Semi hopes his summer of sacrifice has the ultimate reward

Semi Valemei hasn't seen his family for more than a year but the Fijian flyer is determined to nail down a wing spot at North Queensland to give them every opportunity to see him on the big screen.

Currently applying for permanent residency in Australia, Valemei was unable to leave the country over the off-season and for the first time missed Christmas back home in the rural Fijian village of Navidamu.

Having spent the entire pre-season in Townsville, the 25-year-old said he's missing family more than ever but the fire in his belly to cement a spot in Todd Payten’s 17 has never been stronger.

“I couldn’t get back home this year because I've just applied for my permanent residency and the rules that come with that is you can’t leave the country,” Valemei said.

“So I had to stay here and spend Christmas and New Year in Townsville. It was way too hot, probably twice as hot as Fiji would have been.

“I do miss going back home. But I just want to do whatever I can while I’m here to keep supporting the family.

“Then hopefully my visa will be approved soon, so I can go home.”

With limited phone service in the small rural village, Valemei can only talk to his family and friends when they call, but the 38-gamer said he feels closest to home when he knows they're watching him on TV.

“I’m from the villages, in like a rural area so there’s not much network in there,” he said.

“Well, there's no network at all, but right now they can watch it through Sky (Pacific) but even then they only show a few games.

“It’s a different feeling when you know they're going to be watching you when you’re running onto the field. It gives me energy to go out there and do whatever I can to make them proud.

“My goal is just to turn up every week and if I'm not playing in first grade, I just want to turn up every week, train hard and try and get back in there.”

Valemei's trip to Seiffert Oval in week two of the Pre-Season Challenge marked the first time he had been back to Canberra since being released from the Raiders join the Cowboys midway through the 2023 season.

The Fijian Test winger said he had been chasing a fresh start in Townsville and he certainly made the most of his first NRL opportunity at his new club, scoring a hat-trick on debut in Round 14 last year.

“I just wanted to get up to the Cowboys and get away from everything and start a new life in a new environment,” he said.

“I didn't play well at Canberra at the start of the year [2023] so I decided to move to another place and get a new start and try and play well again.

“I think I did well last year which is good and I hope I can keep improving this year.”