Titans unsung hero Sami back in 2020 Origin form
Gold Coast centre Phil Sami has wound back the clock and rediscovered the form that led to him representing Queensland in 2020, his former coach and mentor says.
Sami, who turns 27 on Friday, has made 44 tackle breaks and eight line breaks in his 10 appearances this year and is averaging a career-high 172m in an injury-interrupted season.
The Titans have won four of the past six matches Sami has played in and moved to 20 competition points, the same as Brisbane whom they host on Saturday afternoon.
Sami’s former Ipswich High School coach Lee Addison said his old pupil was an unsung hero in the Titans’ renaissance under coach Des Hasler, after the side lost their first six matches of the season.
Now the Titans are just four points outside the top eight and still a mathematical chance of playing finals.
Wayne Bennett picked Sami in the 2020 Maroons side where he played two matches in a 2-1 State of Origin series win.
“I was surprised Phil didn’t come up in Origin conversations a few weeks ago because his form is in the same ballpark as it was in 2020,” Addison told AAP.
“This and 2020 pre-Origin would be the best two form periods of his career.
“He is a hefty size of a character and his strong carries get the Titans sets off to a better start and he is still that same Phil Sami who was elusive, fast and could step people. Now he is making the most of the talent he has.
“I dare say Des is the kind of coach that would have got the best training habits out of Phil. He probably needed a kick up the backside and Des is a coach who will do that and will squeeze the juice out of him even more and make him more consistent.”
Sami said he was thriving under Hasler’s coaching, and from his legendary halftime sprays. The Titans copped one last week when trailing 14-6 against the Dolphins before rallying to win 21-14, with Sami at his electric best.
“It was warranted from Des,” Sami said.
“We didn’t play the way we wanted to in that first half of footy but in the second half we changed that around and came away with the win, but we’ll learn from that and hopefully we start better this weekend against the Broncos.
“Obviously, there’s a narrative of being the ‘little brother’ to the Broncos.
“It will obviously be a great game with the rivalry there.
“I think they’re going to come out firing. They didn’t play too well last week either, so they’ll want to bounce back and have a good game this week and keep their finals hopes alive, just like we’re trying to do as well.”
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