Is Michael Hooper's $6 million deal worth it?
Rugby Australia announced the retention of skipper Michael Hooper on a record-breaking, five-year $6 million deal, in a major coup for the code, keeping a cornerstone of the Wallabies around for the long-term.
At $1.2 million a season, the 26-year-old openside is locked in until the end of 2023, over the next two World Cups. Is this deal a winner for both parties?
With SAANZAR rights negotiations on the table after next year, locking in elite talent now could prove savvy as player salaries at the top end of the market climb rapidly post-2019.
Conversely, if South Africa departs for the Northern Hemisphere it would leave a huge mess and cripple the value of the next broadcast rights deal. With the NZR attempting to do the same length of contract with Rieko Ioane and others, it might be a sign they believe the ‘doomsday’ scenario is unlikely, in which case makes this deal a winner.
Rugby Australia should be applauded for reaching this deal with Hooper – they secured their best player in the prime of his career for the long-term.
Whilst fellow star openside David Pocock’s own monster three-year deal included a year sabbatical and an offseason stint in Japan, Hooper’s commitment to the Wallabies and Rugby Australia has no such clauses.
He will be fresh and focused on the Wallabies, without the risk of getting injured playing overseas – as was the case with Pocock.
With Australia lacking depth in so many positions, they now have a luxury with two of the worlds best playing the same position for the foreseeable future. They have forced Chieka to innovate and find a way to get them both on the field, and the presence of the other will only push both to get better. The back row is the clear strength of the Wallabies, and that will continue to be so.
As a player, he offers more in attack than Pocock with more speed and game-breaking ability as a ball carrier. He is capable of more dynamic play in attack as well as possessing a tireless work rate in defence, playing far above his size at international level so far.
Whilst he isn’t as effective as Pocock at the breakdown, their skillsets diverge enough to provide the Wallabies two completely different players that compliment rather than conflict with each other.
Hooper deserves credit for this too.
He is committed to seeing the Wallabies re-gain the Bledisloe after the biggest drought in history, and is driven by a higher vision for the green and gold. This is admirable to see when so many of Australia’s talent end up overseas when they could still be playing for the Wallabies.
His $1.2 million salary isn’t pennies, but it is taking a haircut on what he could’ve found on the open market. With Euros and Pounds holding more value than the Australian dollar, he is not being paid his true market value. Hooper stands to be underpaid significantly, especially at the back-end of the deal.
When you consider he could’ve also negotiated a couple of off-season stints in Japan in between seasons to bump his earning capacity, his commitment to his country can’t be criticised. His body will recuperate in the off-season instead of being pushed to its limits with endless winters. Whether he can be as effective at age 31 remains to be seen, but Pocock will be 31 next year and still shapes as a key player.
What he lacks in size, he makes up for in intangibles. He seems to be one of the only Wallabies prepared to consistently take the fight to the All Blacks, and despite being on the wrong end of the scoreboard more times than not he still gives it everything.
His on-field stoushes with Dane Coles and Sam Cane are probably the best thing seen by this millennial generation. There appears to be a true dislike there, growing from years of battles, providing some spice to what has become an otherwise predictable fixture.
In the Wallabies win last year in Bledisloe III, a number of the All Blacks forwards lost composure. Coles had clearly been unsettled by Hooper’s niggling play – so much so he had to be substituted before being carded.
To let Hooper walk would have been pure stupidity when there isn’t enough quality players for Rugby Australia to pay. With over 100 Super Rugby caps and 82 internationals under his belt by age 26, that kind of experience is invaluable.
This deal is a win/win for both Hooper and Rugby Australia.
Comments on RugbyPass
Thanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
4 Go to commentsYes Sir! Surprising, just like Fraser would also have escaped sanction if he was a few inches lower, even if it was by accident that he missed! Has there really been talk about those sanctions or is this just sensational journalism? I stopped reading, so might have missed any notations.
4 Go to commentsAI is only as good as the information put in, the nuances of the sport, what you see out the corner of the eye, how you sum up in a split second the situation, yes the AI is a tool but will not help win games, more likely contribute to a loss, Rugby Players are not robots, all AI can do if offer a solution not the solution. AI will effect many sports, help train better golfers etc.
45 Go to commentsIt couldn’t have been Ryan Crotty. He wasn’t selected in either World Cup side - they chose Money Bill instead. And Money Bill only cared about himself, and that manager he had, not the team.
26 Go to commentsYawn 🥱 nobody would give a hoot about this new trophy. End of the day we just have to beat Ireland and NZ this year then they can finally shut up 🤐
13 Go to commentsTalking bout Ryan Crotty? Heard Crotty say in a interview once that SBW doesen't care about the team . He went on to say that whenever they lost a big game, SBW would be happy as if nothing happened, according to him someone who cares would look down.. Personally I think Crotty is in the wrong, not for feeling gutted but for expecting others 2 be like him… I have been a bad loser forever as it matters so much to me but good on you SBW for being able to see the bigger picture….
26 Go to commentsThis sounds like a WWE idea so Americans can also get excited about rugby, RUGBY NEEDS A INTERNATIONAL CALENDER .. The rugby Championship and Six Nations can be held at same time, top 3 of six nations and top 3 of Rugby championship (6 nations should include Georgia AND another qualifying country while Fiji, Japan and Samoa/Tonga qualifier should make out 6 Southern teams).. Scrap June internationals and year end tours. Have a Elite top six Cup and the Bottom 6 in a secondary comp….
13 Go to commentsThe rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
84 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
2 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
4 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
13 Go to comments9 Brumbies! What a joke! The best performing team in Oz! Ditch Skelton for Swain or Neville. Ryan Lonergan ahead of McDermott any day! Best selection bolter is Toole … amazing player
12 Go to commentsI like this, but ultimately rugby already has enough trophies. Trying to make more games “consequential" might prove to be a fools errand, although this is a less bad idea than some others. Minor quibble with the title of the article; it isn’t very meaningful to say the boks are the unofficial world champions when it would be functionally impossible for the Raeburn trophy not to be held by the world champions. There’s a period of a few months every 4 years when there is no “unofficial” world champion, and the Raeburn trophy is held by the actual world champions.
13 Go to commentsIts a great idea but one that I dont think will have a lot of traction. It will depend on the prestige that they each hold but if you can do that it would be great. When Japan beat the Boks (my team) I was absolutely devestated but I wont deny the great game they played that day. We were outclassed and it was one of the best games of rugby I have seen. Using an idea like this you might just give the the underdog teams more of an opportunity to beat the big teams and I can absolutely see it being a brilliant display of rugby. They beat us because they planned for that game. It was a great moment for Japan. This way we can remove the 4 year wait and give teams something to aim for outside of World Cup years.
13 Go to commentsHi, Dave here. Happy to answer questions 🥰
13 Go to commentsDon’t think that headline is accurate. It’s great to see Aus doing better but I’m not sure they’ve shown much threat to the top of the table. They shouldn’t be inflating wins against the lousy Highlanders and Crusaders either.
3 Go to commentsSuch a shame Roigard and Aumua picked up long term injuries, probably the two form players in the comp. Also, pretty sure Clarke Dermody isn’t their coach. Got it half right though.
3 Go to commentsOh the Aussie media, they never learn. At least Andrew Kellaway is like “Woah, yeah it’s great, but settle down there guys” having endured years of the Aussie media, fans, and often their players getting ahead of themselves only to fall flat on their faces. Have the “We'll win the Bledisloe for sure this year!” headlines started yet? It’s simple to see what’s going on. The Aussie teams are settled, they didn't lose any of their major players overseas. The Crusaders and Chiefs lost key experienced All Blacks, and Razor in the Crusaders case, and clearly neither are anywhere near as strong as last year (The Canes and Blues would probably be 3rd & 4th if they were). The Highlanders are annually average, even more so post-Aaron Smith and a big squad clean out. The two teams at the top? The two nz sides with largely the same settled roster as last year, except Ardie Savea for the Canes. They’ve both got far better coaches now too. If the Aussies are going to win the title, this is the year the kiwi sides will be weakest, so they better take their chance.
3 Go to commentsThe World Cup has to be the gold standard, line in the sand. 113 teams compete for what is the opportunity to make the pool stages, and then the knockout games for the trophy. The concept is sound. This must have been the rationale when the World Cup was created, surely? But I’m all for Looking forward and finding new ways for the SH to dominate the NH into the future. The autumn series needs a change up. Let’s start by having the NH teams come south every odd year for the Autumn/Spring series games?
13 Go to commentsWhat’ll happen when the AI models of the future go back in time and try to destroy the AI models of the past standing in their way of certain victory?
45 Go to comments