In the early stages of this year’s Super Rugby tournament, Taniela Tupou brazenly said “show me the money”.
At that point, it appeared almost certain that Rugby Australia would oblige the desires of the “Tongan Thor” and make the Queensland Reds prop the next $1m Wallaby.
By doing so, he would take over the mantle from Michael Hooper as the most recognisable Wallaby in the game.
This wrecking ball, after all, was the headline act. Known globally for his thunderous ball-carrying and destructive scrummaging, Tupou was put on billboards and was the new face of Australian rugby.
If there was a rugby commercial, Tupou was the star of the show. For good reason, too. Tupou is athletically the most gifted forward in Wallabies history.
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At 26, having played 42 Tests, the tight-head prop will start on the bench against the Springboks on Saturday.
It is why RA has been considering what deal to offer him – likely a four-year contract extension. A matter further complicated by Tupou’s relationship with the Reds, who still have him on the books for 2023.
Tupou can break open a match off the bench, but there are questions whether he can dominate a Test from the outset, an opportunity he has had 15 times in the No.3 jersey.
That jersey on Saturday will be worn by the reliable, though less adventurous, Allan Alaalatoa who returns to the starting line-up after missing the second Test annihilation against Argentina in San Juan a fortnight ago.
“We need more out of him , he’s well aware of that, he was pretty disappointed with his effort in the second Test,” Wallabies coach Dave Rennie said of Tupou.
Tupou wants to be – and could be – the best prop in the world, but he’s arguably not even the best prop in Australia. Loose-head prop Angus Bell, 22, is already on the way to taking that mantle.
Bell has work to do with his scrummaging (no prop is the complete scrummager at his age, with the dark arts taking years to master), but his no-nonsense attitude and work rate has him on the path to greatness.
The best props in the world play for more than 40 minutes. Ireland’s Tadhg Furlong – widely considered the premier tight-head – has been doing it for years, as has France’s Cyril Baille while Springbok trio Frans Malherbe, Steven Kitshoff and Trevor Nyakane have become international rugby’s “bomb squad”.
In his last Test start, Tupou was well beaten by second-year international prop Thomas Gallo.
Why has Tupou’s development stalled?
Insiders put it down to two reasons. The first is that he is still very much a kid in a big man’s body.
The Tongan-born prop is the ultimate class clown often playing tricks on teammates. It’s what makes him such a loved character, but taking care of business on the field is where it matters most.
He also enjoys toys from cars to jet skis and is known to buy what he craves.
Where Hooper and Folau were exemplary figures off the field, Tupou’s behaviour is raising concerns by those who sign the cheques.
One example is that after his calf injury in May, Tupou packed on the weight. It’s understood he ballooned out towards 145kg.
When RA caught wind of Tupou’s inflating weight, they took control of the prop’s rehabilitation program.
Even now, most observers believe Tupou is playing too heavy.
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The second aspect insiders point to is the coaching Tupou has received in recent years.
A widely held view coming out of Queensland is that some players, particularly in the forwards, aren’t progressing enough under coach Brad Thorn’s program.
Thorn was a leader by action and ever since he took over from Nick Stiles, one criticism labelled at the coach is his technical prowess. It could be why former Rugby Australia director of rugby Scott Johnson is getting more embedded with the Reds after being a consultant in 2022.
Tupou’s frustrations at being overused at Super Rugby level have been building for years, too. It is, in part, why Tupou is likely to walk away from the Reds at the end of 2023 even if he re-signs with RA.
Every Australian Super Rugby franchise would chase Tupou, but only the Force and Rebels will likely be in the picture to sign him.
All of this is playing out as RA works towards changing its contract model, with the national governing body seeking to contract its star players and best up-and-comers directly while leaving the Super Rugby sides to handle the middle-tier players.
It means that Tupou could sign a deal with RA this year and later work out which Super Rugby franchise he chooses to continue his career.
The other factor in the negotiations with Tupou is whether a sabbatical will be included in a potential deal.
Queensland Rugby has previously been open to including one, or even two sabbaticals, in his contract to lower the financial burden of having such a highly touted player available for the Wallabies.
Japan would be the ideal country to spend a season because players are looked after and are returning in peak physical condition. But whether an overseas club would want Tupou for a short period is another thing.
At least one Japanese powerhouse club is said to have ignored his CV.
While Tupou is a marketer’s dream, he doesn’t bring the same leadership credentials and have the same overall package as Wallabies captain Hooper.
All of this is playing out with Tupou speaking quite openly about his contract this year.
“Show me the money,” he said following the opening round of Super Rugby.
“I’m joking – I’m not joking though. Come on Rennie.”
In an interview with Wide World of Sports in April, Tupou said he was “ready for a change”.
“I’ve been in the same place for nearly nine years now so I’m keen to see and challenge myself somewhere else now. We’ll see what happens.
“Yeah it’d be cool to not smash myself in Super Rugby and go somewhere like Japan. Just enjoy a bowl of noodles and just play somewhere different.”
Ahead of his return against England in Brisbane in July, Tupou said the two months on the sidelines had been the best thing for his career.
“I don’t know how to put it into words, but I think being injured was the best thing to ever happen to me mentally and physically – and I was ready for something different,” he said
The question is what is the right price for Tupou? After all, $1m is a large sum for a player often only playing 20-30 minutes off the bench in international rugby.
That said, the modern game has seen the reinvention of the bench, with “finishers” and “bomb squads” now more than simply vernacular but tactics.
Indeed, the Springboks’ replacement props are arguably stronger than the starters and that tactic, including bringing Malcolm Marx off the bench, is because increasingly there are more scrums in a second half and the final 20 minutes after often match-winning ones.
Marx was brought on in the minutes before half-time against the All Blacks recently. Could the same be done with Tupou?
At this point Rennie hasn’t used the tactic, instead often giving him around 30 minutes. But is it enough?
Some believe if he was to walk away from Australian rugby it would be the best thing.
The Wallabies could still pick him under their Overseas Eligibility law, but many think he would return to Australia because he is a “homebody”.
Others think signing Tupou on a four-year deal would be reckless and that a two-year deal through until the Lions series in 2025 would be better.
Such a deal would be an each-way bet giving the powers-that-be time to gauge whether Tupou can fulfil his potential as the game’s best front-rower, while not breaking the bank.
At 26, Tupou’s peak years are ahead of him but the next month will be telling. Scrummage straight and through his opponents and Tupou can end the debate. For now though, the jury is out on whether Tupou will live up to the bill.
