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Manny Mifu has no regrets. At least not anymore.
The big Frenchman, who grew up in Brisbane before becoming a Toulouse and France superstar, can look back on all the twists and turns of his career and know he made the right decisions.
Manny Mefou plays for Toulouse in the European Cup against Bristol.Getty Images
For the most part. But every once in a while, Jordan Mailata will sign a new contract with the Philadelphia Eagles, and damn, all those zeros.
“At first, when I made the decision to put it behind me and pursue my rugby dream, I really wondered what could have been,” Meafu says. “It’s natural to get those ‘what ifs’.”
Meafu will be one of three Australian-bred players in the French team that faces the Wallabies on Saturday, and in one of the other versions of his sliding door life he may have worn gold.
Meafu with the Melbourne Rising team in the NRC, 2017.Getty
In another case, Meafu could be in the United States watching the game on TV as an NFL player. That path opened up when the Ipswich boy went to the International NFL Players Association on the Gold Coast in 2018. The combine gives aspiring football players the opportunity to showcase their abilities and see if they can make it in the NFL.
The mountain scaffolder impressed at Brisbane and Sydney rugby clubs, as well as the NRC, but his size made it difficult for him to secure a professional rugby contract in Australia, Meafu told a 2023 interview.
However, his size – 203cm and 145kg – excited NFL scouts and he was invited to the Gold Coast. Meafu accepted the offer of a free flight home and ended up receiving a three-month contract as well as a ticket to the NFL Academy in Florida.
Manny Mifu at the 2018 NFL Players International on the Gold Coast. He is trained by former NFL star LeCharles Bentley.Sam Bruce/ESPN
It was a year after Mailata – a guy too big for the Rabbitohs – went down the same path. But after he told his family he was leaving for the US, Meafu’s agent sent his CV to some French rugby clubs and three clubs, including powerhouse Toulouse.
Confidence in France trumped potential fame and fortune in the NFL—Mailata had just won his first NFL contract—and Meafu changed his travel plans.
The man who brought Mailata to the NFL and organized the 2018 NFL Combine still remembers Meafa.
“His agent had several offers from rugby union and it was a shame,” says sports agent Chris Orr. “He had the opportunity to be the next Jordan Mailata.
“He had the qualities. I don’t know what his intelligence level is because you definitely need intelligence with the number of games you have to play in the NFL system.”
“But in all physical aspects, he was by far the top pick in this group and he had the potential to go further. Could he have done what Jordan did? It’s hard to say. Jordan is a special athlete. But he had size and strength and clearly showed some promise.”
Although Meaf is well paid at Toulouse, probably over a million dollars a season, for Mailata this is pocket change.
The left tackle’s rookie contract brought in good money, and his two extensions with the Philadelphia Eagles since then have yielded incredible numbers: in 2021, he received a four-year deal worth AU$96 million, and in 2025, the Super Bowl-winning left tackle signed a three-year contract worth AU$104 million.
Bankstown native Philadelphia Eagle Jordan Mailata.Getty Images
So of course Meafu had some “what ifs.” But they also include the result that the NFL option is here to stay, as have most other Australians who have since gone down that path.
“I’m incredibly happy with my decision,” says Meafu. “I live a great life, make good money, and although perhaps in another world or another dimension I could have been an NFL superstar, I am happy with my choice.
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“I’m in a great space playing for an amazing country that gave me the chance to live my dream. No regrets, no looking back.”
Returning to Brisbane this week has been a journey for Meafu. Most of his family still live in Ipswich or other parts of the city, and the French train in the luxurious surroundings of Nudgee College. Meafu previously played against Ipswich Grammar School.
With young children, holidays to Australia are not as frequent as they would like for Meafu and his wife Jada.
“If we can stay in France and have our families come here, it will be a little better because we now have two small children. Flying for 30 hours with them is not ideal. But we try to come back and see family whenever possible,” he says.
“We definitely call France home now. It’s such a privilege to come to Toulouse: to be able to be there and play for this club.”
“It’s an interesting, new feeling to be back on a French team. You’re back in a familiar place, but you’re still working and you’re still speaking French. It’s really cool. It’s very cool.”
“It’s great to see Brisbane through their eyes. For them, Australia is so far away from where they grew up, so it’s a completely different look and culture. Because I’m used to it, so to see them experience it for the first time in a place that I also call home is really exciting.”
Emmanuel Mafu takes a break for France against Wales.Getty
They may be at home this week, but there are no divided loyalties between Meafu and fellow True Bleus members Moses Alo-Emil and Tom Staniforth. All three were committed to France after being given opportunities in the French system, so when their five-year residency expired and the national team showed them even more love, all three placed their bets on their adopted country.
Meafu said he felt “let down” by Australian Rugby in 2023 as he was seen as too big, but he also couldn’t get a full-time training contract and get into professional shape.
“When I first left Australia, I had some thoughts about the things I left behind that I wanted to do,” he said.
“Growing up and playing Super Rugby was always my dream. Playing professional rugby, earning good money and providing for my parents was the goal.
Tom Staniforth, Manny Meafu and Moses Alo-Emil grew up playing rugby in Australia. But now they are proud members of the French team.Artwork: Monique Westermann.
“But now God has put me in a position where I can do the same things I did in France, and France has given me the opportunity to achieve exactly what I dreamed of, just in a different country and different competition. I don’t regret it at all and it’s not something I think about often.”
Meafu played against the Wallabies in Paris last year, but this week will be his first game in Australia as a professional rugby player. It’s a rare chance to play in front of family and friends, and he’s scrambling to get enough tickets for what will be a sold-out game.
“Thirty is the base number I asked for, but I honestly think it will be much higher,” he said.
“It’s a pleasure to play for Suncorp. When they first announced the World Cup was coming to Australia, my goal was to make the team and play in front of my family on Australian soil. That dream came a little earlier on this summer tour, so I’m just trying my best to get as many tickets as I can.”
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Meafu says he is delighted with Staniforth, who he embraced in the NSW Country Eagles’ second row in 2018.
“Seeing him sign with Castres, do so well in the Top 14, become one of the best players and now join the French national team… I’m so happy for him,” he said.
“He’s an experienced player who has done a lot, but he still has so much more ahead of him. He’s a damn good player and I’m glad he’s on our side.”