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
Wasnt late. Ref 2 assistants andTMO all saw it so who are you to say it was?
3 Go to commentsAre the Brumbies playing the Blues twice in a row?
3 Go to commentsBig difference from the Saders. Forwards really muscled up and laid a solid platform. Scooter brought some steel and I liked the loosie combination. Newell has been rather disappointing this season but stepped up big time - happy also to see Franks dot down. He should do that more often! Reihana had a good game and there seems to be more flair and invention with him in the saddle. McNicoll plays well from the back and is reliable plus inventive when he joins the line. Keep it up chaps!
3 Go to comments🤦♂️🤣 who cares who’s the best . All I know is the All Blacks have the star coach but have few star players now …
30 Go to commentsJe suis sûr que Farrell est impatient de jouer avec Lopez et Machenaud et d’être entraîné par Collazo… 🤭
1 Go to commentsAn on field red (aka a full red) in SRP must surely carry a bigger suspension than a red card given by the bunker as that carries a 20 minute team punishment. Had Damon Murphy abdicated his responsibility as a ref and issued both Drua players a yellow, which would have been upgraded to a 20 minute red by the bunker, that would have killed Australia and New Zealand’s push for the 20 minute red to be trialled globally from July this year.
11 Go to commentsEver so often you all post a Danny Care story that isn’t the announcement that he has finally re-signed for one more, victory tour season at Quins and I’m just like, “well you fooled me again!” My absolute favorite player ever, we need to make his final year at the Stoop (and Twickers) official already. I know he supposedly snubbed France but I won’t feel better until he signs.
1 Go to commentslate hit what late hit it wasn’t at all late and can clearly see he was committed before the tackle
3 Go to commentsChristian Lio -Willies 2 try perfomance was a standout. As was captain Scott Barrett. Up front was where the boys won it.They are a great team and players. Fantastic Crusaders , you can keep going.
3 Go to commentsI don't know how the locals feel about that? I guess if you call yourselves the Worcester Wasps that might be appease. But really we need more teams in the Premiership in my view so they are not padding it out as they are at the moment. It might curtail so many players going abroad as well
5 Go to commentsNZ 😭😭😭is certainly rivaling England for best whingers cup!😭😭😭 !!!
30 Go to commentsYup. New Zealand won 3 out of 10 world cups played. SA 4 out of 8 attempts 30 Vs 50 per cent.🤔🤔
30 Go to commentsShould've done this years ago. Change Saturday kick off times to around 11am. Up and off and back home before 3pm, limit travel time too. Allows players to actually do something else with their Saturday that's family oriented or being rugby fans they could ‘watch’ pro rugby. Increases crowds etc. How can anyone that enjoys grassroots and pro rugby have to choose between the two on Saturdays?
9 Go to commentsI bet he inspired those supporters just as much.
1 Go to commentsBen Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
30 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
9 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
30 Go to comments