Coach eager for first Tri Series win

Cook Islands Resident XIII coach Albert Nicholas says he has high hopes the team can springboard off a strong domestic rugby league season to break its Cook Islands Tri Series drought.

The resident team has never won a Tri Series yet, the honours always going to the New Zealand or Australian Cook Islanders teams.

But after watching a robust league season in the Cook Islands, Nicholas said the Resident XIII has the take on the NZ Cook Islands Rugby League (NZCIRL) team and the Australian Cook Islands Rugby League (AUSCIRL) team.

We have got a lot of good players and should be able to put a very strong squad together, Nicholas said.

We just need total commitment from the local players starting with turning up to training for a start.

With the Resident XIII team confirmed as one of the curtain raiser to the NZ Kiwi test on the October 6, he cant see any problem with players turning up and fighting for a position in the squad.

The first game between NZCIRL and AUSCIRL will be played on the Friday, September 30. The winner of that match will go straight to the final game on the October 6 and the loser will play the Resident XIII on the Monday, October 3 for the second spot in that match.

Each team will play two games in the series.The first game between NZCIRL and AUSCIRL is expected to produce some fireworks with both teams surely desperate to be in for the Kiwi-Kuki curtain raiser game.

The Resident team will be having their first training run on Monday, August 29 at the Nikao field so this is an open invitation to all senior players.

Meanwhile, Resident XIII U18 coach Robert Heather is also preparing his U18 squad to play a NZCIRL U18 squad. All U18 players are requested to attend a get together 5pm Friday, September 2 at Raemaru Park.

We have a very busy schedule at the moment especially with the rugby union still in progress, Heather said.

The U18s will play their first game as curtain raiser to the NZCIRL vs AUSCIRL on the Friday, September 30 and then play their second game as one of the curtain raisers to the NZ Kiwi test match.