Pride’s Fijian flyer Pio Seci’s Intrust Super Cup future uncertain

Pio Seci is in a race against time if he wants to push his case for a starting spot in the Northern Pride’s Round 1 line up.

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Pio Seci is in a race against time if he wants to push his case for a starting spot in the Northern Pride’s Round 1 line up.

The 26-year-old Fijian international signed with the Pride last September but has not been seen at training since the pre-season started almost three months ago.

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Unfortunately for the Pride, the towering winger’s arrival from his home nation has been delayed as he waits for his visa to be sorted.

Pride football operations manager Chey Bird said he hoped the path could be cleared for Seci’s return sooner rather than later, with the side’s season opener less than three weeks’ away.

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“We’re just waiting on his visa,” Bird said.

“Hopefully that will be sorted in the next couple of weeks.

“We’ve just got a couple of loose ends to tie up and then hopefully he’s all sorted.

“In a perfect world, he’s at least here and in a position to push for a spot before the first round.

Pio Seci in action for Atherton last season. PICTURE: STEWART MCLEAN

“I’d love by the end of the week to have an email saying he’s all sweet, but it’s a bit of a waiting game at the moment.”

A Innisfail junior, Seci moved from Fiji back to the Far North midway through the 2019 season and linked up with his old juniors coach Graham Clark Sr at the Atherton Roosters.

He made his debut for the Roosters in Round 12 and went onto score 12 tries in eight regular-season games, while notching up countless tackle busts and linebreaks.

A member of the Ipswich Jets’ Queensland Cup squad in 2018, Seci returned to the Far North last year with the goal to impress the Pride’s coaching staff and get back into the state’s top competition.

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After earning a contract with his form in the CDRL last year, the only thing stopping Seci from completing his Queensland Cup comeback now is his visa.

Bird said Seci had been undertaking his own training in Fiji in the meantime to keep his fitness levels up.

“There’s no conditioning like being in among the playing group and doing the same stuff as what the playing group is doing,” Bird said.

“But I’m in touch with him every couple of days and he has been looking after himself.”

Originally published as Pride’s Fijian flyer Pio Seci’s Intrust Super Cup future uncertain