Holy Hopoate! Which sibling will be next to crack the NRL?

Love him or loathe him, few retired NRL players can boast the legacy of John Hopoate who has already seen five of his children follow in his first-grade footsteps.

Remarkably, even more members of the Hopoate clan are likely to join the family dynasty in the near future.

One of the most controversial—and heavily suspended—figures in NRL history, Hopoate senior played 209 matches between 1993 and 2005 for the Sea Eagles and Tigers.

Along the way the 51-year-old has also ‘sired’ eleven children and it’s fair to say he just keeps producing quality runners.

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“When it comes to all the accomplishments I had in my career, it’s nothing compared to seeing your kids’ dreams come true,” John Hopoate told the Sydney Morning Herald last season as son Lehi prepared for his NRL debut with Manly in Round 12.

Lehi’s brothers William, Albert and Jamil have all played in the NRL, while sister Kalosipani recently joined the Canterbury Bulldogs after three seasons with reigning NRLW premiers, Sydney Roosters.

Another brother, 26-year-old Sione, could become the sixth Hopoate to crack the top flight, as he continues to push for NRL selection with Broncos feeder club Wynnum Manly Seagulls in the Queensland Cup. 

However younger sister Liesel, an Australian Schoolgirls representative, seems almost certain to join her first-grade siblings before long having played for New South Wales in this year’s U19 State of Origin series.

But even that isn’t the end of the story.

By the end of the decade yet another Hopoate could be in the NRL with John’s 14-year-old nephew, Monson, recently signing a scholarship with the Wests Tigers, as reported by Wide World of Sports.

Other famous rugby league clans include the Sims, Burgess, Trbojevic, Walker, Mata’utia and MacDougall families—but surely none will ever match the Hopoates?

The Hopoate Clan