Sport Confidential: Gold Coast flyer Phillip Sami joins Des Hasler’s Titans retention
Incoming Titans coach Des Hasler has secured another piece of his Gold Coast puzzle, re-signing a Dally M team of the year contender.
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Incoming Titans coach Des Hasler has secured another piece of his Gold Coast puzzle after in-form winger Phil Sami agreed to a two-year contract extension.
Sami will join centre Brian Kelly in remaining at the Titans until at least the end of 2026.
The former Queensland Origin winger has been one of the Titans’ best players this season, catching the eye of the Roosters among other clubs.
But the Titans have moved swiftly to extend him before he hit the open market in November.
“I love this club,” Sami said this week.
“I’ve been here since 2016 and play with all my mates here.
“I’m going to leave that (contract) to my manager. I don’t really know about that stuff. I’m still contracted until next year.
“I’ll do what I can do and control my footy. All that off-field stuff will look after itself.”
Sami was unlucky not to earn an Origin recall this year and said he had overhauled his professionalism.
“I’m looking after my body off the field,” he said.
“These last two years I’ve put a focus on being fit and making sure I’m putting the right things in my body.
“That’s helped me along the way and I’m enjoying life, I’m really happy at the moment.”
IKIN MOVES ON SLATER
Queensland hierarchy will meet with Billy Slater’s management for high-powered talks in a bid to ensure the Storm legend does not walk away from the Maroons’ Origin coaching job.
Sport Confidential can reveal Queensland Rugby League boss Ben Ikin will sit down with Slater’s agent George Mimis in Brisbane next week to discuss whether the Maroons great will coach on in 2024.
Slater became a free agent after Origin III a fortnight ago, when he clinched back-to-back series wins for the Maroons, and the 40-year-old has been tight-lipped about his Queensland coaching future.
Ikin is a huge fan of Slater and is ready to table a multi-year deal to keep the rookie coach in Camp Maroon.
The QRL is prepared to rubberstamp a three-year upgrade to secure Slater until the end of the 2026 Origin series.
But the vexing question is whether Slater wants to commit to the Queensland elite program for another term given the high-octane nature of State of Origin coaching.
It is understood the 2023 Origin campaign took a toll on Slater.
Queensland insiders were blown away by Slater’s work ethic and desire, an emotional investment which resonates with super coach Wayne Bennett, who recently commented he was left exhausted by his own tenure in the Maroons hotseat.
The QRL remain confident Slater will remain in charge next season, but Ikin is taking nothing for granted and confirmed he will meet with Mimis next week to determine whether the Maroons need a contingency plan.
“Billy has had some time to think about whether he wants to go on and we’ll get an answer next week when I meet with his manager,” Ikin said.
“George (Mimis) is in Brisbane next week and I plan to sit down with him.
“We will start to hatch a plan about how we keep Billy in charge of the Maroons.
“The way I felt straight after Origin III is the way I still feel … we would love for Billy to go on.”
In the wake of Queensland’s loss to NSW in Game Three in Sydney, Slater spoke of his passion for the Maroons, but stopped short of guaranteeing his return next year.
“We’ll see,” he said.
“I’ve got to sit down with my family,
“I’ve really enjoyed the last two years, it’s been great.
“Queensland means a lot to me. This team means a lot to me.
“It’s been an enjoyable journey.
“I saw it as important, that’s why I’m sitting here.
“That hasn’t changed, but I’ve got to make sure I’m doing the right thing for everyone.”
The QRL will consider providing additional resources if Slater does coach on next year to ease the strain on the 31-game Origin champion.
Big-name assistants Cameron Smith and Johnathan Thurston were a key part of Slater’s unit this year, while his other lieutenant, Josh Hannay, is regarded as an outstanding tactical brain.
Slater believes Hannay, an assistant coach at Cronulla who played two Origin games for the Maroons, has the skill set to one day succeed him as Queensland coach.
Queensland’s Wally Lewis Medallist Reuben Cotter appealed for Slater to ink a new deal and chase a Maroons ‘Three Peat’ next year.
“If Billy wants to go down the NRL path, I have no doubt he could do it, but right now I hope he stays with us,” Cotter said.
“Billy has been enormous for this team. He is one of the greatest coaches I have played under.
“It’s just what he does with the group of boys. His style is very different, it is very motivating.
“Billy is doing a great job, so I really hope he goes on, 100 per cent.”
WALKER’S ACL WARNING
Roosters young gun Sam Walker has been warned he risks snapping his ACL – and requiring a full reconstruction – if he returns to the NRL in the coming weeks.
Walker will see a specialist this Monday and Roosters coach Trent Robinson says his boom playmaker is “getting pretty close” to a return from a grade-one tear on his anterior cruciate ligament.
The former NRL rookie of the year has been sidelined for the past three months with his ACL sprain and the Roosters are desperate for Walker to return to keep their slim finals hopes alive.
But leading Brisbane physiotherapist Brian Seeney, who runs the popular NRL Physio social-media account, says the 21-year-old is walking a tightrope if he chooses not to have surgery.
“A partial tear of the ACL does not guarantee surgery can be avoided,” Seeney said.
“We’ve seen mixed results in the NRL in recent times with similar partial ACL tears.
“Matt Lodge and Brad Parker were able to avoid surgery and have not suffered any further damage, whereas Josh Hodgson and Adam Doueihi both required reconstruction surgery.
“There’s definitely an elevated risk even if Walker avoids surgery.”
Walker will decide in the coming weeks whether to go under the knife. It is understood the Queensland ace is hoping some rest in the off-season can help him avoid a reconstruction.
“Rather than looking solely at the ACL itself and the severity of the tear, the knee joint as a whole is assessed to determine whether it is functionally stable or not,” Seeney said.
“Recent evidence suggests that up to 40 to 50 per cent of partial ACL tears treated non-operatively progress to a complete rupture, with two significant risk factors being younger age and participating in change-of-direction sports.
“Surgery has a lengthy recovery period of more than six months, but even then there’s no guarantees.
“Risk of ACL injury is still elevated in those who have surgery.”
NO SILENCE FOR THE LAMS
Former Roosters playmaker Lachlan Lam has become one of the most sought-after players in world rugby league following his stunning resurrection in England.
Lam and his dad Adrian, coach of Leigh, have been a smash hit in the UK, with father and son emerging as the dynamic duo in the Super League fairytale story that is the epic rise of the Leopards.
Promoted to Super League this year after winning last year’s Championship, Leigh were favourites for relegation this season, but have charged to second place on the back of the playmaking brilliance of Lam.
The icing on the cake came over the weekend when the Leopards shocked St Helens 12-10 to reach the Challenge Cup final - just the third time in 102 years that Leigh have reached the showpiece decider.
The Lams will walk out before 90,000 fans at Wembley Stadium on August 12 hoping to engineer Leigh’s first Challenge Cup title since 1971.
Lachlan’s success has triggered a frenzy for his signature. The 25-year-old is off-contract at season’s end and has attracted interest from seven clubs in England and Australia, with the Raiders monitoring Lam’s form.
The former Queensland under-20s schemer played 31 NRL games for the Roosters between 2019-21 and is still young enough to revive his NRL career.
KNIGHT IN SHINING ARMOUR
Newcastle’s recent form revival has a lot to do with their English import and it’s not Dom Young.
Coaching advisor Brian McDermott is a former premiership-winning coach with a background in professional boxing and before sport he was a Royal Marines Commando with tours of Afghanistan and North Ireland.
When he gives instructions, Knights players tend to listen.
Brought in by Knights football boss Peter Parr, McDermott has been rolling up the sleeves and helping embattled head coach Adam O’Brien turn things around, headlined by last week’s stunning upset of the Storm.
O’Brien has been impressed with McDermott’s no-nonsense style which is perfectly suited to the fabric of the Steel City.
“When he first arrived no-one knew how to take him, as we had heard the war stories,” one Knights player said.
“When he walked out on the training field with no shoes on we didn’t know what to make of it, no-one was game to say anything.
“But ‘Mac’ has been great. He knows his stuff and has added some real grit to our defence.
“He has also pulled a few of us boys aside who weren’t aiming up.”
BAMBOOZLED BY BAN
Many NRL players have no idea what the RLPA’s media boycott actually entails or why they are doing it.
Sport Confidential was asked by a State of Origin star this week whether he was allowed to speak at a club organised media day.
A teammate of his was also inquisitive about the boycott rules and whether he was allowed to speak.
It wasn’t an NRL game day, so the duo weren’t breaking the players’ union’s boycott rules.
But many of the players are either unaware, or don’t care, about what they’re protesting.
MUM NEEDS MOE PRAISE
Maroons prop Moeaki Fotuaika has thanked his mother Ilaisaane for the remarkable job she did helping him get to the NRL.
Fotuaika is one of 10 siblings to Ilaisaane and his father Penitani and he made special mention of his mother in the lead-up to Women in League round this weekend.
“I definitely want to thank my mum,” the Titans star said.
“She has done a lot for me and my other siblings.
“I’ve got five sisters and four brothers. I don’t know how she did it.
“I want to thank her and all my siblings, my partner, my aunties and family. All the women in the world do a lot of great things.
“It’s great we’re celebrating Women in League round. I’m looking forward to it.”
Fotuaika is one of the most polite and humble players you will find in the game.
Fotuaika and his family have endured the tragedy of losing older brother Mosese to suicide in 2013 at age 21.
TSZYU MENTOR TURNS TO TEVITA
Legendary boxing trainer Johnny Lewis oversaw the rise of Australian champions Jeff Fenech and Kostya Tszyu.
Now the 79-year-old has taken an active interest in Tevita Pangai Jr as the NSW Origin star and former Broncos forward prepares to return to the boxing ring.
It’s understood Tevita the Terminator is keen for another fight at season’s end after launching his boxing career with two consecutive wins, including an impressive second-round knockout of Jerry Tupai last year.
Pangai Jr is trained by former Australian super lightweight champion Chris McCullen, but he received some mentoring from Lewis before this year’s Origin series as Tevita looks to progress in the fight game.
“Johnny did a session to help Tevita along,” said Lewis’ associate Peter Mitrevski, who formerly managed Paul Gallen.
“Tevita is very loyal to his trainer Chris McCullen, who does an excellent job, but Johnny has done some work to motivate Tevita.
“Tevita loves his boxing, he is really committed to it and Johnny can inspire anybody.
“Just the way Johnny Lewis talks and the stories he tells, he makes you want to run through a brick wall.
“Tevita was in awe of Johnny and Jonny said you have to be a leader and lead by example. Just little things to help Tevita with his football as well.”
NO X-FACTOR FOR ROOSTERS
The Sydney Roosters’ injury saga has continued with former Queensland under-19s skipper Xavier Va’a to undergo surgery.
Va’a, who captained the junior Maroons last year, was hopeful of making his NRL debut this season but the hulking prop damaged his shoulder recently in the NSW Cup and is set to go under the knife.
A former state boxing champion who has sparred Paul Gallen, the ex-Broncos Academy star was hopeful of fighting later this year against an NRL rival, but the injury has KO’d those plans.
DYLAN’S DYNAMITE PLANS
Get ready for the NRL’s next potential boxing showdown between Dylan Walker and Curtis Scott.
Both men have attracted their share of off-field headlines and talks are underway for Walker and Scott to go toe-to-toe in the ring at the end of this season.
It will be interesting to see if the proposed bout proceeds given Scott’s off-field woes _ the former Canberra star last week failed in an appeal to overturn assault convictions against his former partner.
Walker also had his dramas at former club Manly but he has been a revelation for the Warriors this season in the Kiwi’s club charge to top-four contention.
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