[File Photo]

The Fiji Bati are not heading to the 2026 Rugby League World Cup to make up the numbers, with head coach making it clear that winning the tournament is the ultimate ambition.

However, the coach knows the road to lifting the trophy will be difficult, and believes the team’s success will depend on how well the players trust one another when the pressure is at its highest.

While acknowledging the challenge ahead, the coach insists the Bati have the belief to compete with the world’s best, provided they remain connected on and off the ball.

“We’re going in to win the World Cup. But that’s going to be very, very difficult. 

The coach believes the players will need to rely on one another throughout the tournament, with defensive connection and trust in each other’s decisions proving crucial against the competition’s top sides.

Once they take the field, the players must be prepared to stand together, knowing their greatest support will come from the teammates beside them.

Rather than looking too far ahead, the Bati will take the tournament one game at a time, with their immediate focus firmly on their opening clash against the Cook Islands.

The coach has identified the match as a must-win encounter, knowing a strong start will be vital to Fiji’s World Cup campaign.

“Every game, we won’t be focused on the next game. We’ll be focused on the game we’re in t’s winning against the Cook Islands first. That’s all I’m going to focus on for the players. It’s a must-win game.”

For the Bati, the ambition is clear, but the coach knows belief alone will not deliver results. Fiji must turn that belief into performance, trust one another under pressure and take every opportunity that comes their way.

The World Cup challenge will be demanding, but the message from the coach is unmistakable: Fiji is going in to compete for the ultimate prize, not simply to participate.