Cook Islands Residents coach Clive Nicholas acknowledged his boys who answered the call to play against the Fiji Residents-Tabusoro in the first match of the Cook Islands Rugby League Tri Nations Series on Saturday.

Cook Islands Residents defeated Fiji Residents 40-22 at Victoria Park in Tupapa.

Nicholas said: “I’m really happy with the performance of the local boys. The original list that we had, you know it’s fit to be an international side. But a lot of them had work commitments and family, some were injured from the season so I did not get to have that group that I had originally picked.”

“In saying that, I want to thank the lot that answered the call. They were around six or seven and about four boys just out of school, sadly one of them sustained an injury.

“They played like the original team I had chosen. So it was a good tough game.”

Nicholas also gave credit to the Tabusoro team. He said they did lack the firepower that was usually seen on the island, missing the likes of Colati Ravula (Tua) and Lai Rogorogoivalu and others who are now based in New Zealand.

“All these boys were the core group of the team.”

However, Nicholas said like his own team, Fiji’s team was “not broken or a second-string team”. He said the Fijian boys surprised them and put Cook Islands on the edge.

Cook Islands will face Samoa Residents next weekend. Fiji will play Samoa Residents this Saturday.

Fiji Residents-Tabusoro manager George Fatefehi said it was a positive game considering that it was the first time some of the boys were playing league.

“It is a good initiative. Hats off to the Cook Islands side … we will come out stronger against Samoa Residents.”