Pre-tournament, Cooper was universally acknowledged as the key to the Wallabies chances of bringing home the William Webb Ellis trophy.
Yet such is the fickle nature of sport, that after Sunday’s quarter final, there were calls for Cooper to be dumped from the team.
Confession time: I was leading the chorus against Cooper at approximately 6pm on Sunday night. His play against the Springboks gave me, and most of Australia, a coronary. Cooper hasn’t had the greatest World Cup, but he was particularly poor in Sunday’s victory.
All athletes, let alone rugby players, are allowed one poor performance. However, when Cooper has a bad game, he has an absolute shocker.
Far from simply having a ‘quiet’ match, Cooper usually puts in a performance so eye-catching in its ineptitude, that it generally becomes the main storyline of the game.
He’s prone to mental errors that defy belief.
Yet his detractors, including me, would be wise to remember that Cooper can be an absolute joy to watch. Yes, he can be frustrating, but when he’s on-song, he’s just about the most entertaining rugby player in the world.
That last point shouldn’t be taken lightly. After witnessing England’s insipid style of football under Jonny Wilkinson, or South Africa’s propensity for drop goals with Morne Steyn wearing the number 10 jersey, fans of Australian rugby should be thankful that Cooper mans the position for the Wallabies. No one could ever accuse Australia’s fly half of being dull.
Yet before certain fans protest that style means nothing, and winning is the only thing that counts, it’s worth noting that Cooper’s style is not at the sacrifice of substance.
After all, he led the Queensland Red to the Super Rugby title this year, the Wallabies to the Tri-Nations trophy, and despite his performance on Sunday, Australia find themselves in the World Cup semi-finals.
Cooper’s style of play is as successful as it is unpredictable. He certainly plays with flair, but he can also be a match-winner. He should be celebrated, encouraged and revered.
And yet there will be officials at NRL club, the Parramatta Eels, letting out a sigh of a relief this week.
After signing Souths halfback Chris Sandow and Manly winger Will Hopoate (for the 2014 season), the money that the club had originally designated for poaching Quade Cooper would now appear to have been spent, and Parramatta’s plans to sign Cooper are all but over.
And I think the Eels will feel like they dodged a bullet.
Cooper is an amazing talent, with beautiful hands and wonderful attacking instincts. He would be a sensation in attack for an NRL team. And considering the limited tackle rules of rugby league, which generally ensures that possession between teams is fairly evenly split, it means Cooper’s occasional turnovers would be less of a concern to any NRL suitors.
However, the other area of Cooper’s game that would be a concern in rugby league is his defence. Cooper makes a lot of mistakes in that facet of football. From poor reads, to plenty of missed tackles.
Whilst there is no question that Cooper could play first grade rugby league, and be extremely effective in attack, his defensive shortcomings would indicate that he wouldn’t be an out-and-out superstar in the code.
Or, in other words, not worth the $850,000 figure that was being bandied about when the Eels were trying to sign him.
The best rugby league halves of the last 20 odd years include names like Andrew Johns, Darren Lockyer, Brad Fittler, Johnathan Thurston, Wally Lewis, Allan Langer and Laurie Daley. These players were not just solid defenders, they were outstanding defenders, cementing their superstar status in the game due to their abilities in both attack and defence.
Benji Marshall is the only superstar rugby league half in recent times who has ever had his defensive capabilities called into question. But Benji has tightened up that part of his game considerably, and even at his worst, he was still significantly better than Cooper.
Ben Barba is a wonderful attacking player for the Bulldogs, but his defensive game needs a lot of work. At the moment, he would be regarded as merely a ‘good’ first grade player, albeit an extremely entertaining one. He’s certainly not a superstar of the game yet, nor is he paid like one.
Cooper is a much better player than Barba, but one feels that if Cooper made the switch to league, he would be considered much closer to Barba’s class than Thurston’s.
This isn’t about which code is better – both are brilliant and equal in my eyes, and any code war comments can be saved for another article. This is about the qualities of an outstanding fly half in rugby union, versus the qualities of an outstanding five-eighth in rugby league. And at this point of his career, Cooper is more suited to rugby.
The bottom line is that Cooper wouldn’t be worth the $850,000 that the Eels were allegedly going to throw at him, and as a result, the fact Parramatta didn’t sign him is actually a blessing in disguise for the club.
In signing Sandow and Hopoate, it’s debateable whether Parramatta ended up spending that money wisely anyway, but that’s a topic for another day.
The point is that Quade Cooper staying in rugby union is the best thing for the Eels, the Wallabies, and above all, Cooper himself.
You can follow Ryan on Twitter @RyanOak
trakl
Guest
What on earth has the Vichy regime to do with anything? And you a recognised scholar of World War 2! Did you teach any All Blacks?
trakl
Guest
Nothing I have said is according to me. I am not Quade Cooper! It is according to him. Your rugby league coach! What would he - or she - be doing coaching someone who denies the truth that some of the greats of rugby union grew up playing rugby league? You played rugby league yourself with - gosh! - real live All Blacks. Or have you forgotten? I'm surprised you didn't keel over in shock at your own reflection.
trakl
Guest
You admit you go on rugby league websites - the one you refer to earlier in this thread banned you (or another version of you) long ago for "trolling" - and yet everything you write about rugby league, especially in England, is riddled with deceit and fuelled by hatred. I love rugby union. I loathe rugby union fans who revel in getting away with spouting prejudiced drivel - in your case for years - on forums such as this one. You're so febrile in your denunciations of what is, after all, just another sport, that you have resorted to boasting about how much money you have earned! Desperate stuff. And vulgar, vulgar, vulgar. It's not that I don't believe what you say but rather that you can no longer believe in anything you have to say either. Why does the Roar allow you to post when what you say brings into disrepute everything the site says it stands for? Or can they not be bothered keeping up with your switches of identity when you don't know who you are or what you are trying to say from post to post?
trakl
Guest
I wouldn't call rugby union that.
trakl
Guest
No, I disagree. Club rugby league on satellite tv in Britain thrashes club rugby union on a monotonous basis. But we've jumped too far - because yet again you've caved in and admitted that this is so after posting ad nauseam that it isn't so. Which Ray should we believe? And how come they all tell lies about rugby league?
trakl
Guest
Who are they not?
trakl
Guest
You insist that English rugby league's highest attendances are in the Super League era, do you? Despite all evidence to the contrary that rugby league boomed in the post-War period? Clue: That's even before your games of rugby league with mysterious All Blacks. That shows a familiar level of ignorance regarding English sporting and social history. Don't think that parading others' ignorance through mis-representation can ever excuse your own. It really is not a mitigating factor. And why would you anyone but rugby union players when the latter speak of their rugby league associations? You hate rugby league, rugby league players and rugby league fans - but enjoy going on rugby league websites... oh dear me!
Ray
Guest
you really are trying your best to link this cooper thing into a vichy type episode against rugby union. for your information quade cooper also played under 15&16 rugby union for sunnybank rugby club under another name so he doesnt get caught by churchie who were paying for his scolarship.
Jaceman
Guest
Ratings arent the ball/end all. It depends on the day played, time of day, what else is on, season (summer/winter), free to air and pay (BBC or Sky) etc as for the number of sets on. The Suoerleague GF is the highlight of the year (akin to SOO), the Six nations is the highlight of the rugby year I would guess)
Ray
Guest
my rugby league and union coach in the past have asked me to used a few names just so my team avoid getting disqualfied from the competition if the opposition finds out. in australian school rugby once your playing rugby, soccer, afl for your school your not allowed to play another sport until the season is finish just as rugby league schools wont allowed their players to play club rugby union or other sports. unless you can use another name like cooper did in a few games of league he played according to you.
Ray
Guest
yes i have played with and against three all blacks and it wasnt all 1000+ of them or dan carter. i said i played pro rugby, nothing wrong with that. i didnt call them liars i just called you a liar for making most of it up and im still waiting on a link from you to back up your dan carter fairy tale. i said i'll leave the roar if you did n still waiting. i can say things positive towards rugby league or any other sports but i wont just sit there and let fans of other sports say bullshi* about rugby and its players to benefit his sport or ego. yes i can be a bigotry when people tell lies espeacially toward my sport and resort to personal insults. im sure the Roar are waiting for you to provide those links so they can deal with the BS's. i know a rugby league troll when i see one and you aint a rugby union fan. there are other cure out there if the rugby world cup is getting to you. bye!
Ray
Guest
rugby lite more like it..
Ray
Guest
the british fans on totalrugbyleague forum had said superleague has been the best attendances since rugby league broke away from rugby. can you share with us why this isnt so? i know rugby league has a history before superleague and news limited saved it from going under in the mid 90s. rugby league was a profeassional sport so the media was always going to show interest and they did showing challenge cup games on bbc way before any club union teams go on telly. the only thing showing on tv were rugby internationals and rugby league club game had a massive head start compare to club rugby union. rugby union club game isnt lacking behind in the uk or france. in england some premiership & heineken cup games outrate some superleague games (do u agree?) and its not miles behind like you make out to be. funny you have gone quite on the crowd averages for both comps and heienken cup. when it comes to all thing rugby or rugby league on telly rugby union wins hands down with more than three local and regional comps shown on pay tv and a massive international audience in the uk.
Ray
Guest
whos they and how did you know that all the way from england?
Mike
Guest
I thnik the point made by Ray and Steve (and others) above is correct. While an individual player may be able to get more for one or two seasons in NRL, overall there is far more money in Rugby these days. Its nice to see after so many years when the reverse was the case. A player who does well in Australia or New Zealand or South Africa knows that he also has well paid options available in places like Japan or France (not to mention a very [pleasant lifestyle as well!)
trakl
Guest
...having to adopt a false name in order to play a game that he is on record as saying he played for years. Do keep up Ray. Your reading appears to be as bad as your writing - no mean feat. Even by your standards.
trakl
Guest
You boast that you have played rugby league with unnamed All Blacks. You crow about how much money you've made - which is just plain vulgar. Sorry. You call those players who say they've played rugby league liars. You have nothing either positive - or even honest - to say of rugby league. You are one who revels in bigotry. And the Roar lets you get away with it. You also have managed to contradict yourself so often just on this thread that you must suffer from a bad case of twisted blood.
Ray
Guest
your upset at a rugby union kid attending a rugby union private school. lol
Ray
Guest
yes, its just a sport so be happy that quade cooper, dan carter and many all blacks and wallabies all had junior rugby union clubs and attended rugby schools and that they also play other sports like cricket, basketball, softball, league, touch rugby, soccer many others at some stage. im just letting you know that your personal attcks towards my writing didnt stop me from reaching my goals.
Ray
Guest
hateful bigotry? whos posting on an article in which he hates the sport and also trying to make it look like all the all blacks and wallabies played rugby league to make himself feel better?? stop kidding yourself, your not helping your pain by pretending your a rugby fan when your not.