Waratahs 2025
- Thread starter RugbyReg
- Start date
JRugby2
Ron Walden (29)
good 7s team
Strewthcobber
David Codey (61)
I think the reason it's an outlier, he played those minutes while also having a massive impact, having 130+ carries and making 510m(!).
High minutes, high workload and high impact. It's unique
The Ghost of Raelene
Michael Lynagh (62)
Interesting about AAA but he plays at a much different pace and we've also seen him blow an Achilles. Something to it potentially?
The Ghost of Raelene
Michael Lynagh (62)
What is it now!
Wilson
Rod McCall (65)
The offer on the table for Tupou last year from Leinster was apparently ~950K, with Montpellier showing similar interest, so he does look to be an outlier there.
Dctarget
David Wilson (68)
Crazy not to take it. He's less than 10 years off his income being 800% less or something.
Wilson
Rod McCall (65)
I think he will if he gets offered anything like that again. It would've been a slight downgrade for this year though, given the size of his existing RA contract. I can't see RA going past 800k for him, with 6 or 7-something looking more likely. Best chance of staying is probably some sort of sabbatical deal, but they might be wary to offer that given the injury risk is a bit higher with Tupou. Tighthead prop is probably also one of the better positions to be slotting in from OS, given it lets us build more depth at home and he's already established all the connection he needs with the other front rowers.
I think the landscape has also changed in terms of the future runway.
Massimo Di Lutiis is clearly an emerging star, Kingsley Uys is a couple of years behind that.
Zane Nonggorr has improved immensely, Allan Ala'alatoa is getting towards the end of his career but is pretty healthy now and Tom Robertson is back playing in Australia and is solid.
Unless Tupou can find the form he had a few years ago he is no longer as much of a unicorn and less essential as a top dollar retention target.
Massimo Di Lutiis is clearly an emerging star, Kingsley Uys is a couple of years behind that.
Zane Nonggorr has improved immensely, Allan Ala'alatoa is getting towards the end of his career but is pretty healthy now and Tom Robertson is back playing in Australia and is solid.
Unless Tupou can find the form he had a few years ago he is no longer as much of a unicorn and less essential as a top dollar retention target.
Jimmy_Crouch
Peter Johnson (47)
But from your point earlier it isn't just his game play.
But I think that has diminished by a reasonable amount in the last couple of years. He isn't enough of a household name that his marketability isn't positively correlated to his actual on field performance.
Others such as Joseph Sua'ali'i have also been brought in (hopefully he starts playing rugby again soon!).
LevitatingSocks
Billy Sheehan (19)
There are probably physiological limits to what a body that size can handle, regardless of fitness. Where that limit is probably varies with genetics, age, and injury history.
It's reasonable to put him on a load management plan that reduces his minutes. But it's also reasonable to question if he's worth his pay if he's not being flogged like a rented Commodore.
Throw in Trevor King and Tevita Alatini and Will Goddard when back from ACLs and we should be pretty well placed for THP for a while. Marley Pearce is showing good signs at loose end. Would be good to hang on to Tupou while they develop.