Tupou: One Step Closer to Becoming the Roosters' Top Try Scorer

Three years after watching Mitch Aubusson break his Roosters games record and mark the occasion with a double, Anthony Minichiello would love to see Daniel Tupou bag an Anzac Day hat-trick to draw level with him as the king of Tricolours try-scorers.

Across a glittering 15-year career, Minichiello set a number of Bondi benchmarks for his peers to chase, and he is ready to hand the top try-scorer mantle to Tupou in 2023 after Aubusson claimed the crown as the foundation club’s most capped player in Round 19, 2020.

When 'Mini' called time at the end of 2014 he had 302 games and 139 tries to his name, as well as premierships in 2002 and 2013, the second of those shared with Aubusson, Tupou and Jared Waerea-Hargreaves, who is just 22 games shy of becoming the fourth man to play 300 for the Roosters.

On top of that esteemed list is Aubusson with 306, followed by Minichiello and Luke Ricketson (301), who played lock in the '02 grand final when the Roosters downed the Warriors 30-8 under the captaincy of Brad Fittler.

The links to the past are a powerful force at the Roosters and as one of the club's most respected players, Minichiello is honoured to have owned the records and excited to pass them on to men he shared so many special moments with on and off the paddock.

"Toops just goes about his business with no dramas, he is well liked by coaching staff and players and he's an absolute gentleman of the game," Minichiello told NRL.com.

"He has been awesome for the club for the past 10 years and everything he is asked to do he takes it all on board. There's no whingeing or whining at pre-season training or at training or in games.

"It will be cool to watch him get the record. We are all great mates and it's nice to pass the baton to someone I shared a premiership with in 2013.

"We have a 10-year reunion this year and the best thing is that guys like Aubo and Boyd [Cordner] and Jake [Friend] are still involved at the club. There's such a great culture at the Roosters and we all celebrate each other’s success."

For Tupou, who debuted late in the 2012 season on the end of a backline that featured Mitchell Pearce, Braith Anasta, Roger Tuivasa-Sheck and Minichiello, success came early with a hat-trick in just his second game and a premiership in his 29th match.

As the Roosters surged towards the 2013 title, 22-year-old Tupou served notice of things to come with 10 tries in the final 12 games, including his team's first try in the decider to steady the ship after the Sea Eagles had struck first.

With James Maloney and Pearce calling the shots and JWH laying a platform up front the Roosters slowly took control, eventually coming away with a 26-18 victory to deliver the club its 13th premiership.

Tupou's career was up and running and by 2014 the long-striding Rooster had earned the first of his 10 NSW Origin caps, debuting in a gritty 12-8 triumph in enemy territory at Suncorp Stadium.

He has also played 16 Test matches for Tonga and one for Australia across a 12-year career packed with acrobatic dives into the corner and big plays on the biggest stages.

"Wing is a really tough position in the modern game and it's a credit to Toops' professionalism on and off the field that he is still going as strong as ever," Minichiello said.

"There's a lot of split-second decisions to be made on the wing - if there’s a defensive error inside you it has to be shut down by the winger and those decisions are made at lightning speed.

"You have to know where to position yourself for grubbers and high kicks and you have to cart the ball up 15 times a game on kick return.

"Wingers have to be the complete athlete now and Toops has got all the attributes you need.

"You could tell right from the start that he was going to be a great jumper and catcher and back in 2012 and '13 was when tall wingers started coming into play and kicks were being pinpointed for wingers."

Having held the Roosters' try-scoring record for 12 years after passing dual premiership winner Bill Mullins' mark of 104 in Round 16, 2011, Minichiello is ready to anoint Tupou after he touches down four more times to hit 140 for his career.

"I have great friendships and great memories with all those guys and Toops deserves to have the top spot," Minichiello said.

"He has been one of our most consistent players for a decade and he's a big game player. If he can equal the record with a hat-trick on Anzac Day that would be amazing, it's a match you always look forward to playing in."

Records supplied by historian David Middleton, author of the official annual of the NRL, show that Tupou's 136 tries have come at a strike rate bettered only by rugby league Immortal Dave Brown.

Dubbed 'The Bradman of League' for his phenomenal scoring feats, Brown crossed the stripe 93 times in 94 games for the Roosters, a staggering strike rate of 98.9 tries per hundred games.

Tupou sits second when it comes to strike rates with 59.4 tries per hundred games followed by Bill Mullins (104 in 190 at 54.7), Shaun Kenny-Dowall (121 in 224 at 54.0) and Minichiello (139 in 302 at 46.0).

It's rare air for the understated Tupou, who will line up on Anzac Day for his 230th Roosters appearance, placing him eighth overall behind Aubusson, Minichiello, Ricketson, Waerea-Hargreaves (278), Jake Friend (264), Mitchell Pearce (238) and Kevin Hastings (233).

Typically there will be no fuss or fanfare from Tupou as he continues to cement his place as one of the Bondi club's favourite sons.

"If the record does come that would be an extremely proud moment," Tupou told media on Tuesday.

"To be part of history like that would be amazing and it's something I will treasure forever.

"I’m just proud to be able to play this game and to see what it has done for me and my family... I’m happy to be at a club like this that has let me do all these things.

"At first I was a bit hesitant, I didn’t want to take Mini’s record, but he texted me and said ‘it’s all good’ so that has taken the heat off me and if it does happen I’ll be extremely proud."