Captain praises his players’ resilience

They may be one of the youngest teams in the competition, but Malolo captain, Manueli Bari says his team is ready to make a statement in this year’s Skipper Cup competition. 

Following their 16-39 loss to Farebrother-Sullivan title holders Naitasiri in Nausori last Saturday, Bari praised the heart and resilience showed by his players, where most of them were making their Skipper Cup debut.

“For the Malolo team, only two of us have played at this level before,” the blindside flanker said. 

“It’s a very young squad, most of the boys are under the age of 26. But we came out for a big job, and I’m proud we gave everything.” 

Malolo, returning to the Skipper Cup after a nine-year absence, pushed Naitasiri throughout the match, even scoring a late try despite being two men down after a red card and yellow card reduced them to 13 players. 

“We call ourselves ‘small boys, big job,’ Bari said. 

“We knew Naitasiri would be tough, but we tried our best to put on a show. Even in the final minutes, with two players off, we still managed to cross the line. That says a lot about our team’s spirit.” 

The loss saw Naitasiri retains the Farebrother-Sullivan, but for Malolo, the match was about more than just the scoreboard. 

“There’s a lot to take from this game,” Bari said.

“We’ll go back to the drawing board, fix what needs fixing, and come back stronger.” 

He also thanked Malolo’s supporters and urged them to keep backing the team throughout the competition. 

“We’re proud to be back after nine years, and this is just the beginning. I believe this team can go far.” 

Malolo will face Ba in the second round of the Skipper Cup, which is set for this weekend.