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Wallabies and Reds playmaker Quade Cooper has been named to make his return from a long-term injury for Brisbane City this weekend.
Cooper has been in rehab since halfway through the Super Rugby season after succumbing to a shoulder injury, but he has been named to make his return from the bench this weekend for the first NRC clash between Brisbane City and Queensland Country.
Jake McIntyre will start for City in the halves alongside Nick Frisby, who returns to the starting side for Will Genia who is on Tour with the Wallabies. Genia only started in one NRC game before being returned to the Wallabies squad, and calls are growing to look at Cooper in the Australian 10 jersey.
Kurtley Beale was unable to deliver the Wallabies a victory in the five-eighth role against the All Blacks, and Bernard Foley has been serviceable but not outstanding in his two hit-outs since being reinstated in the starting team.
As they did with Genia, Brisbane City are taking the cautious approach with Cooper, opting to start him on the bench, and likely give him a cameo late in the game.
The expectations placed on Cooper certainly haven’t been excessive, if you believe what coach Nick Stiles had to say.
“It’s going to be good to get a guy like Quade back. He brings a lot of experience to a side, but we won’t be expecting him to click into gear right away, considering he’s been out for 22 weeks,” Stiles said.
It will be Cooper’s debut game in the tournament.
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“A few of the boys have hit me before I was even back into contact which in some regards is a good thing,” Cooper laughed.
“You get a bit of a fright but then it’s like ‘oh it feels good’.
“And going through it with the physios and the trainer and making some tackles, it does do wonders for your confidence.
“The medical staff say everything is right.
“Now mentally I have to go out there and make sure I am confident.”
Cooper’s recovery from shoulder and minor hip surgery took longer than expected, ensuring he missed out on Australia’s touring squad for this weekend’s Newlands Test against the Springboks and October 4 clash in Argentina.
The 50-Test five-eighth was not expected back in the green and gold until the end-of-year European tour but Cooper kept his fingers crossed for a Bledisloe Cup nod.
“Everyone’s goal is to represent the Wallabies,” said Cooper who hoped to follow in Reds teammate Will Genia’s footsteps and earn an international recall via the NRC.
“The pathway is there to come back through Brisbane City, play some good football and hopefully be in contention.”
The playmaker admitted his shoulder was not 100 per cent but hoped Wallabies selectors would see a new and improved Cooper in the NRC.
“Any time you have surgery it’s never going to be back to 100 per cent but it feels great,” he said.
“Any injury takes longer than you would have liked.
“Every rehab has its complications.
“But every injury is an opportunity to come back bigger and better.”
In a further boost for City, burly flanker Curtis Browning has also been named in the side, and will start at blindside flanker.
Cooper’s inclusion only adds to what should be a mouthwatering match between traditional rivals City and Country.
That will be tempered somewhat by the loss of Greg Holmes and Anthony Fainga’a, but the Courier Mail are reporting that over 5000 are expected at the game.
With AAP
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