Waratahs captain Michael Hooper developing leadership skills under sports psychologist

THE secret behind Michael Hooper’s new-found leadership skills, Cheika’s groundbreaking move, drama around Super Rugby draw for 2018, Tongan Thor and more.

IT’S the video that has Australian rugby abuzz about Michael Hooper’s leadership skills, and we can reveal that the Waratahs captain’s work with a sports psychologist has been crucial to his impressive growth in that area.

FoxSports cameras put on Tahs assistant coach Chris Malone captured several interactions between Hooper and his teammates during last Sunday’s win over Melbourne, and we saw a new hard-edged side to the flanker.

Hooper’s communication with teammates while the team was under pressure was excellent, and coach Daryl Gibson is delighted that feedback from the psychologist and the team’s coaching staff is paying dividends for the 25-year-old.

Michael Hooper's leadership skills were on display against the Rebels.

“We’ve got a strong culture of giving and receiving feedback, we really believe in that as a way to get better, we’ve got an outside source that’s working with coaching staff and the whole organisation,” Gibson told us.

“I think he’s getting some real benefit from that.

Michael Hooper's has words with the ref.

“He is an excellent leader through his actions, I think he’s really starting to develop the technical and tactical awareness to go along with that.

“It’s a learned skill and it’s something he’s developing on and off the field.

“That’s down to him reflecting on his performances, receiving a lot of feedback based on the players and the coaches and the referees, and really taking on board and listening to their messages, having the attitude of ‘How can I get better?’”

Many believe Hooper should take over the Wallabies’ captaincy from Stephen Moore in the June Test series, and Gibson has no doubt he will excel whenever the opportunity inevitably comes his way.

“I think he’s really starting to realise that and the impact he can have on the game and also as the next leader of Australia,” Gibson said.

“He’s putting a lot of time into developing those skills, we can see the evidence of that leadership development, that’s a real mark of his determination to turn himself into a real strong leader.”

ANOTHER CHEIKA CHANGE UP

MICHAEL Cheika will break new ground when announcing his Wallabies squad for the June series next week by doing it on live TV.

Cheika will reveal the 33 names on Rugby Kick and Chase, on FoxSports 1 at 6.30pm.

The modern way is to tell players first but wouldn’t it be good if Cheika’s new Wallaby faces - and he has promised a few for June - found out while sitting on the lounge with mum and dad?

SUMMER STAR FOR SUPER RUGBY?

THERE have rumblings this week among Australia’s Super Rugby franchises about SANZAAR proposing an earlier start to the 2018 season; moving the first round to February 17.

It’s all still in planning stages - and let’s be honest, we have no firm idea how many teams are going to be in Super Rugby next year - but the earlier start is seen as an even tougher sell than normal.

Footy season back while cricket season is still on and temperatures are still soaring, hmmmm.

JUNE: Beale to miss Tests series, Genia to return

BRAINS TRUST: Cheika calls coaching summit

HOT DATE: Aus Day switch for Sydney Sevens

Why a week earlier? In a 15-team competition, there’d have to be an extra round.

Super Rugby franchises aren’t keen but they’re mostly rumbling about the fact the ARU makes final decisions on Super Rugby matters like this. Super Rugby franchise bosses have long argued for more say in the running of the business.

​Funnily enough, that very topic was addressed in the now infamous London meeting. Governance reform for SANZAAR in the future was set to be discussed this season but the small matter of a months-long brawl over cutting three teams has seen it put on the back burner.

FORCE DEFECTORS?

THEY were out of the spotlight for a time while Rebels owner Andrew Cox decided whether or not he’d sell up, but the Force’s future is again looking shaky after Cox said “no deal” to the ARU.

So much so we hear up to six Force players have secretly made “just in case” arrangements to join the Rebels, if and when the Perth club shuts down. Some are big names.

TONGAN THOR NOW ELIGIBLE

THERE has been some confusion around the Wallabies’ Test eligibility of “Tongan Thor” Taniela Tupou, but we can confirm the prop can represent Australia this year.

Tupou will be available for selection for Australia from November 22. That is because he relocated from New Zealand to Australia on November 22, 2014, which will give him the required three-year residency requirement under World Rugby law - which has been changed to five years for all future cases.

Taniela Tupou could make his Wallabies debut this year.

Tupou could make his Test debut on the spring tour against Scotland on November 25 if fit and firing, while there is the possibility of another Test the week later against France in Singapore that has yet to be finalised.

MUMM’S THE WORD FOR GOOD CAUSE

DEAN Mumm might have thought he was on top of the world when he became a father and captained the Wallabies inside a week during the 2015 Rugby World Cup.

Next year, however, he will legitimately be on top of the world when he reaches the North Pole as part of a charity trek for premature birth research group Borne.

Mumm and wife Sarah lost children to premature birth before having Alfie.

The Wallabies lock will follow in the ski-tracks of 2003 World Cup winners Josh Lewsey and Danny Grewcock, who did the 100km journey in 2015.

It takes 10 days to do the trip on a route only open 14 days a year and aside from the slow, arduous journey pulling 50kg sleds, the hard bit is the fact it will be minus-30 degrees the whole way.

Or maybe the hard bit is the potential to come across hungry polar bears. Yep, it’s probably the polar bears

REDS SETTLE IN TO SAMOA

QUEENSLAND will play the Western Force on Friday night, then fly to Samoa the next day to spend an entire week in Apia building up their historic match against the Blues.

The Reds, who have 10 players of Samoan heritage in their squad including fullback Karmichael Hunt, take on the Blues in Apia next Friday.

While the Kiwi side are likely to be local favourites given they’ll boast Sonny Bill Williams and brothers Rieko and Akira Ioane among several players of Samoan descent, the Reds will lay groundwork early given the Blues won’t arrive in Apia until midweek.

Queensland’s squad - not all of who will be touring - includes Hunt, Caleb Timu, Chris Feauai-Sautia, Duncan Paia’aua, Hendrik Tui, Izaia Perese, Henry Taefu, Lukahan Tui and Sef Fa’agase.

Originally published as Waratahs captain Michael Hooper developing leadership skills under sports psychologist