Michael Hooper: Wallabies should be ‘desperate’ to lure code hopper back and floats a unique comprise

Legendary Wallabies openside flanker and former skipper Michael Hooper has urged Rugby Australia (RA) bosses to lure rugby league convert Mark Nawaqanitawase back to rugby union.

Nawaqanitawase has been in excellent form for NRL outfit the Sydney Roosters since making a try-scoring debut in the 13-a-side code exactly a year ago.

The 24-year-old is the NRL’s leading try-scorer with 24 tries from 23 games in 2025 and scored a hat-trick in the Roosters’ 36-6 victory at Allianz Stadium on Friday night.

His impressive form means he is in line to join an elite list of players who will represent Australia in both rugby union and rugby league if he is selected for the Kangaroos’ upcoming Test series with England.

Off contract at the end of 2026

However, Nawaqanitawase will be off contract at the end of 2026, and unless he signs a new deal with the Roosters, his services will be in demand from rugby union sides in Japan in Europe, while RA will also be in the hunt to bring him back to the 15-a-side code.

And Hooper believes RA officials should be strategic in their approach to lure his former Waratahs and Wallabies team-mate back ahead of the 2027 Rugby World Cup, which will be held in Australia.

“They should desperately try and get him back,” Hooper said on Stan Sport’s Inside Line show. “What if you have three injuries? Then what are you doing?

“They should desperately try and figure out a way to have Marky back. They should have him. If he’s playing in the [French competition] Top 14, I’ve got no issue with that.

“Throw a great strategy at him – that’s not just financial. We just talked about how we can’t just splash cash, and I agree with that.

“You can’t just go and throw him [Joseph] Suaalii money. We don’t have enough.

Wallabies ‘desperate’ to tempt cross-code star back to rugby union ahead of 2027 World Cup

“Can you be really creative like they’re being at the moment with Will Skelton? Yeah, they certainly can. Can he be going to play for La Rochelle and earn a truckload?

‘They absolutely should be really trying to piece that together’

“Then he’s in a rugby union frame of mind, and ready to come back here and perform in a home World Cup. I think they absolutely should be really trying to piece that together.”

The Roosters are expected to offer Nawaqanitawase an increased salary of AUS$700,000 per season in an effort to retain his services.

However, it remains to be seen whether RA bosses are willing to match that figure as they already have Joseph Suaalii on an AUS$1.6 million deal while Max Jorgensen’s AUS$500,000 contract must be upgraded.

Hooper holds Nawaqanitawase in high regard and praised his efforts during the Wallabies’ disastrous 2023 Rugby World Cup campaign in France.

“We saw it at the last World Cup, he was arguably one of the Wallabies’ best players over in France,” he said.

“Had a really great season in the jersey there and then we lose him not too long after. The things he’s doing on the footy field, you can’t train that into guys.

“That is sheer talent that would be great to be in a Wallaby jersey. So absolutely they should be considering how they get someone like that back.”

Nawaqanitawase won 11 caps for the Wallabies and made 58 appearances for the Waratahs while also representing Australia at last year’s Paris Olympics in rugby sevens before switching to rugby league.

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