Sprint coach to the stars Roger Fabri says graceful Queensland flyer Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow has been handed "a phenomenal gift" and is yet to come close to realising his potential as a runner.
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It is a scary thought for opponents. The 20-year-old scored two tries for the Maroons while playing centre in the 26-18 win over NSW in the State of Origin series win in Adelaide, with the second try featuring a graceful swerve without dropping pace that left fullback James Tedesco clutching at air.
Fabri has coached the world's leading sportspeople in multiple codes and is the sprint coach for NSW winger Josh Addo-Carr and Manly speed demon Jason Saab, among other NRL stars.
"I think Hamiso is not even touching the surface yet," Fabri told AAP.
"Mechanically he is very well put together. Is he textbook? I say no. Is he efficient? He is. Is he effective? Yes. Is there room for improvement? He is young and has probably never done specific speed.
"The gift that he has been given is something most people don't have."
Tabuai-Fidow, who has starred for the Dolphins in the NRL at fullback this year, will showcase that gift in game two of the Origin series at Suncorp Stadium on Wednesday night.
Fabri is yet to work with Tabuai-Fidow, but would like to in future.
"I would describe him as a silky type of athlete, very similar to the Saab mode, where they look like everything they do is effortless but in fact it is at high speed," he said.
"The runs where they are looking effortless more likely are effortless for the simple fact that they don't need to go any faster…because there is nobody that can keep up with them when they are at 75 per cent."
It is Tabuai-Fidow's sublime movement that has captured the attention of dual-international Mat Rogers, who played at Cronulla with try-scoring whiz David Peachey.
"Peach was such a natural. The Hammer reminds me of him and just looks like he's having a lot of fun," Rogers told AAP.
"I would be running in support of Peach with veins popping out of my head and Peach would be looking back smiling and just moving effortlessly.
"Hammer has that tall, lean build where he takes probably one or two metres more in a stride than guys like me. I have a long body and short legs like a sausage dog. Hammer is more like a Great Dane.
"When Hammer made the break (in Adelaide) I thought he might pass it to Cameron Munster on the inside, but he played it perfectly. Without changing speed he swerved off that outside foot past Tedesco and brought it under the posts. It was a real sight to behold."
Fabri said Broncos' legendary centre Steve Renouf, who scored a club record 142 tries, was another that had the Tabuai-Fidow swerve.
"Renouf had a low centre of gravity so he could get pickup speed very quickly. I just found Renouf had that early brilliance to his runs," Fabri said.
"He was built a lot lower than Hamiso. He is tall. To have control of your body and hips with those levers just shows me that this guy has been handed a rare gift."
Fabri did an interview on SEN Radio recently where he was asked who he would select from the NRL to run a 4x100m relay in a battle of the codes.
"I was also asked in what order…who would come out, who would run the back straight, the bend and the home straight," he said.
"I put Hammer on the bend and it was prior to him scoring that try in Adelaide with what we call a swerve run or an arc-type shape."
Fabri said his relay team, in order, was Manly's Tolutau Kola, Newcastle's Dominic Young, Tabuai-Fidow and then Saab.
Addo-Carr missed out, but if it was over 70m Fabri said he would have been in.
Dual-international Lote Tuqiri is another former great reminded of his old Broncos teammate Renouf while watching Tabuai-Fidow
"I would have loved to have moved like Hamiso, just gliding across the ground," Tuqiri told AAP.
"He is one of the silkiest runners with ball in hand that I have seen.
"He doesn't really step. He swerves, whereas a lot of guys have really forceful movements or steps…and that was me.
"The Pearl (Renouf) didn't have a crazy step either. He just swerved in and around blokes. Those sorts of guys bring the crowds in. All the kids love them."
Rogers, a former Maroons representative like Tuqiri, predicted big things as a representative centre for Tabuai-Fidow.
"He probably shocked a few people with his performance (in Adelaide) but I don't think there will be anyone taking him lightly from here," Rogers said.
"If he continues in the vein of form he is showing he will play a lot of games for Queensland over the next 10 years and really could sew up the left centre position and make it his own."
Australian Associated Press