Kaiviti Silktails duo Tevita Wanisi and Maikeli Sadranu are proving that determination and hard work can open doors to elite rugby league, despite humble beginnings and challenges away from the field.

Wanisi arrived at the Silktails three years ago without any rugby league experience, weighing just 67 kilograms at 6’3.

The teenager from Fiji’s Lau Islands has since grown into a 100-kilogram winger standing 6’6 and earned a place in the Canterbury Bulldogs senior pathway program.

Silktails assistant coach Joey Saukuru says Wanisi’s willingness to learn has been key to his development.

“He’s only played three years of football, and he’s learnt his trade.”

Wanisi has also emerged as a major attacking threat in the 2026 Jersey Flegg competition, using his height and aerial ability to help drive the Silktails’ try-scoring success.

Meanwhile, five-eighth Sadranu’s journey reflects the sacrifices many young Fijian athletes make in pursuit of their sporting dreams.

Based on an island near Lautoka, where the Silktails are based, Sadranu catches a boat to reach the mainland before running to training.

Away from rugby league, the 20-year-old also dives for seafood to feed his family and earn an income.

Silktails executive director Stephen Driscoll says the stories of both players reflect the purpose of the program, which focuses on developing young men through sport, education and employment.

The club operates a strict “no work, no study, no play” policy, ensuring players remain committed to their education and future careers.

With one year of Jersey Flegg eligibility remaining, Sadranu is also being considered as a potential candidate for the Bulldogs’ senior pathway in 2028.

Driscoll says the program is about creating opportunities beyond rugby league, recognising that not every player will become a professional athlete.

“Everyone can have a better life once they leave the program.”

For the Silktails, Wanisi and Sadranu represent what can be achieved when young talent is given the right support, discipline and opportunity to succeed.