Archie Watkins prepares to send a cross in during Sunday’s friendly against Yenda, his first appearance in a Yoogali FC shirt.
Football
IT TOOK just 90 minutes for Yoogali FC's new Fijian signings to convince captain Luke DeValentin they are worth the hype.
Coach Abraham Watkins and his two sons, internationals Archie and Sitiveni, made their YFC debuts in a 2-2 friendly draw with the Yenda Tigers on Sunday and DeValentin came away thoroughly impressed.
Not only does the former national team captain Abraham Watkins already have the respect of the dressing room, the skipper said, but the pair of new players bring something to the table that the club has long needed.
"They've very patient on the ball and try to just work it around," DeValentin said.
"They've got a good eye for how to set up the play and opening space for other players.
"They'll help us out a lot in that regard, because last season we were going forward 100 miles an hour and it hasn't really been paying off.
"You can see they come from playing at a higher grade in Fiji."
DeValentin described coach Watkins as "shy" and said while he will grow into the role as his proficiency in English increases, his qualities have already shone through.
"He's very good. At the moment he's concentrating on making sure we keep possession and a lot of one-touch stuff," he said.
"He's getting to know us and how we play and working out what positions he could use us in.
"I suppose they've all just got to adapt to us and we've got to adapt to them as well, now."
This weekend's inaugural Real Juice Cup the tournament created and backed by Yoogali FC serves as the perfect opportunity to kick-start that process.
The Watkins brothers left Fiji mid-season, meaning they are already match-fit which will help the squad cope with the physical demands of the nine-a-side competition.
"There are other teams out there that will be just as good and playing nine-a-side, if take the goalkeepers out of it, and it's really eight-a-side - and it's a big pitch for eight players," DeValentin said.
"There's going to be a lot of space and a lot of running. It's going to be hard work, even though the games are shorter.
"We'll see how we go on the day."
