Quade Cooper is back in Australian rugby. He made his comeback against the All Blacks on Saturday and then was announced as the Queensland Reds marquee signing.
With undoubted talent, Cooper’s career hasn’t hit the heights that some would have thought it could do after leading the Reds to the Super Rugby title in 2011. Then he helped drag a team upwards to perform well above the sum-of-its-parts. It may need to happen again.
Firstly, obviously, this is good for the Reds franchise. The Reds are in a very similar position to that of the Wallabies, maybe slightly ahead of them. They have transitioned from the team that won the tournament in 2011. A lot of those players have moved on and young players have replaced them.
They have gone through a couple of tough seasons, but towards the back end of last season there were signs that the green shoots of recovery were starting to blossom. Having Cooper as the pivot in both of those teams will be hugely beneficial as he knows what it takes.
The Reds Super Rugby win in 2011 came from nowhere. The previous seasons they had finished 12th, 14th, 12th, 13, and fifth before being crowned the best side in the Southern Hemisphere. They did it by building up a squad of decent players and have a couple of game breakers, one being Quade Cooper. The backline that started that final shouldn’t have been able to live with the Crusaders but not only did they beat them, both their tries came from backs.
For the Wallabies, it could also be a blessing. After a home whitewash by England then losing twice to the All Blacks conceding ten tries and scoring one the Wallabies are very much in a position of tough choices needing to be made.
Experienced campaigners have to be moved on and new blood must come in to lift the squad.
At the Reds, Cooper is back in a position where the team will once again be built around him. He is a player that needs love. He needs a coach that believes in him and that will let him have his moments of madness as sometimes those moments of apparent madness can win you rugby games. The backline that he will have with him in Brisbane, I would argue, is stronger than the one he had when he won the competition.
Admittedly Will Genia, at the time, was a better player than Nick Frisby but Frisby is coming along well and will add to his single Test cap very soon if he continues his improvement.
Samu Kerevi, Eto Nabuli, Karmichael Hunt and Chris Feauai-Sautia are all players that can break open a game, and with Cooper pulling the strings there will be gaps for them to exploit. The backline that started the final against the Crusaders was Genia, Cooper, Ioane, Tapuai, Fainga’a, Davies and Lance. I know which one looks stronger to me.
On Saturday for the Wallabies, Cooper received little front-foot ball.
When he did get some decent ball, he put Israel Folau away on his inside. It was a simple pass, but the no-look nature of it, knowing where the space was and where his player would be, is a skill that not all have. Bernard Foley can’t do the same thing.
There was also no obvious game plan that Australia had. With Foley at 12 it stifled what Cooper was able to do. Foley isn’t a 12. He doesn’t know the running lines or the support lines or when to take a rash ball because the 10 is in trouble. With a solid 12 outside him, Cooper’s game will increase ten fold.
If the Wallabies tell Cooper he is their guy, settle on a backline outside him that will take the team forward for the next few seasons and let him play then there may well be a bright future again for Australian rugby. The last three months, they have been predictable and easy to defend against with absolutely no spark.
Quade Cooper has that spark in abundance, you just have to take the rough that occasionally comes with it.
Wardad
Guest
Hes OK ,just Carlos Spencer with a bit less skill ,
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
Cs it's hard to talk common sense with you. Is that published by the Broncos? They are merely referred to as the Broncos in Queensland and their website again is www.broncos.com.au Very few teams outside AFL refer to themself by their geographical names in Australia.
Bfc
Guest
Does Cheika tell his team to "play what is in front of you.." as Link did with Genia and QC guiding the Reds? Sure does not look like that...
concerned supporter
Guest
@ TWAS, Getting rather finicky,see blog from Friday's Roar. "Brisbane Broncos vs Sydney Roosters highlights: NRL results" We used to have inter school games, colour comp they called it, the REDS,BLUES, GREENS etc Again if they were referred to as Queensland or even Queensland Reds I have no doubt that many more from Queensland would take an interest and may even support them.Do you?,
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
Wow. He needs more time and space to be his most effective. What an anomaly for a fly half!
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
Doesn't seem to bother the Broncos. Why don't the Waratahs refer to themselves more as the New South Wales Waratahs?
concerned supporter
Guest
@Taylorman, Credit to you, you are not like those Kiwi bogans who continually booed him in 2011.
taylorman
Guest
Yes we'll see how he goes. I think his game needs more space and time to be effective. He gets it against weaker sides as he did against Uruguay but today's defences don't allow him the room to act, so he doesn't get to do his thing. The next four matches will confirm if he's still up to top test rugby but I've a feeling he'll be so up and down in performance that Foley will return by the time Eden park rolls around. However, we'll give the man his dues, and see how he goes. I hope he does get there, just don't think he will.
Rob Seltzer
Roar Guru
Thank you Ruck, much appreciated. This isn't as black and white as people are making it out to be. I think people have made their mind up about Cooper a while ago and are happy to write him off, let's see how he goes if trusted to be the 'man'
taylorman
Guest
Coopers still yet to show he can play at this level and the rest of the RC will reveal that. Last weekend he just did nothing. Nothing good, nothing bad, nothing on attack, nothing on defence (missed 3 from 7 so was obviously being hidden a bit) but did nothing anyone could jump up and say...'that was Cooper'. he didnt play as bad as others but wasnt the best on the field either. Assumning hes been selected to do more than just nothing, we'll get to see more of him when he plays SA and Argie, where he'll need to do something. Thats when we'lll know if hes up for this, let alone...as saviour.
Buk
Guest
Coldturkey - yes a coach can make a big difference - but Deans, Link and Cheika have each been painted at some time as the 'saviour' or a sort of miracle fix, but it is so short-term focused. I am a Queensland supporter, but I really appreciated what Cheika did with the Waratahs - they used to be so totally ineffectual and rudderless (ironically it was Link who had got them to 2 finals and a semifinal in 5 years, before they turned into zombies), and Cheika came in and turned them right around big time. Deans came in and won his first test against the All Blacks. Link had little initial success vs the All Blacks, but a reasonable tour to Europe, and a 3-0 series win over France. And a last game against the All Blacks they should have won. To my mind, Cheika is too caught up in short-term results, but I don't blame him for that - there is pressure from administrators, sponsors and the sporting public. Wallaby coach is one job I am glad I do not have
concerned supporter
Guest
@TWAS, That's right. But would they not get more fans and interest from Queenslanders particularly non rugby people, if Queensland was included and emphasized?
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
Because that's What the team's nickname is The website is REDSrugby.com.au...
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
How many media articles focus on Foley's dificiencies? That's why people claiming m Cooper has been victimised.
Bradm
Guest
The rot you speak of started with Gregan & Larkam etal., long before "my brand" & the "three amegios"
Bradm
Guest
Not more Reds, Just fewer Waratahs!
concerned supporter
Guest
Why is it an obsession to call them the REDS?Are they not QUEENSLAND?And aren't the proper colours MAROON? People have been brainwashed by Foxtel & Murdoch since 1996.
soapit
Guest
the op doesnt need to consider more examples than the one he offered because he believes its achieved in those specific years. if you want to show he hasnt ever you need to include the lot. thats just how it works. if you want to show something has done something you only need to find one instance of them doing it. if you want to show theyve never done it you need to consider their whole life. i understand how this may feel like ur being treated with a double standard.
soapit
Guest
yep., kinda the point. your post is trying to refute that he has ever been a very good test player in the past and you dont even consider his whole career.
McCaw was onside?
Guest
Thats fair.