By JOSIAH ALCHIN
WHEN people mention Daniel Tupou, there are a few words that come to mind: courageous, champion, under-rated. One thing that “Toops” has always been is reliable and a constant threat whether in the air or from 20 metres out.
The next game that Daniel Tupou will play marks his 300th, all for the Roosters and every match giving his absolute all for his team-mates, his family and himself. Over 299 games in first grade, Tupou has scored 191 tries – third on the all-time try-scorers list, won three premierships – represented his country and his state and has achieved everything a young player could only dream of.
In 2012, Tupou was raw, he was untried and untested but was given a chance under Brian Smith. In just his second game he scored a hat-trick. Toops took his opportunity to play first grade with two hands and made sure everyone could see that he belonged. In 2013 played his first full season scoring 14 tries and playing in his first grand final win (26-18) against Manly. Tupou got named to represent his home country of Tonga at the end of that season.
Over the next few years, Tupou was the first selected each week for the Roosters on the wing, scoring tries for fun and becoming an aerial specialist. Tupou was racking up the tries over the years and got to his 100th very quickly.
In 2018 and 2019, Tupou was an integral part of the Roosters back-to-back premiership successes and scored in both games. Daniel became the winger that others aspired to be; young guys coming through the Roosters system looked up to him and wondered how they could emulate his game.
For Daniel Tupou, rugby league is about giving back, and he is a firm believer in supporting those less fortunate than him. Tupou has been somewhat of an under-rated star for the Sydney Roosters since bursting onto the season over a decade ago and continues to be a stable, reliable player who the team depend on.
With game 300 approaching, nothing will change for Tupou: he will run hard, jump higher than the opposition and score a bucketload of tries. This is not just another milestone game but a milestone for a true legend of rugby league.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
