Titan credits Benji for fancy footwork
TITANS flyer Phillip Sami has revealed Benji Marshall was the inspiration behind his bamboozling stepping of Warriors fullback Roger TuivasaSheck.
Sami produced one of the highlights of the NRL season when he left Tuivasa-Sheck for dead with a sensational step in the Gold Coast’s 36-12 thrashing of New Zealand at Cbus Super Stadium on Sunday.
Kiwis No.1 Tuivasa-Sheck is renowned for having some of the best footwork in the game, but couldn’t get a hand on Sami when they came face to face on the Gold Coast.
The 20-year-old Sami has been a revelation on the left wing for the Titans this season to announce himself as a genuine NRL star in the making.
And the Goodna product said watching the fleet-footed Marshall was the catalyst for his dazzling footwork.
“Benji Marshall was my main (idol) because of his footwork,” Sami said. “In backyard footy I was trying to be like Benji Marshall.
“Normally (Tuivasa-Sheck) is the one doing it to everyone. He is one person I’ve looked up to as a stepper. I was lucky enough to do it to him. He went one way and I went the other.
“To do that to him is something I didn’t think I would be able to do.”
Sami, who turns 21 on Thursday, scored two tries and ran for 224m in the Gold Coast’s comeback win against the Warriors.
He has scored 11 tries in 18 games this season, only missing one match, after making his NRL debut last year and playing four matches.
The Titans signed Sami for $5000 to their under-20s system three years ago and he is hoping to forge a big future on the Coast in the coming years.
“I’ve been here for three years now so this club means everything to me,” he said.
“I want a big future with the Titans. I’ve got two more years on my contract and my main focus is to play good footy.
“Coming into 2018 I wanted to play every round. I missed one round with a calf injury but after that I’ve been back in the team.
“Hopefully I can keep that up for a long time. Just because I had one good game, I need to back that up next week.
“As more games go on I’m starting to get more comfortable. I had a couple of good moments and my confidence went right up.”
Titans coach Garth Brennan has persisted with Sami, a former Queensland under-20s Origin representative.
Sami is potentially a longterm centre for the Titans, but he has presented a solid case to stay on the wing in the meantime.
“He scared himself,” Brennan said of Sami’s step.
“That was class. Roger is a world class fullback and he probably surprised himself how well he did it. He is a kid getting better each week.”
The Titans have a golden opportunity to notch back-toback wins when they face lastplaced Parramatta at ANZ Stadium on Saturday night.