During his initial period with the Wests Tigers, Santi captained the Australian Schoolboys in 2011, and played in the Tigers' 2012 NYC Grand Final win over the Canberra Raiders. He also played for the New South Wales Under 20s team, winning the Players' Player award. At the end of 2013, Santi played for Italy at the 2013 Rugby League World Cup, playing three games from the bench.