With a record fourth John Eales Medal in his pocket, Michael Hooper can argue he has earned the strategic rest that will rule him out of the early rounds of the Super Rugby Pacific season.
Hooper on Sunday was named the best Australian rugby union player for the second successive year, the Wallabies captain an obvious choice for the peer-voted award after a tireless campaign in which he was nominated for world player of the year.
The victory pushes him clear of three-time winner Israel Folau and confirms his status in the game -- having gone past George Gregan as Australia's most-capped skipper.
"Michael is an incredible pillar of consistency in the Wallabies team," Eales said of Hooper, who will return to the NSW Waratahs this season after a 12-month club cameo in Japan.
"In the history of rugby, there haven't been many players as consistent as Michael Hooper.
"His influence on this Wallabies team, and rugby in Australia, has been profound so he's an easy guy for Wallabies supporters and former players to feel proud of."
That consistency doesn't come easy though, Hooper admitting the logistics of a COVID-19-hit 2021 had tested the indefatigable flanker.
"It was good for me personally being where I'm at in my career; you start to realise that you can't control pretty much anything," he said.
"You get more comfortable being in that situation."
A foot injury eventually stopped him though, ruling him out of Australia's final Test of the season.
He also tested positive for COVID-19, keeping him off his feet and slowing the rehabilitation process as the back-rower eyes a Waratahs return "after the first couple of rounds".
But some contractually-negotiated downtime meant Hooper would have been off the park anyway, with an eye to the 2023 World Cup.
"This (extra time off) was put in back then (to his 2018 contract) to give me a great 18-month shot come 2023," he said.
"It's a tough one, because you don't want to miss out; when you start thinking about missing games and not being involved, you get a bit antsy.
"Hopefully the plan is for my impact to be greater because of this ... and minutes to be more valuable."
The Wallabies rebounded from a Bledisloe Cup hiding with a promising the Rugby Championship campaign, stringing five wins together for the first time since 2015 before again falling flat in a winless Spring Tour.
Hooper said their progress from 2020 was encouraging, but that "more wins and some silverware" in 2022 would continue the upward curve "to give yourself a cracking shot to be peaking at the World Cup".
Back home the Waratahs struggled, a winless season hard to watch from Hooper's temporary home of Toyota in Japan.
"I can't wait to get back to the Waratahs," he said.
"The last 18 months has absolutely flown, but it also does feel like an age since I chucked on the jersey.
"I want to come back and perform."
JOHN EALES MEDAL WINNERS
* 2002 George Smith
* 2003 Phil Waugh
* 2004 David Lyons
* 2005 Jeremy Paul
* 2006 Chris Latham
* 2007 Nathan Sharpe
* 2008 George Smith
* 2009 Matt Giteau
* 2010 David Pocock
* 2011 Kurtley Beale
* 2012 Nathan Sharpe
* 2013 Michael Hooper
* 2014 Israel Folau
* 2015 Israel Folau
* 2016 Michael Hooper
* 2017 Israel Folau
* 2018 David Pocock
* 2019 Marika Koroibete
* 2020: Michael Hooper
* 2021 Michael Hooper
