THE Fiji National Rugby League 2020 Vodafone Cup runner-up, Coastline Roos, team has appointed Akei Nainoca Jr as the team’s assistant coach and head trainer for the new season.
The move is seen as a major coup for the Roos as Nainoca Jr guided the Nadroga under-19 team to back to back title victories in the Fiji Rugby Union-sanctioned Skipper Cup competition.
The Roos proved to be the surprise package of the Vodafone Cup competition last year, unexpectedly reaching the grand final going down 16-18 to the experienced Police Sharks.
Nainoca Jr was the head trainer for the Daveta team which won the Limerick World Club 7s in Ireland in 2014.
He was also the assistant trainer for the Nadroga senior team before being handed the role as the coach for the Stallions U19 team in 2019.
Nainoca Jr said he had been following the Roos for the past couple of seasons.
He said majority of the players in the Roos team were from the Laselase Village in Sigatoka. Nainoca Jr said he was interested in grooming young players.
“They can’t all go and play top level rugby union in the country,” he said.
“After the competition, most of them go back to their respective villages and do farming.
“But there is a pathway through rugby league club competition to go overseas and secure contracts, especially with the country clubs in Australia.
“There are big opportunities in rugby league.”
Under the guidance of Nainoca Jr, the Nadroga team defeated Naitasiri in the Skipper Cup final in 2019 and then Namosi last year.
Nainoca Jr said his major task would be to take the Roos to another level this season.
“With what the Roos achieved last year, we want to build on that. “So the benchmark has been set and we have to aim higher.”
