I think a one year contract is perfectly fine for Taupau, especially given how thin our stocks are. He is only really needed for a 3-6 month period to facilitate the transition of Willison, Te Kura, and any other young prop coming through into regular NRL players. Anything more than a one year contract would be silly.
As for Baker, he's just not it. He will never be anything more than a 5/10, and his average performance will likely always be a 3/10. If he can't offer us a Jensen-like level of value for money, he is of no value to our team. There are better players available for his contract price.