Salford's Tyler Dupree won't "sugarcoat" painful Leeds exit ahead of England bow
Salford's Tyler Dupree says the “brutal” way Leeds ditched him helped drive him on - something he won’t forget on his England debut.
The powerhouse prop, 23, makes his Test bow against France at Warrington’s Halliwell Jones Stadium on Saturday. But it wasn’t long ago he feared not having a career in the professional game at all. Dupree was playing part-time with Widnes as recently as last May and was with Championship Oldham before that after being told by Rhinos he wasn’t good enough for Super League. Richard Agar gave him the axe in 2020 having not even made a senior appearance for Leeds despite being an England Academy international.
Dupree recalled to the Daily Mirror: “It wasn’t that it didn’t pan out there. It was just a case of him saying ‘you’re not going to play for me so there’s no point being here.’ To hear that at the age I was - 20 - it was quite hurtful. I was emotional about it. But it’s someone’s opinion and I’m not going to let that define me as a player or define my career.
“I went along with it, went to Oldham and then to Widnes and thankfully Salford took a chance on me. In a way I’m grateful for them (Leeds) doing it - not how they did it - and treating me like that, letting me go as they did, as it’s given me the fire in the belly. It’s just given me that hunger to want everything more. It’s made me work more.”
And Dupree, who’s been red-hot in Super League this term, is looking forward to proving his point on the international stage. He said: “I do feel like I can say ‘look at me, this is you who’s done this.’ They can take it how they want. I’m not going to sugarcoat my time there. It is a bit of a ‘this is what you’ve missed out on’ moment for me.”
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England coach Shaun Wane certainly likes what the all-action forward can offer. With England World Cup props Chris Hill and Mike Cooper not going to be around for the next tournament in 2025 and Alex Walmsley likely the same, he is in the market for some more front-row talent. And Wane sees tearaway Dupree as the sort of explosive prop who could cause a stir at Test level.
England boss Shaun Wane at training this week (Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com) (Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com)He said: “t was a bit surreal when I found out. It was a bit of a pinch me moment. I’d seen the call come through but I didn’t have Waney’s number so I was going to leave it as I don’t answer to unknown numbers. Thankfully, I did. There was a lump in my throat, excitement, a bit of everything came rushing all at once. I was really happy with it.
“He’s not said too much about what’s happened before as it’s not about the past, it’s about the now. He said he likes how I play and thinks I can only get better. I appreciate that and I just want to get out there, impress him and show I can be one of the England props for the next two or three World Cups. And somebody for him to count on.”
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