NSW Waratahs coach Dan McKellar is confident Taniela Tupou will be a weapon for the side as the new recruit settles into training.
Tupou was one of several Wallabies stars who started training with the squad this week after they returned from break and national camp last week.
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McKellar and Tupou worked together when the former Brumbies boss was assistant to Dave Rennie in 2021.
It arguably brought the best out of the hulking prop, delivering some of his best Rugby at the international level.
With Tupou off-contract at the end of the year, McKellar believes this year could see the former Red and Rebel find another level to his game.
"I just want to get the best out of him, that's all. I just want him to have the best year he's had," he told reporters.
"If he's in a really good space mentally and physically we get him where he needs to be, he'll be a point of dfference player for his.
"Ideally he hits round one in a really good headspace and in really good shape, but I know he's excited to be back.
"He's a big, happy, lovable character, and he's certainly been that over the last couple of days. When you see that side of him, you know good things are ahead."
McKellar was eager to temper expectations around the side, with a host of new talent like Tupou given just one month to gel before their season opener against the Highlanders.
"We just need to be realistic. It's all ahead of us. We're certainly not preparing here to make excuses over the first few weeks of the competition but we're not going to be perfect cause no team is in Round One," he said.
"I'd like to think that we'll be fit and we'll be well prepared, and we'll play the whole of the fight and play to the strengths of the squad that we've got in front of us.
"We've just got to be patient and understand that we'll get some things right and we'll make some mistakes along the way but ideally we're winning some games along the way as well."
