Northern Pride ‘left in lurch’ after Seci’s failed player transfer

A failed player transfer has turned ugly after the Northern Pride were accused of pulling the rug from under Fijian centre Pio Seci.

A FAILED player transfer has turned ugly after the Northern Pride was accused of pulling the rug from under Fijian centre Pio Seci.

Powerhouse centre Seci had just finished his season with Avignon in France, where he scored 12 tries in 13 games and was named in the France Elite 1 team of the year.

That form, plus his previous history in the Far North – he played for Atherton Roosters in the Cairns District Rugby League in 2019 – had the Pride interested in his services.

And with a potential World Cup campaign with Fiji on the horizon, Pride coach Ty Williams said they were set for Seci to join the club.

“We signed him with the clearance of his visa the only thing to go,” Williams said.

But it didn’t eventuate.

Seci’s acquisition was never finalised due to his lack of an appropriate visa and a disappointed Pride have moved on from the saga.

But a recent post on a Facebook page, an “online Fijian rugby community”, has savaged the Pride after they “pulled out of the deal”. The author claimed to have spoken to Seci and his management.

Pio Seci in action for Atherton in 2019. PICTURE: STEWART MCLEAN

“Northern Pride, after giving assurances to Pio’s management all season, pulled out of their deal a week before the France Elite 1 Season ended,” the post read.

“They kept saying his visa was going to be completed every week only for them to say they couldn’t afford to do it, the week before Pio’s season finished. Leaving Seci without a club.

“In the time the Pride strung Seci and his management along, they could have found another home. A really poor effort from the Pride, unprofessional to say the least.”

Williams wanted Seci.

A powerful ball-running centre, Seci was viewed as a potential edge back rower who would add size, strength, speed and international experience to the Pride’s pack.

His ability at centre would have added another weapon to the club’s attacking arsenal, and with experience in France’s highest league could have been the perfect player to bolster the Pride’s outside backs.

The timing was terrible, with Williams looking within to fill the gap left by the failed transfer.

“We were left in the lurch,” Williams said.

“We thought we could fill the gap from within.

“Our former operations manager (Cameron Miller) had it all in progress and had done a lot of work.

“Spilla went through a lot of work to get him here. With the World Cup at the end of the year, we thought (Seci) would be best suited to playing high-level footy here. We waited for his visa from the agent – the club doesn’t do it.

“We spoke to (Seci) every day. We did everything possible, but it was never sorted.

“We’re disappointed we didn’t get him.”

The position left vacant for Seci has gone to Kangaroos flyer Daniel Woodhouse, arguably the best winger in the CDRL. Some rival coaches rate Woodhouse as better than those ahead of him in the pecking order at the Pride, and are surprised he is yet to make a Hostplus Cup debut.

Woodhouse was elevated to the Pride’s top squad just a few weeks ago, in what is just reward for the speedster.

Williams has teased Woodhouse’s debut is on the horizon, and while he’s been included in several squads hasn’t made the game day 17.

Follow @MMcInerney89

Originally published as Northern Pride ‘left in lurch’ after Seci’s failed player transfer