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I didn’t think it needed to be spoken about in depth, there is ample coverage for people wanting to know something about the issue – Quade Cooper’s contract situation that is. All the major outlets are talking about it.
But it seems that even the people who are doing their “analysis” (thanks Brad Walter of the SMH) of the situation really aren’t doing it a whole lot of justice. It’s also kind of sad that there isn’t much decent copy from Greg Growden or Rupert Guinness the resident rugby correspondence.
Once again, it’s being dominated by the league press.
Firstly, let’s begin with where the story started, right back when Quade Cooper wanted a better deal than what he was getting at the QLD Reds and thought about joining his mate James O’Connor at the Western Force.
Eventually the QLDRU and ARU managed to get Cooper to agree to the Reds tabled deal. The problem is that from all reports, Quade never had to sign the ARU part of the deal that makes it a financially sensible deal for him.
Here is where the ARU shows they still – how many years after becoming a professional sport? – aren’t very sensible when it comes to contract negotiations. Surely they learned when they tried to re-sign Lote Tuqiri and it got ugly and public.
Maybe they could have learned when Rocky Elsom gave NSWRU and ARU a heart attack when in it became public that at best he had a ‘hand shake agreement’ to come back from Ireland and began to waver in his decision. Of course, they haven’t learned.
They couldn’t even get Dan Vickerman back from England in time do get any real match fitness before next year’s World Cup. They then tout him as a possible saviour.
So point number one to remember is that while rugby is a corporate code, it still doesn’t have any administration nous.
Numbers game:
The media run battle between rugby and NRL in attempts to sign Cooper is not so much a code battle, but a numbers game.
Brad Walter touts $850k as a possible earning figure for Quade Cooper. This is made up of 300k in salary per year and 150k marquee signing bonus the NRL gives to clubs outside the salary cap.
On top of that, there is a mystery 500k in third party sponsors, some within and some outside the Parramatta Eels.
He correctly states that the Reds will only pay Quade around 110k (the ceiling for Super Rugby) and that the ARU are topping that up by about $250k. That is the supposed salary that he would earn staying in rugby.
He even states that is about half of what his team mate Matt Giteau earns. He says that without saying that Giteau earns around 500k from endorsements, too.
That’s an interesting way to ‘analyse’ it Brad.
I could earn up to 1 million dollars a year too. I’m just waiting on the same third part endorsements that Quade is. Giteau gets them, I heard.
Given that Cooper is a good player and has unseated his far higher paid team mate Giteau, it would probably be safe to assume that Cooper would be able to earn the majority of his incentives for playing for Australia as long as he doesn’t spear tackle anyone else.
If he even plays just 12 games for Australia in a year (not the full quota most years) he could earn over 145k in match day payments of over 12k each – pushing his endorsements free salary to 500k.
Endorsements – what endorsements?
There isn’t a huge need to harp on here because I definitely don’t want this to seem like the obligatory code defending personal attack that is definitely not what this is.
But the topic needs to be covered all the same.
Quade Cooper was a hair’s breadth away from being embroiled in deeper trouble than a contract dispute. He was charged and going to court over an incident involving a laptop theft.
Thankfully, the matter was able to be settled. In fact it might have been that situation that led to a maturing of the man Quade. The ARU and Reds have stood by him through this ordeal, but that doesn’t mean there is going to be 500k worth of third party endorsements lying in waiting the moment the court issue was cleared.
It takes time to cultivate a personality and a rapport with the community for those types of deals to be so lucrative and, presumably, numerous.
I’ll leave it at that because I don’t know enough to talk publicly about payback, loyalty and personal debt, and I don’t think it’s appropriate to comment there.
The Bank Manager:
Now, finally in steps John ‘Bank Manager’ O’Neill and what do we see? A search for the quickest way to a short term profit.
He has openly considered giving Quade Cooper a one-year deal to get him through the World Cup as he obviously can’t believe another Wallaby could be any good in the number 10 position. After that deal, there would be an ‘option’ for Quade to stay for a second year but it would ultimately let Cooper put the Rugby World Cup notch on his belt and move on to bigger and better things – contracts/paydays.
In fact, that is probably exactly what Cooper’s management is hoping for. Get him through the world cup and use that as a further bargaining tool because at the moment he hasn’t even won anything or participated in two full years of rugby at the one position.
Closing Arguments:
Now, I’ll openly admit that I’m a rugby man and I would love it if he stayed in the game. I won’t say whether he ‘should or shouldn’t’.
However, ultimately letting him and/or his management ransom the game like this isn’t going to help the code even if he does say. It opens up a dangerous precedent.
In a week’s time the Wallabies travel to South Africa for two Test matches. I would table my final offer to him (definitely make it generous) before the team leaves.
If he boards that plane and cannot come back without having settled on a decision who to play for, after having a fortnight’s relative breathing space and time with team mates, then I think I’d consider it a lost cause.
Make him come back to the game from that point, not the other way around.
I don’t know the ins and outs of the ARU power over Super Rugby teams, but at that point I would try to get both Berrick Barnes and Kurtley Beale into a position where they could compete for the number 10 jersey both on the Spring Tour to Europe and through the 2011 super rugby season.
That may not be possible, but that would certainly be my goal.
QLD Reds would certainly have some money left over after not needing to pay Cooper to be able to pay some compensation to NSWRU. If all parties could come to an agreement there it would certainly be for the good of the game in Australia.
Americans have a similar competition in many NFL teams every year – a ‘quarterback controversy’ is the term regularly used. Make it clear there is a competition for the Wallabies number 10 jersey.
Let them hit it out over a full season.
Short of that happening I would use any extra money gained if Cooper doesn’t sign to sure up the quality players that are consistently performing well every game for the Wallabies (the few) to make sure they stay in rugby.
That could be Adam Ashley-Cooper, Nathan Sharpe, Benn Robinson, David Pocock et al.
Hopefully that has put most of the facts on the table in one place for you to form your own opinion on our own “Quarterback Controversy.”
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.