Saifiti ends 9-year wait in style

Fiji Bati front-rower Jacob Saifiti is familiar with the role of veteran pack leader, showing the way for his younger forwards.

He leads through his actions, sets a platform and leads by example.

It is what he had been doing for Newcastle during their NRL redemption season.

But he was sidelined for long stretches in the second half of the campaign, initially with a torn hamstring, before missing Newcastle’s fairytale finals run to serve a four-game suspension.

As it turned out, Newcastle’s never-say-die charge from seventh spot all the way to the NRL grand final, where they fell agonisingly short against the Roosters by one point, meant Saifiti was available for the start of Fiji’s International Rugby League World Cup campaign.

In his eighth Test for Fiji, and his first in nine years, the 30-year-old prop scored his first try in Bati colours in the 40-12 win over the Cook Islands at his familiar home ground, McDonald Jones Stadium.

Saifiti contested a kick for the first time in his career, catching a Brandon Wakeham bomb before stretching out to score under the posts.

“That was the first and last time I’ll ever go up like that. The boys were saying, ‘I didn’t know you had that in you’, and I said, ‘Mate, I didn’t even know, swear to God’,” Saifiti said.

“Not in my whole entire life have I ever done that. Maybe off a grubber, but gone up and actually contested a kick like that, I’ve never done. We do practise that at the Knights — well, this year we did — so maybe I’ve got to give some credit to them.”

Before Sunday’s game in Newcastle, Saifiti’s last appearance for Fiji was in their 54-6 loss to Australia in the 2017 World Cup semi-final at Suncorp Stadium.

“It was good to be back in this jersey — it’s been about nine years — so it’s been a really good week,” said Saifiti, who ran for 123 metres in 54 minutes against the Cook Islands.

“I’ve really enjoyed it, and to play at home too, my home ground, it was a decent turnout and a good win, so I’m stoked.”

Back to Suncorp Stadium

Saifiti will return to Suncorp Stadium on Sunday to lead the Fiji forwards against an Australian team likely to include Knights teammate Bradman Best on Test debut.

“I think he should have been there for them in game one, being biased, but I read today that he’s going to get his shot and I’m glad for him,” Saifiti said.

“I think he’s had one or two tours before this and hasn’t debuted yet, so he deserves it.

“He’s a big-game player and we’ve seen what he can do in the Origin arena — game three, he’s a specialist — and throughout the finals series, he was unreal too.

“I hope he plays, but I just hope he doesn’t come into the middle, because the big blokes are going to have to show him a little thing or two.”

Looking forward to testing himself against the reigning champions, Saifiti said Fiji’s World Cup campaign had provided a post-season silver lining to a year that had ended under a cloud after looking so promising early on.

Having fought back from a torn hamstring that sidelined him for six matches, Saifiti’s NRL season ended prematurely when he was sent off and suspended for four games for a reckless high tackle on Warriors winger Luke Laulilii.

“It was a weird month. It’s been a weird year for me, to be honest,” Saifiti said.

“I was probably in career-best form at the start of the year, got picked for Origin, didn’t play; made a grand final, didn’t play, so it’s been a whirlwind of a year.

“Obviously, the grand final, I would have loved to have been out there, but that’s just me being a competitor.

“I’ve been through all the tough years here, so to not play in that grand final, I’m just disappointed in myself. If I was injured, fair enough, but I was fit and it was my own doing.

“That’s the thing that frustrated me the most. It was all on myself, but I still had a job to do.

“We had a young forward pack and I had to help get them ready to play every finals game and the grand final. So it’s been a weird but enjoyable year, because I’m 30, I found career-best form, and I still think I’ve got a lot of good footy left in me.”

Saifiti said watching Newcastle’s finals run from the sidelines, alongside fellow starters Dylan Brown (ACL), Trey Mooney (scapula) and Phoenix Crossland (suspended), would provide additional motivation for the 2027 NRL season.

Focus on Fiji

“Don’t get me wrong, I’m focused on Fiji, but in the back of my head, I’m thinking about next year already,” he said.

Fiji Bati coach Mick Potter was pleasantly surprised that Saifiti had served his suspension before the World Cup. Potter previously coached Saifiti for Fiji in 2017 and at the Knights from 2016 to 2018, when he worked as an assistant to former coach Nathan Brown.

“It was unexpected, but he’s a great acquisition, if you like, to our team,” Potter said.

“Having him back after being away for a long time, it’s fantastic for Fiji rugby league.”

Saifiti said Fiji’s opening win against the Cook Islands had helped build confidence before the Bati faced Australia on Sunday and New Zealand on the Gold Coast on October 31.

“I’ve seen first-hand what belief can do to a side,” Saifiti said, reflecting on Newcastle’s finals victories over the Rabbitohs, Warriors and Panthers.

“Every semi-final, the grand final, everyone wrote us off, but we kept turning up.

“Don’t get me wrong, I know we’re up against it, but in 2017 we beat New Zealand, so I’ve seen more unlikely things happen.

“I love testing myself against the best, and I think it brings the best out in me.

“It’s a beautiful challenge, these next two weeks, but it’s something I’m looking forward to. I’ve missed a fair chunk of footy this year through suspension and injury. We’ve got a pretty inexperienced team here, especially in the pack, so the boys are going to follow me.

“I’ll be out there throwing that first punch, and I know the boys will follow me.”