Sami to stay at Titans in 2026 after Hannay green light
Joel Gould and Scott Bailey |
Gold Coast outside back Phillip Sami is set to stay put in 2026 after his manager revealed coach Josh Hannay has made it clear he wants the ex-Queensland flyer on deck.
There were reports the 28-year-old was on his way out of the Titans for the final year of his contract, after allegedly being given approval to talk to other NRL clubs.
Sami’s manager Paul Hogan has cleared the air on the situation.
“We were never at any stage given formal permission by the Titans to negotiate with other clubs for next year,” Hogan told AAP on Wednesday.
“Phil has had several conversations with Josh Hannay about 2026 and Josh made it clear he wanted him at the club.
“I spoke with Josh yesterday and he reiterated to me that he wanted Phil on board.
“The other key point in all of this is that Phil is really looking forward to being coached by Josh and taking his game to another level.”
Sami is a free agent for 2027 on November 1 but Hogan said his client would wait until pre-season got started before making any calls on his long-term future.
It comes as Hannay oversees a roster transformation at the Titans, with Reagan Campbell-Gillard, Alofiana Khan-Pereira and Carter Gordon all released in the past fortnight.
David Fifita has been given permission to negotiate with South Sydney, with a transfer likely if the two clubs can agree to terms.
At the same time, the Titans have been eyeing off the potential of signing Craig Bellamy as their coach for 2027, while also keen to have him in an off-field role otherwise.
The exits of a winger in Khan-Pereira and potential centre in Carter Gordon could make Sami more valuable to the Titans.
Sami, who plays centre and wing with equal aplomb, had a career-best season in key metrics in 2025, when he played in 21 games.
His 180 running metres per match were an all-time high for him as were his 15 tries which made him the club’s leading try-scorer for the season.
Sami has played 142 NRL games for the Titans and is eighth on the all-time list.
His 71 career tries for the club have him only behind Titans cult hero Anthony Don, who has scored 85 tries.
Sami was famously a member of the 2020 Maroons side that defied all odds to win the State of Origin series 2-1.
AAP
