Sisa Waqa has praised his side for their opening Rugby League World Cup 2013 win against Ireland on Monday, though insists that his side has to improve if they are to defeat tournament favourites Australia at Langtree Park, St Helens, on Saturday (8.00pm).

If results go their way, the Bati could still end up progressing through the group stages of RLWC2013 even if they lose their remaining group gamers against Australia and England, which Waqa says highlights the importance of their Monday night win.

“Obviously it was a very important game for us,” said Waqa. “The whole operation so far was leading towards that game.

“It was probably the most important game for us and to get the win means it is more likely that we will go further in the tournament.

“We played well, but it certainly wasn’t picture perfect by any means. There were a few mistakes, a few dropped balls, but we got the win which was the most important thing.

“We had the two warm-up games and that helped us a lot. To have another game is good because you are finding out more and more about the team and the players. It gives you an opportunity to try new combinations out and see what works.”

“You have to give yourself a chance in matches against Australia and you have to be able to go at them for the full 80 minutes.

“The main thing for us is to make sure we play our game right. It is important to cut out our errors.”

Fiji’s opening match took place in Rochdale, and gave the Bati the chance to reacquaint themselves with the Rochdale community, with whom they have a long-standing affiliation following the influx of Fijian Rugby League players in the 1960s.

“It was awesome, there is a lot of history with Fiji in Rochdale,” said Waqa. “There was a great crowd and the atmosphere was fantastic.

“It was nice to see so much support for the Fiji team and to get the chance to catch up with the Fijians based in Rochdale and it was really nice to get the win for them.”

Tickets for the Australia v Fiji RLWC2013 Group A game at Langtree Park, St Helens (8.00pm) are available for purchase from as little as £10 for adults and £5 for concessions, and can be bought by visiting www.eticketing.co.uk/rlwc/ or calling the 24-hour ticketing hotline on 08448472013.