Samisoni Langi

Samisoni Langi

Personal information
Nickname	Soni
Born	(1993-06-11) 11 June 1993 Auburn, New South Wales, Australia
Height	180 cm (5 ft 11 in)
Weight	103 kg (16 st 3 lb)
Playing information
Position	Five-eighth, Centre, Second-row, Lock
Club
Years	Team	Pld	T	G	FG	P
2013–14	Sydney Roosters	3	0	0	0	0
	Penrith Panthers
	Total	3	0	0	0	0
Representative
Years	Team	Pld	T	G	FG	P
2013–16	Tonga	7	2	11	0	30
Source: [1]

Samisoni Langi (born 11 June 1993) is an Australian professional rugby league footballer who currently plays for the Penrith Panthers in the National Rugby League competition. He plays at five-eighth and previously played for the Sydney Roosters in the National Rugby League.^[2]

Personal life

He was born in Auburn, New South Wales and he is of Tongan heritage. Coconut at heart.

Playing career

Langi started playing junior Rugby League for the Berala Bears. He then went on to be selected to play for the 2011 NSW Combined Catholic Colleges Schoolboys and the 2011 Australian Schoolboys Rugby League teams whilst attending Trinity Catholic College, Auburn.

Langi then was signed by the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs to play for their National Youth Competition team. In 2012 he was signed by the Sydney Roosters but would only start playing for them in 2013. In 2013 he will be a member of the Sydney Roosters first grade squad although he is still eligible to play in the National Youth Competition.

During the 2013 pre-season he was selected to be in the NSW Origin Pathways camp.

In round 23 of the NRL, Langi made his first grade debut for the Roosters playing as centre in a 56-14 thumping of the Tigers.

On 27 August 2013, Langi was named at five-eighth in the 2013 NYC Team of the Year.

On the 20th of April 2013, Samisoni made his international début, playing for Tonga with their Pacific Rugby League International clash with fierce Pacific rivals Samoa. Samisoni was outstanding on début, scoring 2 tries, kicking 4 goals, setting up tries, and other big chances. He was named the Man of the Match in Tonga's 36-4 thrashing victory.

Later in the year, he appeared for Tonga in their 2013 Rugby League World Cup campaign. He played in all 3 of Tonga's matches, and once again he was an outstanding player, by kicking crucial conversions, setting up tries and other big opportunities. Sadly though even his great performances couldn't make Tonga advance to the Knockout Stage of the World Cup. Samisoni's outstanding international form in his début year shows that he is a great player who could potentially become a legendary Tongan rugby league player. His form showed he was going to be a brilliant rugby league player, both provincially and internationally, in the future.

On 2 May 2015, Langi played for Tonga in the 2015 Polynesian Cup against pacific rivals Samoa. Langi missed the first two goals in the match so coach Rohan Smith decided to alter plans and allow Solomone Kata who isn't a natural goal-kicker to attempt the remaining goals that presented itself in the rest of the match.

On 7 May 2016, Langi played for Tonga against Samoa in the 2016 Polynesian Cup where he played at half-back in the 18-6 loss at Parramatta Stadium. Langi suffered an injury early in this match and it was believed that when Samisoni was forced off the field Tonga lacked control as they didn't have any natural playmaker on the field, with a usual forward starting at five-eighth and a hooker shifting to half-back to fill in for his position. Langi suffered an injury that ended his 2016 season^[3]

References