season since 2019. 2023 is their best ever season with 10 wins and this year they are at 8 wins including two wins against us. This just shows how hard it is when you come from a developing Rugby League region in Victoria, just like we do, but they have stuck at it and are a super competitive Flegg team now and have added Harold Matt’s and SG Ball teams to their program. We will be the same in years to come if we stick at it.”

Chairman Civoniceva said the Silktails have also got this done with all local staff all the way down from their GM, Coach, S&C, Physio and Medical staff . They have also added EDP Coaches in Lautoka, Suva, Tailevu, Sigatoka, Ra, Labasa and Yasawa in gyms and training facilities established by the Silktails around Fiji.

“Completing our first season with our team of local players and staff in a competition as elite as the Jersey Flegg competition is something as a club we are really proud of. When things turn for us on the field having achieved this by building capacity locally here in Fiji, it will make it even more special for us as a club.”