FIFO swings set pace of Geraldton Tigersharks rugby

They’re the sports team whose results swing based on the players’ swings. That’s because one-third of the Geraldton Tigersharks rugby side are fly-in, fly-out miners. The team aren’t an unfamiliar force — they’ve been around for several seasons and are steadily moving up in the game. What’s less well known is that from a matchday squad of about 24, eight are FIFO workers, and as a community side, the job comes first. Not just that, those eight just happen to be their top players. Coach and vice-president Eric Ofa said that made drawing up team sheets a challenge, and results could vary widely based on who was available on the day. “The eight that work away are probably our main players, which hurts that much more,” he said. “We could have two of the eight go home and then we’d have only one and then have all eight of them here. “The results go up and down. “(Last) weekend we lost quite badly and we didn’t have any of our (FIFO) guys. “Our back line were quite green and Kwinana came up with a decent side, 25-26 players, and we only had 16. “That’s pretty shocking for a home game. “They (Kwinana) turned up and they were quite surprised we didn’t have that many players. “All our boys are working away and it’s just one of those things. Mr Ofa, a former FIFO exploration driller who now works as a stevedore, said he respected the mineworkers’ drive to show up when they were home. “Early this year, we had a couple of our top guys who were all there, it was really good,” he said. “I wouldn’t say it’s easy, but it feels a lot easier in the game because we’ve got a couple of good fellas who can take control of the game from the front line. “When they’re not there, we tend to work that much harder.” The team only compete in one grade, and can’t pull players out of a reserve side to fill gaps. Mr Ofa said he respected the sacrifice — while working away, he missed his children and missed a club prizegiving, while balancing family and sport was difficult. “They do long stints,” he said. “They’re only back for a very short time, only one game out of a month. “They do still commit really well. “I’m truly grateful for that.”