He's planning to be a primary school teacher but Tyler Dupree is handing out lessons on the pitch with Salford.
The explosive prop, 23, has proved one of the big hitters in the early rounds of Betfred Super League. He’ll look to continue his storming form when the Red Devils host winless Wakefield on Sunday afternoon. It’s coming up to a year since he got his golden chance with Paul Rowley’s side having joined from part-timers Widnes.
Ditched by Leeds without playing a game in 2020, Dupree had to go the long way around to get to this point where he’s now talked of as a potential England star. He played in the Championship with Oldham and was also a residential support worker in a children’s home. Dupree - whose great uncle Billy Joe Dupree is a Super Bowl winner with Dallas Cowboys - admitted: “It has been a dream year. And it’s still not even been 12 months yet.
“Everything has gone as well as it could for me. I’m happy I made the move and am living with no regrets at the moment. I know things could have been different. It makes me appreciate it more being in a full-time environment and playing at the best level in England. I don’t take things for granted now and I treat every game as if it’s my last because you never know what will happen.
“When I finished at Leeds, I started working on a building site but then thought I could apply myself better in other areas and, I suppose, give back. That’s how I started working in residential care. I wanted to help those a bit less fortunate. I've always enjoyed working with kids. And I think my next move will be to get into primary school teaching - but that’s a way down the line.”
Dupree scored his first try of the season when Salford walloped Hull 60-14 last Saturday. And now the rampaging front-row, who’s made 17 tackle busts in just four outings, hopes to heap misery on bottom-placed Wakefield. Their struggling opponents have lost all four games so far and, remarkably, not even scored a single point in their last three matches.
England Knights forward Dupree warned: “We don’t want to be the ones who break the run of nilling them. I do think they’re a dangerous team. They play some good rugby. I just think a couple of times they’ve been a bit unlucky, especially having kept Leeds to nil at half-time. It shows what they’ve got. But our win at Hull definitely showed how dangerous and capable we are when we apply the effort in the right places and stick to the plan.”
