Fiji Bati and Melbourne Storm flyer Suliasi Vunivalu has been ruled out of this weekend’s World Cup Nines in Australia.

Vunivalu was attacked in Bali, Indonesia while on an end of the season trip with his Storm teammate Josh Addo-Carr, Nelson Asofa-Solomona, Tui Kamikamica and a few others.

But it is a hamstring injury, not the gash he sustained under the eye after being coward punched in Bali, which has put Vunivalu’s Nines tournament in doubt.

According to the Daily Telegraph, it’s the same injury which kept Vunivalu from playing in Melbourne’s preliminary finals loss to the Roosters but he is still expected to join his Fijian teammates in Parramatta this week.

Fiji National Rugby League Interim CEO Don Natabe says it’s unfortunate that Vunivalu will not run out for the Bati.

Natabe adds they took extra players which means no one will be called in to replace Vunivalu.

‘We had that sorted before the incident with the Melbourne Storm in Bali, so we are pretty much on the get-go already even with Suliasi out I know with the other Bati players in it they’ll put on a good show tomorrow’.
The Bati will play Samoa tomorrow at 9:10pm in its first pool match.

They will then play Tonga at 2:10pm on Saturday followed by Cook Islands at 5pm.