The crisis up front that engulfed the Waratahs this season could be a thing of the past, with Dan McKellar on the cusp of luring Taniela Tupou to Sydney and bringing together an all-Wallabies front-row.
Tupou, as well as Rebels teammate and Wallabies rookie Isaac Kailea, are deep in negotiations with the Waratahs about a move to Daceyville.
The Roar understands only a major U-turn will stop Tupou from landing at the Waratahs, with some last-minute paperwork left to be ironed out before the move is official. It will be his third Super Rugby franchise in as many years after moving from the Reds to Rebels this year.
But those hoping for Tupou to become the face of the Waratahs better cash in early, with the Tongan Thor likely to only stay in Australia for another 12 months.
It’s understood Rugby Australia is already baulking at the idea of offering him another $1 million contract. For a front-rower in demand across the world, it means he will all but certainly continue his career abroad following next year’s Lions campaign.
He’s not alone, with Kailea, one of the brightest young players to emerge in 2024 and someone who has looked at home in gold during his debut Tests over the past month, already weighing up his future.
It comes as RA tries to not just slow the player market but put the wheels in reverse by scaling back the value of contracts.
Yet, the recent deals of NRL star Joseph Suaalii ($1.6m) and NRL-target Max Jorgensen ($500k), who accepted a deal more than three times what Kailea has been offered, continues to raise eyebrows, especially in the current market.
Should the duo however head to Sydney, it will give McKellar an all-Wallabies front-row with injured stars Angus Bell and Dave Porecki to return.
The rapid rise of Kailea comes as the 23-year-old prepares for his maiden start against Georgia on Saturday in Sydney.
After two eye-catching cameos off the bench coming on for James Slipper, The Roar understands Joe Schmidt has no concerns throwing Kailea in the deep end. He will pack down alongside Billy Pollard and Allan Alaalatoa.
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New Wallabies scrum coach Mike Cron, who earned the nickname the ‘scrum doctor’ after coaching with the All Blacks for more than 200 Tests and mentored the likes of Tony Woodcock, Owen and Ben Franks, was full of praise for Tupou.
“I don’t think I’ve coached anyone that’s more powerful,” Cron said.
“He’s got power, his whole body is powerful. You just need to keep working on good technique and consistent technique. And occasionally, as you know in the past, he’s ran foul with refs at times.
“We’ve got to make sure we don’t do that and keep things legal and powerful.
“He’s very flexible, he can do the splits, you wouldn’t have thought that would you?
“So for a big man, he’s very flexible. I think that gives you a good advantage in the stuff we do. And very explosive man, you can see when he runs with the ball.”
Cron certainly isn’t the first person to say that, but he could be the first person to truly elevate Tupou’s status from world class potential to world XV star.
Asked whether there was more to be found in Tupou’s game, Cron licked his lips after spending another 30 minutes working with Australia’s front-row well after the rest of the squad had started tucking into lunch.
“Yeah, I reckon we can,” Cron said. “I reckon he’s got another big ceiling to get to.
“I think a lot of these boys have. They’re progressing well, I’m delighted with how they’re progressing. But it’s just a start, a lot of them are pretty new to international rugby.
“There’ll be a few hard learnings along the way.”
