Still room for improvement: Baleirara

Nadroga will need to work on their basics before they face Malolo in their Skipper Cup round five match on Saturday. 

Head coach Jale Baleirara said their 27-24 victory over Ba at Lawaqa Park, Sigatoka last Saturday was crucial. 

This was their third win so far; they lost to Naitasiri, 11-18 in round three. 

“We’ll go back, work harder, and polish the basics,” Baleirara said. 

“This win was important, but there’s still a lot more to improve before we face Malolo.” 

The Stallions were dominant in the second-half sealing the win in front of a passionate home crowd.

The two sides were locked 12-12 at halftime, showcasing a tight and physical battle early on. 

Nadroga came back after the break with renewed energy, piling on points through sharp attacking plays and disciplined forward work that saw them take control of the game.

Ba, however, refused to go down without a fight. They mounted a strong comeback in the final quarter, closing the gap and threatening to snatch the win. But Nadroga’s defense held firm under pressure, holding on to a narrow lead until the final whistle.

“They gave us a good match. We expected them to come here strong, and they did just that,” Baleirara said.

Despite the victory, the coach highlighted several areas for improvement.

“Some of the basics let us down — simple catching, passing, and breakdown placement. If we want to play an expansive game, we need to fix our basics.”

Looking ahead, Baleirara stressed the importance of consistency.

“The goal now is to keep our performance at 100 percent. We expect Malolo to come here next week. It’ll be another good game, especially with the crowd we had.”