What a match!
What a match our Flying Fijians played against the Wallabies. All in all, good to get past the first international match of the year. Let’s focus on our short comings from the match as we prepare for Scotland and more importantly, vary our backline moves as this is where our real strength is. Floyd Robinson Micronesia
Flying Fijians steal hearts!
Boy, what a spectacular and fantastic performance from the FIJI Water Flying Fijians who stole hearts in Newcastle. Prior to the battle in hot conditions, The Fiji Times sports reporter Vereimi Wara added more thrills with his coverage of Fijians converging at the McDonald Jones Stadium which was packed with passionate Fijians. Fiji did not lack support as there was tremendous noise and support. Down 14-0, the Flying Fijians clawed their way back into the game to take a 15-14 lead. It’s a pity that Sireli Maqala’s try, that brought fans to their feet, was disallowed but the try by Lekima Tagitagivalu was exceptional — a scintillating effort by 2020 Tokyo Olympics gold medalist Jiuta Lutumailagi who cut infield and waltzed past James Slipper. He broke through two tacklers and sent a pass to Tagitagivalu who touched down for a memorable try. The intensity levels by the Flying Fijians and the big hits floored the opposition. Fiji’s past three historic victories over the Wallabies had all been nail-biters. In 1952 and 1954 at the Sydney Cricket Ground in front of 42,004 and 33,099 fans, respectively, Fiji downed the hosts by two points- 17-15 and 18-16, respectively. In 2023 in France, Fiji buried a 69-year-old ghost, knocking the Wallabies out from pool play 22-15. Fiji was a minute away from emulating this success and recording a back-to-back win over the Wallabies, but captain Harry Wilson dotted near the post to bring Australian fans to their feet. 21-18, game over! Relief for the Wallabies, but heart break for the Flying Fijians who were superb! Rajnesh Ishwar Lingam Nadawa, Nasinu
Jinxed or what?
The Flying Fijians would have won against the Wallabies had it not been for the presence of the PM and his bloated entourage of ministers. Fiji will never move forward for as long as this dinosaur is around. I suggest that he should not be present at the upcoming game against Scotland and Fiji will have a fighting chance. JAN NISSAR Sydney, Australia
COI report
I think that it is important to bear in mind that the principal issue now is not whether the conduct of those implicated in the COI was administratively unsatisfactory but whether, as suggested, it was criminal. If convictions follow, well and good. But if they do not then the COI will be open to the accusation that its findings were tenuous and its recommendations reckless. Michael Scott Morris St, Lautoka
COVID loans
Micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) council chairman Watisoni Nata (Jr) has rightly called on government to write off the COVID loan to all MSMEs which was issued by Fiji Development Bank during the pandemic. The fact remains that no help was given to MSMEs during the pandemic apart from the loans which I am told some MSMEs are finding hard to pay with cost of doing business gone up with all different business operating charges levied on them. This is something the two deputy prime ministers can do easily. The Coalition Government has done a lot of good things and this is something to help move the economy forward as MSMEs are usually fuelling our economy, creating more jobs and looking after many grassroot people. Narayan Reddy Lautoka
Bored students
Your correspondent Fergus Garrett, an educator with enormous experience in Fiji, is as usual correct when he writes (FT 5/7) that our education system is producing large numbers of people who cannot read or write, and that if they attend school at all they are “totally bored”. Of course they are. You and I would also be bored to death if we had to sit in a classroom all day listening to someone droning away in a foreign language, especially when that person is perfectly capable of speaking a language you and I understand. Another letter-writer on the same day, Christopher Griffin, expresses the hope that the panel of experts empowered to propose reforms in education will follow my advice of many decades and teach children first in the language they speak at home. This is obviously the best way, and the way education is carried out in most nations and used to be in Fiji. Unfortunately I see little hope of this happening, for three main reasons. One is that these experts were probably all brought up in the local system, and cannot conceive of anything else. Another is that educators in the past have done such a good job of instilling educational principles of 1930s New Zealand that even today many teachers and most parents would object to using vernaculars. Third, even if any of these experts agree to begin using Fijian and Fiji Hindi (and other languages such as Rotuman) as media of education, there would be objections because of the cost of devising and implementing new materials. Indeed it would be costly, but what price a good education for all? PAUL GERAGHTY USP, Suva
Coalition solid
I congratulate The Fiji Times cartoonist Sachin for depicting the PM’s claim that his Coalition government is “solid” with the wobbly Coalition vehicle of governance going off the road: “See? Solid!” (FT 7/7). The cartoon is too good. Rajend Naidu Sydney, Australia
What a shame!
I am trying to understand how and why Sky TV Fiji was not able to show a live broadcast of an all-important international match as minnows the Flying Fijians took on the might of our bigger South Pacific brothers in the Australian Wallabies. This is just not good enough Sky Fiji TV. Ronnie Chang Martintar, Nadi
Aussies’ try
Australia’s last try was like a froggy jumping around Fiji’s try line and the French ref never saw it! Luke Kulanikoro Savusavu
Swimming pool
Can someone in authority please tell us what is happening with the Lautoka Swimming Pool? I thought it was supposed to be completed last year. Do I need to go with buckets of water there? Kirti Patel Mohan Singh Pl., Lautoka
Back to their roots
Seeing the many people who are going over for the installation of the Tui Nayau in Lau and the many left-overs who still want to go, an image comes to mind. Imagine if all Lauans are given a chance to go back all at once for a week, to their roots. Sa malo e! Pita Soroaqali Rakiraki
CWM Hospital
I too stayed at the CWM Hospital in the early 1960s but for several months. And I fully endorse Colin Deoki’s observation that “the hospital was impeccably maintained” (FT 7/7). That was during the colonial era. Today the deteriorated and filthy state of the CWMH stands as a mega symbol of the general decline in standards in post coup Fiji. It’s a crying shame. Rajend Naidu Sydney, Australia
COI report and footy
FICAC: Which missed tackle?
My admiration for Jioji Kotobalavu knows no bounds (FT: ‘Kotobalavu: He failed to act in public interest’). But Fiji’s most esteemed public servant is creating a second ‘travesty of justice’ by singling out former attorney-general Graham Leung amongst all those mentioned in the Commission of Inquiry Report. There are many reasons that a rugby team fails to get a try. To focus on one single person who may – as Mr Kotobalavu alleges – have missed an opportunity to make a crucial tackle ignores everything that happened upfield earlier on. The COI Report says two of the three allegations made against Ms Malimali by so-called social media activist Alexandra Forwood were emailed to FICAC on April 8 and 9, 2024. Yet FICAC did nothing with them. The COI Report makes clear FICAC basically lost sight of the April 9 complaint internally until August 29 (paragraphs 4.101, 4.102 of the Report). The COI Report has absolutely no explanation for the delay in dealing with the April 8 complaint. It just disappeared.The third complaint against Ms Malimali relating to a social media post of Lynda Tabuya, also emailed by Ms Forwood to FICAC, on August 29 2024, was so thin on substance it has already been dismissed by Police and the ODPP for ‘insufficient evidence’. Reading Mr Kotobalavu’s criticisms one might conclude that, if only Mr Leung had acted differently, had put in that final crunching tackle, the taxpayer could have been saved the Commission’s $2m plus costs and Fiji would have avoided this constitutional crisis. Ergo the blame falls on Mr Leung. A more reasonable analysis would be that Mr Leung would not have faced making a try-saving tackle if FICAC had done its job with either or both of the April Forwood complaints between when they were sent in early April and when FICAC finally woke up. If getting Ms Malimali into the FICAC Commissioner’s chair was the key goal (and that’s the central conspiracy the COI Report advances) FICAC showed gross dereliction of duty. Deputy Commissioner Francis Puleiwai said she only paid attention to the complaints (the Forwood complaints had come to her) when she realised Ms Malimali was about to be named FICAC Commissioner (4.103). The COI Report shows no interest in why those two allegations, sitting neglected and unloved liked bruised fruit for an aggregate of 287 days, became suddenly so compelling just because the person complained about was to become Ms Puleiwai’s boss. Surely an alleged serious allegation against a public official in April is no more or less demanding of attention than the same allegation in August. And 287 days is a lot of days to have burnt through when put next to the few days Ms Puleiwai told Mr Leung she needed because FICAC had suddenly woken up. The truth must surely be that FICAC was, like so many others in Government, firmly of the belief that Ms Forwood was a vexatious complainant. Because she was then and she is to this day. This is exactly what the Electoral Commissioners expressed to Mr Leung via letter. That’s also why FICAC attached no importance to Ms Forwood’s two complaints when they arrived in April, as evidenced by their complete lack of action. Until, of course, it became inconvenient for Ms Forwood to be treated as vexatious because Ms Forwood was the person who could help FICAC take down Ms Malimali.CHARLIE CHARTERS Doha, Qatar (temporarily)
Test footy, the final hurdle!
Time and again it’s that final hurdle, that final 5 to 10 minutes that we succumb to pressure and finish what could always be a famous win. We almost replicated the famous 2023 World Cup pool win and that last hurdle haunted us. What a second half as the revamped Flying Fijians shot off the block. The subs, Maqala, arguably the world’s best centre right now, and the ever steady Sam Matavesi propelled what look like a lethargic first half lineout game, apart from that last play that led to Fiji’s first try. Twinkle toes Wainiqolo shredded the Wallabies backline! Awesome! Joka dina and that famous try is my best right now. One humble plea though. Mistakes do happen and it’s part of the modern game, however, when it becomes chronic, we need to move to plan B soon. Remember we are a Tier 1 team now. My choice to lift the game, try the Ravouvou/Maqala midfield pair and Tuisova on the wing. Fullback Rayasi marks a new era after a long time. I just wish the game mechanics change in sports and the winner in the second half, scoring most points, should be declared overall winner. Beware Scotland! Shalwyn Prasad Mukta Ben Place, Nabua, Suva
