As the nib Newcastle Knights prepare for Sunday's Round 10 match against the Canberra Raiders, young forward Daniel Saifiti returns to Club land full of confidence after representing Fiji in the Pacific Test.
Saifiti admits he’ll have to put in a strong performance against a tenth-placed Raiders outfit at McDonald Jones Stadium.
“We played Canberra in the trials so I got a bit of insight into how they play,” said the 21-year-old.
“We played them twice last year and they’re definitely a big pack.
“They are full of representative forwards and I’m just going to put my best foot forward.”
Saifiti’s confidence has been boosted following a glowing wrap from legend of the game and assistant coach of the Fiji team, Petero Civoniceva.
“He is my idol and it’s unreal the words he said but I’m not going to let that affect me at all, I need to get on with the way I’ve been playing,” explained the Knights forward.
“Definitely gives me confidence but at the same time I’m just going to keep doing my thing and hopefully help Newcastle out too.
“I picked the brain of Petero Civoniceva, I was speaking to him a fair bit about what I need to do with my game and hopefully I can implement that into my game in Newcastle.”
Reflecting on his week representing his country, Saifiti admits it’s been a highlight.
“It is my third year in a row, I love getting amongst the boys and we’re all just looking forward to world cup,” Saifiti smiled.
“Everyone celebrates our culture during the week and it makes everything so special for us and when it comes to game day we are there for each other.
“I love playing for my culture, my family and my heritage.”
Footy action is back at McDonald Jones Stadium this Sunday when the Knights take on the Raiders, NYC kick-off at 11.45am before NRL at 2pm.
