A Fiji team is unlikely to enter the New South Wales Cup rugby league competition until at least 2018.
The Fiji Bid team, led for former Bati captain Petero Civoniceva, initially secured the rights to enter a side in the State competition from 2016.
Petero Civoniceva. Photo: PHOTOSPORT
A Fijian team was this month confirmed to join Australia's National Rugby Competition.
Fiji National Rugby League CEO Timoci Naleba said having Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama as President of the Fiji Rugby Union helped push that proposal forward.
He had been told the Bid Team had been given a deadline of October 1 to raise the money for a 2017 debut, which suggests a further 12 month wait is more likely.
"The cost of having those games here in Fiji and the fact that there's going to be 13 games it will involve a lot of cost - that's the huge challenge now with Petero's team now, securing those funds," he said.
"I think it was a six figure amount that the bid team was to have written a letter of undertaking with New South Wales Rugby League and that's still yet to be confirmed."
A Fiji Bid team wants to join the Warriors and Panthers in the New South Wales Cup. Photo: PHOTOSPORT
Timoci Naleba said the prospect of hosting an NRL match in Fiji also remains on the cards.
The Melbourne Storm and Fiji Government announced plans last year for the club to play an exhibition match in Suva and bring future NRL matches to the country.
Fiji National Rugby League was not consulted and a proposed nine-a-side match in December did not go ahead
Timoci Naleba met with NRL executives in December and said more recent discussions have been promising.
"We also met with a few people to bring those games over," he said.
"We have submitted a proposal and it's looking good right now but there's so many things going on - we have the New South Wales Cup bid as well - so Government is going to come back and weigh up whichever is going to be viable and maybe (this) week they'll make a decision."
Fij-born winger Suliasi Vunivalu is tackled during the 2016 NRL Grand Final. Photo: PHOTOSPORT
