The Kaiviti Silktails are already capitalising on their new partnership with the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs after pinching a leaf out of the club’s book and setting up a hookers-halves academy.

Bulldogs General Manager Phil Gould was in Suva, Fiji, this week to formalise a three-year agreement with Silktails chair Petero Civoniceva that will allow the Jersey Flegg Cup (Under 21s) side to also utilise the NSWRL pathways.

The Silktails previous four-year deal with the Sydney Roosters had some players compete in the Roosters SLE SG Ball (Under 19s), Sydney Shield and The Knock-On Effect NSW Cup sides. Some former Silktails players were also part of the Glebe Dirty Reds in the Leagues Clubs Australia Ron Massey Cup side, which is a feeder club for the Roosters.

“And the Bulldogs have a Ron Massey team as well, which was another attraction for us. So once players get past 21 they have that opportunity open to them,” said Silktails Executive Director Stephen Driscoll.

But like the Bulldogs NRL squad needing to develop more halves and hookers coming through the ranks, the Silktails have the same issue.

“It’s been an Achilles heel for us as a Rugby League nation and what Gus (Gould) has been able to do with the hookers-halves academy idea he started at Penrith and brought to the Bulldogs – that’s been a really big attraction for us,” Driscoll said.