Fiji Bati forward and Bulldogs star Viliame Kikau is gearing up for an exciting match-up this weekend.
Kikau and his teammates are preparing to compete in the Pacific Rugby League Bowl Championship against the Papua New Guinea Kumuls on Saturday.
Having missed out on playing last year, Kikau is eager to make a strong comeback on the field.
Reflecting on his return to the team, Kikau expressed his gratitude for the opportunity, emphasising the importance of building the game of rugby league in Fiji.
Despite the long absence of matches in the country, he is fully focused on the upcoming challenge against Papua New Guinea.
“It’s been good to be back, really overwhelming I think, we have spoken about it in our team meetings, how we are trying to build the game of rugby league here in Fiji,” said Kikau.
“As the last time the Bati played here (Fiji) was a long time ago, so we like to think about that but at the same time, our main concern is preparing ourselves for the clash against Papua New Guinea this weekend.”
Having faced setbacks because of injury last season, Kikau made a personal commitment to train hard and regain his form, leading to a successful run with the Bulldogs this year.
He is proud of his performance and is eager to represent his country with dedication whenever called upon.
“Unfortunately, I could not play for the Fiji Bati team last year, I didn’t really have a good season in the NRL last year, due to injury, hardly played the whole year,” he said.
“I sort of made my personal decision to get the off-season to work my best and train hard and try to retain that faith from the Bulldogs team, and I’m proud of my performance this year as I’m doing well in the sport.
“To play for my country I will put my hand up anytime, so proud that I have a chance this year to play.
“We have a pretty young squad here and so it’s good for the senior players to communicate with them and work as a team.
“Fijian kids I know are very shy and take time to get used to people and get comfortable talking and everything and we are here to help them do better.
Kikau recognises the challenge that awaits but is confident in his team’s preparation and unity.
“So, we are really focused on this first match, it’s a big game, with the PNG brothers they are a physical team, they come hard on the first minute till the end, feels like a tonne of bricks running over you the full 80 minutes.
“We will be going one step at a time, after we finish this match, we then focus on the next match against the Cook Islands.”
Meanwhile, Panthers’ fullback Sunia Turuva is expected to join the team tomorrow.
The Fiji Bati will face the PNG Kumuls this Saturday at 8.10pm at the HFC Bank Stadium.
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