Marked for Sahil Deo
From our football correspondent
Crisis
The terraces28 Aug 2028
Anger at Labasa spills outside the ground
It has stopped being a mood in the stands and started being something organised. Boards can ignore a bad atmosphere for a long time; they cannot ignore this stage of it for very long at all.
Market28 Aug 2028
“I have given everything here and I need a new challenge.” The request is formal, and the relationship will never be quite the same again.
Squad28 Aug 2028
Words exchanged at Labasa
Nemani Dolodai and a teammate said things this week that will take longer than a week to unsay. It was not about football, and both of them play on Saturday.
The dugout28 Aug 2028
This is not rotation. Sahil Deo has not been in the manager's plans for some time, and nobody at Labasa is pretending otherwise.
Transfer targets28 Aug 2028
Not now, not at any price the club was prepared to say out loud. Ba have kept their man, and Labasa go back to a list with one name crossed off it.
Squad28 Aug 2028
A row about effort at Labasa
Somebody said out loud what several people thought about how hard another man trains, and Aporosa Yada was in the middle of it. The one dressing-room argument that is genuinely about football.
Squad28 Aug 2028
A muscle injury and 16 days out for Rajiv Sharma
The most common injury in the game and the most rushed back from. Labasa will quote 16 days and will be careful with it, because the second one is always worse than the first.
Transfer targets28 Aug 2028
A loan move for Mosese Naba is in the works
Labasa have made the call to Ba. No fee, a share of the wages, and a spare shirt in the position where the squad has been thinnest all season.
The dugout28 Aug 2028
Every manager keeps a short list in his head of the men he wants on the pitch when the stakes rise, and it is never published. The team sheets for the big afternoons say Sekove Naivakananumi is on it.
Back issues
From our football correspondent
Crisis
The terraces31 Jul 2028
The mood at Labasa has turned into something else
Supporters who sing when it goes badly are supporters. Supporters who gather afterwards are a problem, and everybody inside the building knows which of the two this now is.
Squad31 Jul 2028
Netani Suluka breaks a bone — 26 days out
Brutal, unambiguous and, for all the horror of the moment, usually less career-shaped than the ligament everybody fears more. 26 days, a clean timeline, and a return date somebody can actually plan around.
Market31 Jul 2028
“This is not anger. I have thought about it for months, and nothing that has happened lately changed my mind.” The request is on a desk at Labasa, and it is not being withdrawn.
Squad31 Jul 2028
Tempers go at Labasa
Lebogang Mokotjo was at the centre of it, and by the time it was pulled apart there were three or four others involved. Training grounds are small places and long seasons make them smaller.
Transfer targets31 Jul 2028
The approach was made and the answer came back in a sentence. There is no number on the table because there was no number that would have been enough.
The dugout31 Jul 2028
This is not rotation. Sahil Deo has not been in the manager's plans for some time, and nobody at Labasa is pretending otherwise.
Squad31 Jul 2028
Words at Labasa training over how hard people work
Somebody said out loud what several people had been thinking. Akeimi Ralulu is at the centre of it, and the squad will now find out whether the standard rises or the pair of them simply stop speaking.
The dugout31 Jul 2028
Clubs make promises constantly and the page usually only hears about them when they are broken. This one was honoured, and the dressing room noticed that faster than any supporter did.
Transfer targets31 Jul 2028
A loan enquiry to Ba: cover, or a look at somebody the club cannot afford to buy yet. Either way the answer will come back inside the week.
From our football correspondent
Crisis
The terraces3 Jul 2028
The mood at Labasa has turned into something else
Supporters who sing when it goes badly are supporters. Supporters who gather afterwards are a problem, and everybody inside the building knows which of the two this now is.
Match1 Jul 2028
Chastening afternoon for Labasa
A 2‑5 beating by Nadi was the sort of result that empties a stadium long before the final whistle.
Boardroom3 Jul 2028
The board have said in public what they had been saying in private. Results between now and the next meeting decide it, and everybody in the building knows the arithmetic.
Match1 Jul 2028
6 matches without a win for Labasa
The run now stands at 6, and the questions being asked around Labasa are no longer polite ones.
Market3 Jul 2028
Samuel Navoce hands in a written request
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what Labasa can pretend not to have heard.
Player ratings3 Jul 2028
Akeimi Ralulu pops up at the right end — 7.54
7.54, 1 on the scoresheet, and the specific comedy of a back-four player celebrating like somebody who does this every week. He does not, and that is exactly why the ground reacted the way it did.
Match1 Jul 2028
7 goals. Both benches spent the second half looking at each other rather than at the pitch. Purists will complain about Labasa and Nadi in equal measure; everybody else had a wonderful time.
Squad3 Jul 2028
Words exchanged at Labasa
Nemani Dolodai and a teammate said things this week that will take longer than a week to unsay. It was not about football, and both of them play on Saturday.
Transfer targets3 Jul 2028
Labasa asked and Ba said no without discussing a figure. It is the least ambiguous answer in football and the one clubs most often come back to test.
From our football correspondent
Crisis
The terraces5 Jun 2028
Supporters organise against the Labasa board
A bad atmosphere can be waited out. A group of people meeting afterwards to decide what to do about it cannot, and everybody in the building knows which stage this is.
Boardroom5 Jun 2028
The board have said in public what they had been saying in private. Results between now and the next meeting decide it, and everybody in the building knows the arithmetic.
Match3 Jun 2028
Chastening afternoon for Labasa
A 0‑3 beating by Lautoka was the sort of result that empties a stadium long before the final whistle.
Market5 Jun 2028
“This is not anger. I have thought about it for months, and nothing that has happened lately changed my mind.” The request is on a desk at Labasa, and it is not being withdrawn.
Transfer targets5 Jun 2028
The deal with Suva is done in every sense but the one that puts him on the pitch. Nothing goes wrong at this stage, except on the occasions when it does.
Squad5 Jun 2028
Words exchanged at Labasa
Nemani Dolodai and a teammate said things this week that will take longer than a week to unsay. It was not about football, and both of them play on Saturday.
The dugout5 Jun 2028
This is not rotation. Sahil Deo has not been in the manager's plans for some time, and nobody at Labasa is pretending otherwise.
Squad5 Jun 2028
Words at Labasa training over how hard people work
Somebody said out loud what several people had been thinking. Akeimi Ralulu is at the centre of it, and the squad will now find out whether the standard rises or the pair of them simply stop speaking.
Boardroom5 Jun 2028
The manager kept them in and said what needed saying. A response is expected on Saturday, and if it does not come the questions move upstairs.
In brief
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The dugout
The view from the dugout
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Squad
A place in the month's best eleven for Aporosa Yada
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The dugout
When it matters, Aporosa Yada plays
From our football correspondent
Uneasy
Match27 May 2028
The 87th minute, half the ground already edging towards the exits, and Aporosa Yada decided nobody was going anywhere. Navua had no time left to answer.
Boardroom29 May 2028
The silence upstairs is getting loud at Labasa
Nobody on the board has said anything against the manager, which is the point — they have stopped saying anything for him either.
Market29 May 2028
Sahil Deo hands in a written request
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what Labasa can pretend not to have heard.
Market29 May 2028
The clubs have agreed terms, and what remains is formality: a medical, a photograph, a signature. Nobody at Labasa is pretending he will be back in the shirt.
Squad29 May 2028
Tempers go at Labasa
Nemani Dolodai was at the centre of it, and by the time it was pulled apart there were three or four others involved. Training grounds are small places and long seasons make them smaller.
Match27 May 2028
Ask anyone on the way out what separated the sides and you will get one name: Aporosa Yada. 1‑0 against Navua, and the applause at the whistle was mostly his.
The dugout29 May 2028
This is not rotation. Eparama Moraica has not been in the manager's plans for some time, and nobody at Labasa is pretending otherwise.
Player ratings29 May 2028
Marked 8.16 — the sort of number a correspondent writes down twice to be sure. Everything he tried came off, and what he did not try was not worth trying.
Squad29 May 2028
A row about effort at Labasa
Somebody said out loud what several people thought about how hard another man trains, and Aporosa Yada was in the middle of it. The one dressing-room argument that is genuinely about football.
From our football correspondent
Crisis
The terraces8 May 2028
Anger at Labasa spills outside the ground
It has stopped being a mood in the stands and started being something organised. Boards can ignore a bad atmosphere for a long time; they cannot ignore this stage of it for very long at all.
Match6 May 2028
6 matches without a win for Labasa
The run now stands at 6, and the questions being asked around Labasa are no longer polite ones.
Squad8 May 2028
6 saves, and a scoreline the ten men in front of him had no right to. Goalkeepers only get noticed on the bad days; this was one of the other ones.
Squad8 May 2028
Tempers go at Labasa
Lebogang Mokotjo was at the centre of it, and by the time it was pulled apart there were three or four others involved. Training grounds are small places and long seasons make them smaller.
Squad8 May 2028
“I never wanted to be anywhere else. There is unfinished business here.” Aporosa Yada commits to Labasa for another 4 years.
Match6 May 2028
The goals have deserted Labasa
3 matches, no goals, and a training ground that has tried everything. It will end — droughts always do — but nobody at Labasa can tell you which week it ends in.
Match6 May 2028
Labasa come up short against Ba
Ba left with the points after a 0‑1 defeat that will take some explaining on the terraces.
The dugout8 May 2028
This is not rotation. Sahil Deo has not been in the manager's plans for some time, and nobody at Labasa is pretending otherwise.
Squad8 May 2028
A row about effort at Labasa
Somebody said out loud what several people thought about how hard another man trains, and Aporosa Yada was in the middle of it. The one dressing-room argument that is genuinely about football.
From our football correspondent
Steady
Market3 Apr 2028
Only the photograph left for Kartik Sharma
Fee agreed, terms agreed, medical booked. Kartik Sharma will be somebody else’s player by the weekend, and around Labasa the goodbyes have quietly begun.
Player ratings3 Apr 2028
Ashnil Raju did the work nobody counts — 7.11
13 combined actions and 7.11. The job he did is the one that shows up as other people looking good, and the only reliable way to notice it is to watch what happens on the afternoons he is missing.
Match1 Apr 2028
Lautoka left with the points after a 0‑1 defeat that will take some explaining on the terraces.
The dugout3 Apr 2028
This is not rotation. Sahil Deo has not been in the manager's plans for some time, and nobody at Labasa is pretending otherwise.
The dugout3 Apr 2028
“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.
Squad3 Apr 2028
“I never wanted to be anywhere else. There is unfinished business here.” Lenny Mattocks commits to Labasa for another 3 years.
Squad3 Apr 2028
Tempers go at Labasa
Nemani Dolodai was at the centre of it, and by the time it was pulled apart there were three or four others involved. Training grounds are small places and long seasons make them smaller.
Squad3 Apr 2028
The award goes to Netani Suluka, and nobody around here is inclined to argue with the choice.
The dugout3 Apr 2028
The view from the dugout
“We will look at it, we will learn from it, and we go again.” The three sentences every manager keeps for a 0‑1 defeat, delivered by Alipate Sauturaga to a room that had heard them before.
From our football correspondent
Uneasy
Squad28 Feb 2028
A falling-out at Labasa
Aporosa Yada and a teammate went at it, and not about football. Training grounds are small places and a long season makes them smaller.
The dugout28 Feb 2028
This is not rotation. Netani Suluka has not been in the manager's plans for some time, and nobody at Labasa is pretending otherwise.
Squad28 Feb 2028
A row about effort at Labasa
Somebody said out loud what several people thought about how hard another man trains, and Ilaisa Vulimainavuso was in the middle of it. The one dressing-room argument that is genuinely about football.
The dugout28 Feb 2028
It is never announced and it is entirely visible: the biggest afternoons of the season keep containing him. A press box works this out long before anybody at the club confirms a word of it.
Market28 Feb 2028
The Aporosa Yada story refuses to die
It has been denied twice and printed three times, which is the usual arithmetic. Until Aporosa Yada signs something — a contract at Labasa or anywhere else — this column belongs to him.
Market28 Feb 2028
Labasa have made Sailose Tawake available for transfer. A career at this club is over in all but paperwork.
From our football correspondent
Uneasy
Match21 Feb 2028
Labasa sink to position 9
17 points, and a fixture list that is running out. The mathematics are not yet cruel, but they are no longer kind.
Squad21 Feb 2028
44 days, the scan says, and scans are kinder than reality. The fixtures in that window have just become somebody else’s job.
Boardroom21 Feb 2028
Belts tighten at Labasa
The accounts are being read more closely than the results. Wages before ambition is the order of business now, and the manager has been told so.
The dugout21 Feb 2028
This is not rotation. Sahil Deo has not been in the manager's plans for some time, and nobody at Labasa is pretending otherwise.
Squad21 Feb 2028
A row about effort at Labasa
Somebody said out loud what several people thought about how hard another man trains, and Akeimi Ralulu was in the middle of it. The one dressing-room argument that is genuinely about football.
Squad21 Feb 2028
A falling-out at Labasa
Nemani Dolodai and a teammate went at it, and not about football. Training grounds are small places and a long season makes them smaller.
From our football correspondent
Uneasy
Market31 Jan 2028
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what Labasa can pretend not to have heard.
Squad31 Jan 2028
A muscle injury sidelines Akeimi Ralulu for 14 days
Nobody makes a documentary about a hamstring and everybody in the game fears one. Labasa will be careful with the return date, because the second one is always worse than the first.
Squad31 Jan 2028
A falling-out at Labasa
Aporosa Yada and a teammate went at it, and not about football. Training grounds are small places and a long season makes them smaller.
The dugout31 Jan 2028
This is not rotation. Netani Suluka has not been in the manager's plans for some time, and nobody at Labasa is pretending otherwise.
Squad31 Jan 2028
Akeimi Ralulu falls out with a teammate over standards
The oldest argument in any dressing room and the only one that is genuinely about football: one man thinks another is not putting enough in. It is also the row a manager privately does not mind having happened.
The dugout31 Jan 2028
The manager makes an example of Sailose Tawake
“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.
The dugout31 Jan 2028
Iowane Matanisiga has become a man the manager trusts
Nobody at Labasa will say this on the record and the team sheets have been saying it for weeks. There is a small group in every squad who get picked when the fixture is difficult, and he has joined it.
The dugout31 Jan 2028
Samuel Navoce asks for a word with the manager
“I would rather say it to his face than read about it.” The meeting was requested by the player, which tells you most of what you need to know.
Market31 Jan 2028
The Aporosa Yada story refuses to die
It has been denied twice and printed three times, which is the usual arithmetic. Until Aporosa Yada signs something — a contract at Labasa or anywhere else — this column belongs to him.
From our football correspondent
Uneasy
Match24 Jan 2028
Labasa sink to position 9
17 points, and a fixture list that is running out. The mathematics are not yet cruel, but they are no longer kind.
Market24 Jan 2028
“This is not anger. I have thought about it for months, and nothing that has happened lately changed my mind.” The request is on a desk at Labasa, and it is not being withdrawn.
Squad24 Jan 2028
A falling-out at Labasa
Akeimi Ralulu and a teammate went at it, and not about football. Training grounds are small places and a long season makes them smaller.
Boardroom24 Jan 2028
Labasa counting the cost
The accounts make uncomfortable reading. Wages first and ambition second is the order of business at Labasa now.
The dugout24 Jan 2028
This is not rotation. Sahil Deo has not been in the manager's plans for some time, and nobody at Labasa is pretending otherwise.
Squad24 Jan 2028
Words at Labasa training over how hard people work
Somebody said out loud what several people had been thinking. Aporosa Yada is at the centre of it, and the squad will now find out whether the standard rises or the pair of them simply stop speaking.
Squad24 Jan 2028
“Some decisions take a long time. This one took ten minutes, and most of that was finding a pen.” Sailimone Ravonokula and Labasa agree another 3 years.
The dugout24 Jan 2028
Samuel Navoce asks for a word with the manager
“I would rather say it to his face than read about it.” The meeting was requested by the player, which tells you most of what you need to know.
The dugout24 Jan 2028
Nobody at Labasa will say this on the record and the team sheets have been saying it for weeks. There is a small group in every squad who get picked when the fixture is difficult, and he has joined it.
From our football correspondent
Uneasy
Match27 Dec 2027
Labasa sink to position 9
17 points, and a fixture list that is running out. The mathematics are not yet cruel, but they are no longer kind.
Boardroom27 Dec 2027
Labasa counting the cost
The accounts make uncomfortable reading. Wages first and ambition second is the order of business at Labasa now.
The dugout27 Dec 2027
This is not rotation. Sahil Deo has not been in the manager's plans for some time, and nobody at Labasa is pretending otherwise.
Squad27 Dec 2027
Aporosa Yada falls out with a teammate over standards
The oldest argument in any dressing room and the only one that is genuinely about football: one man thinks another is not putting enough in. It is also the row a manager privately does not mind having happened.
Squad27 Dec 2027
Words exchanged at Labasa
Nemani Dolodai and a teammate said things this week that will take longer than a week to unsay. It was not about football, and both of them play on Saturday.
The dugout27 Dec 2027
Nobody at Labasa will say this on the record and the team sheets have been saying it for weeks. There is a small group in every squad who get picked when the fixture is difficult, and he has joined it.
From our football correspondent
Uneasy
Match29 Nov 2027
Labasa sink to position 9
17 points, and a fixture list that is running out. The mathematics are not yet cruel, but they are no longer kind.
Squad29 Nov 2027
Tempers go at Labasa
Lebogang Mokotjo was at the centre of it, and by the time it was pulled apart there were three or four others involved. Training grounds are small places and long seasons make them smaller.
The dugout29 Nov 2027
This is not rotation. Sahil Deo has not been in the manager's plans for some time, and nobody at Labasa is pretending otherwise.
Squad29 Nov 2027
Akeimi Ralulu falls out with a teammate over standards
The oldest argument in any dressing room and the only one that is genuinely about football: one man thinks another is not putting enough in. It is also the row a manager privately does not mind having happened.
Market29 Nov 2027
18 games, 3 goals, and a squad option that has arrived without a fee attached. The interesting question at Labasa now is not whether he plays but who he displaces.
Boardroom29 Nov 2027
Belts tighten at Labasa
The accounts are being read more closely than the results. Wages before ambition is the order of business now, and the manager has been told so.
The dugout29 Nov 2027
“Thirty minutes, door closed, everything said. We shook hands after.” Whatever was in the room stayed in the room, and Lebogang Mokotjo trained the next morning like a man with less to carry.
The dugout29 Nov 2027
It is never announced and it is entirely visible: the biggest afternoons of the season keep containing him. A press box works this out long before anybody at the club confirms a word of it.
Market29 Nov 2027
The name of Samuel Navoce keeps appearing in other people's back pages. Labasa say nothing, which says plenty.
From our football correspondent
Uneasy
Match1 Nov 2027
Labasa sink to position 9
17 points, and a fixture list that is running out. The mathematics are not yet cruel, but they are no longer kind.
Squad1 Nov 2027
28 days on the announcement, and a year of quiet, unwatched rehabilitation behind it. Labasa lose a player for a season; he loses something harder to name.
Squad1 Nov 2027
Tempers go at Labasa
Lebogang Mokotjo was at the centre of it, and by the time it was pulled apart there were three or four others involved. Training grounds are small places and long seasons make them smaller.
The dugout1 Nov 2027
This is not rotation. Sahil Deo has not been in the manager's plans for some time, and nobody at Labasa is pretending otherwise.
Squad1 Nov 2027
Words at Labasa training over how hard people work
Somebody said out loud what several people had been thinking. Aporosa Yada is at the centre of it, and the squad will now find out whether the standard rises or the pair of them simply stop speaking.
Boardroom1 Nov 2027
Labasa counting the cost
The accounts make uncomfortable reading. Wages first and ambition second is the order of business at Labasa now.
The dugout1 Nov 2027
Every squad is half players the manager chose and half players he inherited. Iowane Matanisiga was chosen, the man who chose him has gone, and he starts again from nothing under the next one.
The dugout1 Nov 2027
Every manager keeps a short list in his head of the men he wants on the pitch when the stakes rise, and it is never published. The team sheets for the big afternoons say Sekove Naivakananumi is on it.
Market1 Nov 2027
The name of Samuel Navoce keeps appearing in other people's back pages. Labasa say nothing, which says plenty.
From our football correspondent
Uneasy
The terraces25 Oct 2027
The mood at Labasa has turned into something else
Supporters who sing when it goes badly are supporters. Supporters who gather afterwards are a problem, and everybody inside the building knows which of the two this now is.
Boardroom25 Oct 2027
The scrutiny sharpens at Labasa
Nobody upstairs has said anything, which is the loudest thing they could do. Results buy silence in this game; the account at Labasa is running low.
Squad25 Oct 2027
A knee injury of the worst kind for Malakai Kumar
35 days on the estimate, and a long, private, unglamorous year of a rehabilitation nobody watches. Labasa lose a footballer; he loses considerably more than a season.
Squad25 Oct 2027
Aporosa Yada in a row with a teammate
It was not about football and everybody who saw it knows that. Two men who have to play together on Saturday said things at Labasa this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.
Squad25 Oct 2027
A row about effort at Labasa
Somebody said out loud what several people thought about how hard another man trains, and Ilaisa Vulimainavuso was in the middle of it. The one dressing-room argument that is genuinely about football.
The dugout25 Oct 2027
Samuel Navoce knocks on the manager’s door
“Thirty minutes, door closed, everything said. We shook hands after.” Whatever was in the room stayed in the room, and Samuel Navoce trained the next morning like a man with less to carry.
The dugout25 Oct 2027
Every manager keeps a short list in his head of the men he wants on the pitch when the stakes rise, and it is never published. The team sheets for the big afternoons say Nemani Dolodai is on it.
Market25 Oct 2027
The name of Joji Vuakaca keeps appearing in other people's back pages. Labasa say nothing, which says plenty.
Market25 Oct 2027
Labasa have made Joji Vuakaca available for transfer. A career at this club is over in all but paperwork.
From our football correspondent
Uneasy
Squad4 Oct 2027
The knee: Ashnil Raju out for 26 days
26 days on the announcement, and a year of quiet, unwatched rehabilitation behind it. Labasa lose a player for a season; he loses something harder to name.
Match4 Oct 2027
Every point is an argument now for Labasa
Position 9 and 17 points, and the table gets read bottom-up in this part of town. The calendar has stopped being a schedule and started being a countdown.
Boardroom4 Oct 2027
The board’s statement ran to three sentences and one of them mentioned results. Alipate Sauturaga has managed long enough to translate: win soon, or the next statement is shorter.
Squad4 Oct 2027
A fracture rules Isikeli Krishna out for 32 days
Bones knit. That is the one merciful thing about this injury and the reason Labasa will talk about it more openly than they would about a knee. He will be back, and roughly when they say.
Squad4 Oct 2027
“The easiest signature of my career.” Lebogang Mokotjo and Labasa agree another 3 years, and the manager can plan around him rather than about him.
Squad4 Oct 2027
Tempers go at Labasa
Aporosa Yada was at the centre of it, and by the time it was pulled apart there were three or four others involved. Training grounds are small places and long seasons make them smaller.
The dugout4 Oct 2027
This is not rotation. Sahil Deo has not been in the manager's plans for some time, and nobody at Labasa is pretending otherwise.
Boardroom4 Oct 2027
Labasa counting the cost
The accounts make uncomfortable reading. Wages first and ambition second is the order of business at Labasa now.
The dugout4 Oct 2027
The manager's exit leaves Lebogang Mokotjo exposed
Every squad has men who were signed by a particular manager and men who were merely inherited. Lebogang Mokotjo is in the first group, and the man who wanted him here is no longer in the building.
From our football correspondent
Uneasy
Match6 Sep 2027
Labasa are in real trouble now
Position 9, 17 points, and a fixture list with fewer games left in it than excuses. The arithmetic is not cruel yet, but it has stopped being kind.
Boardroom6 Sep 2027
What was said behind closed doors has now been said in front of a microphone. Everybody at Labasa can do the arithmetic, including the man it is aimed at.
Market6 Sep 2027
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what Labasa can pretend not to have heard.
Boardroom6 Sep 2027
Labasa close the window on a squad of their own making
2 in and 2 out, and no more changes for months. The manager has what he has, the supporters have their opinion of it, and the table will have the last word.
Squad6 Sep 2027
Tempers go at Labasa
Aporosa Yada was at the centre of it, and by the time it was pulled apart there were three or four others involved. Training grounds are small places and long seasons make them smaller.
The dugout6 Sep 2027
This is not rotation. Sahil Deo has not been in the manager's plans for some time, and nobody at Labasa is pretending otherwise.
Transfer targets6 Sep 2027
The approach was made and the answer came back in a sentence. There is no number on the table because there was no number that would have been enough.
Squad6 Sep 2027
Akeimi Ralulu falls out with a teammate over standards
The oldest argument in any dressing room and the only one that is genuinely about football: one man thinks another is not putting enough in. It is also the row a manager privately does not mind having happened.
Boardroom6 Sep 2027
Belts tighten at Labasa
The accounts are being read more closely than the results. Wages before ambition is the order of business now, and the manager has been told so.
From our football correspondent
Uneasy
Market16 Aug 2027
Samuel Navoce hands in a written request
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what Labasa can pretend not to have heard.
Transfer targets16 Aug 2027
Labasa asked and Nadi said no without discussing a figure. It is the least ambiguous answer in football and the one clubs most often come back to test.
Squad16 Aug 2027
Akeimi Ralulu falls out with a teammate over standards
The oldest argument in any dressing room and the only one that is genuinely about football: one man thinks another is not putting enough in. It is also the row a manager privately does not mind having happened.
Squad16 Aug 2027
Tempers go at Labasa
Nemani Dolodai was at the centre of it, and by the time it was pulled apart there were three or four others involved. Training grounds are small places and long seasons make them smaller.
The dugout16 Aug 2027
Iowane Matanisiga has become a man the manager trusts
Nobody at Labasa will say this on the record and the team sheets have been saying it for weeks. There is a small group in every squad who get picked when the fixture is difficult, and he has joined it.
Market16 Aug 2027
Another week, another link, another denial nobody quite believes. Labasa know the market decides these things, not the back pages — but the back pages are louder.
The dugout16 Aug 2027
“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at Labasa, and both men came out saying it was fine.
Loan watch16 Aug 2027
The goals keep arriving from Sailose Tawake’s exile
3 goals in 18 games at Rewa — numbers that travel home faster than he does. Somebody at Labasa updates a spreadsheet every Monday, and it makes better reading each week.
Market16 Aug 2027
Labasa have made Timoci Naitini available for transfer. A career at this club is over in all but paperwork.
From our football correspondent
Uneasy
Match9 Aug 2027
Every point is an argument now for Labasa
Position 9 and 17 points, and the table gets read bottom-up in this part of town. The calendar has stopped being a schedule and started being a countdown.
Market9 Aug 2027
Fee agreed, wages agreed, and Tailevu Naitasiri waiting with a shirt. Nobody at Labasa is pretending otherwise, and the supporters have stopped asking whether and started asking when.
The dugout9 Aug 2027
“I remember the meeting. I remember exactly what was promised in it.” Labasa may remember it differently, which is precisely the problem.
The dugout9 Aug 2027
This is not rotation. Sahil Deo has not been in the manager's plans for some time, and nobody at Labasa is pretending otherwise.
Squad9 Aug 2027
“The easiest signature of my career.” Nemani Dolodai and Labasa agree another 4 years, and the manager can plan around him rather than about him.
Transfer targets9 Aug 2027
Not now, not at any price the club was prepared to say out loud. Rewa have kept their man, and Labasa go back to a list with one name crossed off it.
Squad9 Aug 2027
Words at Labasa training over how hard people work
Somebody said out loud what several people had been thinking. Aporosa Yada is at the centre of it, and the squad will now find out whether the standard rises or the pair of them simply stop speaking.
Squad9 Aug 2027
Words exchanged at Labasa
Nemani Dolodai and a teammate said things this week that will take longer than a week to unsay. It was not about football, and both of them play on Saturday.
Boardroom9 Aug 2027
Belts tighten at Labasa
The accounts are being read more closely than the results. Wages before ambition is the order of business now, and the manager has been told so.
From our football correspondent
Uneasy
The terraces2 Aug 2027
Supporters organise against the Labasa board
A bad atmosphere can be waited out. A group of people meeting afterwards to decide what to do about it cannot, and everybody in the building knows which stage this is.
Boardroom2 Aug 2027
The silence upstairs is getting loud at Labasa
Nobody on the board has said anything against the manager, which is the point — they have stopped saying anything for him either.
Squad2 Aug 2027
Aporosa Yada in a row with a teammate
It was not about football and everybody who saw it knows that. Two men who have to play together on Saturday said things at Labasa this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.
Squad2 Aug 2027
“The easiest signature of my career.” Nemani Dolodai and Labasa agree another 4 years, and the manager can plan around him rather than about him.
Transfer targets2 Aug 2027
Not now, not at any price the club was prepared to say out loud. Suva have kept their man, and Labasa go back to a list with one name crossed off it.
Market2 Aug 2027
The name of Kartik Sharma has come up in conversations Labasa were not part of. Nothing formal, nothing signed — but nothing about it accidental either.
Squad2 Aug 2027
Ilaisa Vulimainavuso falls out with a teammate over standards
The oldest argument in any dressing room and the only one that is genuinely about football: one man thinks another is not putting enough in. It is also the row a manager privately does not mind having happened.
Squad2 Aug 2027
Sitiveni Rakai slips down the pecking order
The demotion a club never announces and a dressing room always notices. Sitiveni Rakai is further from the side than he was, and the reason will not be given until he asks.
Market2 Aug 2027
Sahil Deo is free to find somewhere else
“I was told straight, and I would rather have it straight.” The manager at Labasa has been clear about where Sahil Deo stands, which is more than many ever get.
From our football correspondent
Uneasy
Market26 Jul 2027
Iliesa Lino hands in a written request
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what Labasa can pretend not to have heard.
The dugout26 Jul 2027
Iliesa Lino: that is not what I was promised
“Things were said to me before I signed. I am not going to repeat them, but I remember all of them.” Labasa have not answered, which is an answer of sorts.
Squad26 Jul 2027
Akeimi Ralulu falls out with a teammate over standards
The oldest argument in any dressing room and the only one that is genuinely about football: one man thinks another is not putting enough in. It is also the row a manager privately does not mind having happened.
Squad26 Jul 2027
It was not about football and everybody who saw it knows that. Two men who have to play together on Saturday said things at Labasa this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.
The dugout26 Jul 2027
“I pick players who do the work. All of it.” No name was spoken; every camera still turned to Netani Suluka, and the manager let it.
The dugout26 Jul 2027
Aporosa Yada has become a man the manager trusts
Nobody at Labasa will say this on the record and the team sheets have been saying it for weeks. There is a small group in every squad who get picked when the fixture is difficult, and he has joined it.
From our football correspondent
Uneasy
Market19 Jul 2027
The clubs have settled the fee and he has settled his wages. What remains is a medical and a photograph, and around Labasa people have started saying his name in the past tense.
Squad19 Jul 2027
Tempers go at Labasa
Akeimi Ralulu was at the centre of it, and by the time it was pulled apart there were three or four others involved. Training grounds are small places and long seasons make them smaller.
Transfer targets19 Jul 2027
Labasa asked and Lautoka said no without discussing a figure. It is the least ambiguous answer in football and the one clubs most often come back to test.
Squad19 Jul 2027
Words at Labasa training over how hard people work
Somebody said out loud what several people had been thinking. Sitiveni Rakai is at the centre of it, and the squad will now find out whether the standard rises or the pair of them simply stop speaking.
The dugout19 Jul 2027
It is never announced and it is entirely visible: the biggest afternoons of the season keep containing him. A press box works this out long before anybody at the club confirms a word of it.
The dugout19 Jul 2027
The manager makes an example of Sahil Deo
“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.
The dugout19 Jul 2027
It is not much of a headline and it is the reason players believe the next promise. Labasa told Jone Lalagavesi something would happen and then it happened, which in this industry passes for remarkable.
The dugout19 Jul 2027
Samuel Navoce asks for a word with the manager
“I would rather say it to his face than read about it.” The meeting was requested by the player, which tells you most of what you need to know.
Market19 Jul 2027
Another week, another link, another denial nobody quite believes. Labasa know the market decides these things, not the back pages — but the back pages are louder.
From our football correspondent
Upbeat
Match12 Jul 2027
Every point is an argument now for Labasa
Position 9 and 17 points, and the table gets read bottom-up in this part of town. The calendar has stopped being a schedule and started being a countdown.
Match12 Jul 2027
Full time on the season at Labasa
Position 9 on 17 points. Every season is a story and this is the last line of it, and now the club has three months to decide what the next one is about.
Player ratings12 Jul 2027
A defender's goal wins it for Labasa — 7.81
1 for Jone Lalagavesi, marked 7.81, and a centre-half's name in the part of the report he normally only reaches by mistake. He will not be allowed to forget it in the dressing room for a month.
Squad12 Jul 2027
Words exchanged at Labasa
Akeimi Ralulu and a teammate said things this week that will take longer than a week to unsay. It was not about football, and both of them play on Saturday.
The dugout12 Jul 2027
This is not rotation. Sahil Deo has not been in the manager's plans for some time, and nobody at Labasa is pretending otherwise.
The terraces12 Jul 2027
There is a particular warmth a ground reserves for a 23-year-old it feels ownership of. Jone Lalagavesi has it now, and everything he does for the rest of his time here will be measured against the goodwill he was handed for free.
Match10 Jul 2027
Labasa find a way past Ba
Ba made Labasa work for it, but the scoreboard read 2‑0 at the end and the table does not ask how.
Market12 Jul 2027
Add another name to the list: Navua have asked the question everybody in the game has been asking about Kartik Sharma. The answer from Labasa has not changed — yet.
Squad12 Jul 2027
Ilaisa Vulimainavuso falls out with a teammate over standards
The oldest argument in any dressing room and the only one that is genuinely about football: one man thinks another is not putting enough in. It is also the row a manager privately does not mind having happened.
In brief
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Player ratings
Nothing got past Akeimi Ralulu
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The dugout
The manager’s verdict
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Boardroom
The numbers do not look good at Labasa