Can there be anything more curious than paying $650,000 per annum to a fit, 30-year-old, Super Rugby and Rugby Championship winning flyhalf – with 70 Test caps and 129 Super Rugby matches under his belt – to play club rugby in Brisbane?
There has been a fundamental lack of common sense in how Australian and Queensland rugby have (mis)managed Quade this season.
From all reports, Cooper has been a great representative and role model in the local community for both Queensland and Australian rugby, and there have been no incidents to mar his image, as there were earlier in his career.
He took his lumps, has avoided controversy, and maintained a high standard of professionalism inside and outside the game. He has matured late, but better late than never.
Unfortunately for Quade, there is an attitude by many fans and folks running the game that he has somehow brought this on himself due to a perceived selfishness and lack of commitment.
Sure, Cooper has defensive deficiencies, but he’s not alone in that department in the Wallabies backline. When Michael Cheika dropped him from the squad, he said Cooper needed to start enjoying his rugby again, which is an obtuse comment that doesn’t really throw much light on what the national coach thinks the real issues are in Quade’s game.
Maybe this is Cheika’s way of publicly protecting Quade, but hopefully he received more specific information than that. It’s hard to know what work-ons are necessary, besides enjoyment, when a person is trying to rebuild and improve their professional athletic career in a team sport.
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The second body blow to Cooper came from Brad Thorn when he took over the Reds.
It is Thorn’s prerogative to pick the squad he wants and put his stamp on the team, however, once again, we didn’t receive a clear explanation from a head coach as to why Cooper is now incompatible with the team he has been a major part of for most of his career.
Thorn said Cooper is definitely not part of his future plans and is no longer required in the Reds squad, implying Quade is somehow detrimental to Thorn’s new team culture and focus on youth.
But the coach’s change in direction doesn’t explain why George Smith and Scott Higginbotham have been retained if renewal is the goal – both are senior players, with a history of injury, and recent indiscretions that have required a ‘please explain’ from Rugby Australia.
Scott Higginbotham (Photo by Daniel Pockett/Getty Images)
The crux of the dilemma is that Cooper currently finds himself being paid by RA and the Queensland Rugby Union not to play. This is seriously weird stuff considering RA’s financial position and when our No.10 stocks are at an all-time low.
What is even more ridiculous, if true, are reports that the Rebels and Brumbies made offers to Quade but these were rejected by the player and his manager.
We are not privy to the details but surely RA could have been more proactive in gaining a workable financial resolution with the Reds and either the Brumbies or Rebels to get Cooper playing?
It is indicative of the discordant and secretive state of Australian rugby that the QRU also appears willing and able to lock him out of any other possible option to the detriment of rugby in this country, and hope he just gives up and heads overseas to save the Reds 100 per cent of their remaining contract amount, while RA appears helpless or reluctant to remedy the situation.
Maybe this is deliberate by RA, maybe Quade is yesterday’s hero and he is unwanted, but if that is the case then come clean and work with him on his transition out of Australian rugby. As a former Test player with 70-odd caps, it is the least they could do.
Maybe Quade Cooper needs to give Andrew Forrest a ring – I’m sure he would be a drawcard for any new competition. But it doesn’t really solve the fundamental problems in this case, and the deeper issues within Australian rugby’s contracting system that have led to this ridiculous situation.
Hugh Briss
Roar Rookie
Quade has been "(mis)managed" ever since he was first signed - by letting his churlish behaviour continue unchecked for years, by never insisting he learn to tackle, by never insisting he learn to kick in general play, by "mediating" his police charges to allow him to continue playing, etc etc etc. Sure he has pulled his head in the last few years (and magically his game has somewhat improved) but there's a reason why Melbourne have signed a 30 year-old for only one year...
Timbo (L)
Roar Guru
It is lucky that Cheika approached the ARU to pay him top dollar to come back from Europe then isn't it. Foley at 12, you have got to be joking,.. Right?
Timbo (L)
Roar Guru
You might want to look at your buddy Izzy's on-field performances too. The pair of them were in a competition to see who could collect the most Pokemon cards and who could get back to hide on the wing the fastest. That Hair pulling/collar slinging incident is still fresh in my mind. The question is whether or not the "X-Factor" in one area sufficiently offsets the deficiencies in another. I would opt for more balanced players, - sit them both out until they learn to tackle and how to perform all roles required by their positions at the elite level.
P2R2
Roar Rookie
...I am a Blues fan and always have been....If Tana gets a haircut he might enlighten his brain and think (bright light moment) - I should bring QC to Auckland...after all he just lost Gatland to the Landers....I mean what is it that he can't see that everyone else can...even Aussies...jeez mate
RobC
Roar Guru
Thanks for addressing them Train Here's some of the additional questions that you may want to consider cuw: - Why did the Reds bring in yet another rookie to coach one of the most valued Rugby institutions in Aus - Why did this coach and his administration bench him so late that there is no chance for him to seek other options for this year - What is the financial benefit of paying a $650K player. Who whilst he is not selected can still be relied on to rally Queenslanders to support his team and attend games. Instead he doesn't - Why is that whilst he's not perfect (aka human being) he's still useful in the training park and can pass down his talent, experience and confidence to his juniors There are other questions like - the best 10 in Qld, sought after by other SR teams. Why is he benched. But that's already been asked by other people. And continue to be asked. We all know part of the answer: because of the wisdom and or wish from rookie coach
noone
Guest
Perhaps one should find some more of IMTF's posts before presuming his agenda? I think QC is brilliant btw, if you could ever find the right backs to run off him. Im glad the Force is back
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
No. That's not quite possibly. That's what the facts are. I checked them before I stated them to be facts.
ken gargett
Guest
twas, quite possibly. as i said, more than happy to reconsider if others know more and just going on what i was told. will try and find out more, may take a day or two. if i can, will post.
Derm
Roar Guru
$650,000!! €410,000 euro is what a top Irish central contract player would earn. And RA has the wherewithal to let a salary like that sit on a park bench?? Unbelievable.
Charlie Turner
Guest
Ken, the only official preseason session Cooper attended was washed out in a deluge. I'm not sure when this insubordination could have occurred?
Snow Bjelke-Petersen
Guest
I heard Slaughter called Thorn a Pelican at a recent board meeting and the two had to be separated.
Snow Bjelke-Petersen
Guest
"The NDP concept isn’t new – plenty of coaches take this approach. Usually a di(khead is a player with an ego and/or disruptive attitude that makes him/her bigger than the team". Of course Cooper's a d'head, I've never come across a kiwi who wasn't.
Charlie Turner
Guest
Is that what you would do Danny? What's a good salary and lifestyle in Danny's world?
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
What rubbish. "Swallow his pride". The Reds made an agreement. He's keeping up his end of the bargain. If Quade had a blinder and got huge offers should the Reds just "Swallow their pride" and let him go. I assume if your employer didn't want to you'd say "hey mate, don't worry about paying me what you owe me"? The amount of people who would never act in their own career they claim Quade should is pathetic. Small minded nobodies.
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
You're talking about ego. Being in legal trouble doesn't mean egotistical. Looking at other contract offers when off contract doesn't. I can only assume by 2011 you mean trying to put on a brave face about the booing? Should have said "please don't boo me it makes me play worse"? "Countless humility-less media appearances" What a load of rubbish. You give no evidence and then try and multiply it.
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
Ken you are mistaken. They had not been training for "a fair while". The NRC final was 11 November. There is a mandated period somewhere between 2 and 4 weeks before they can recommence training. They returned to training Monday 27 November I think. The first reports of Thorn dumping him were Saturday December 3.
Train without a station
Guest
He was excluded a week after training first commenced after Thorn. Cooper wasn’t excluded before the first game. He was excluded before the 2nd week of training in November or December.
ken gargett
Guest
eie, i'm only going on what i have been told by a few people. i'm happy to reconsider if someone can show me that there is more to this or my info is not accurate. they were well into training before this happened. he was dumped in december (a few days after he was included in the reds final squad). so they had certainly been training for a fair while by that stage. i would imagine that thorn had seen enough (i will concede that it was odd that he and frisby were named and then a week or possibly even less later, gone). one thing we have forgotten is that thorn also had duncan P as a possible fly half, had he not got lance. he has played a lot there, especially in younger days. for what it is worth, having followed thorn right from the start of his broncos career and right through the rugby days, he has never struck me as the sort of bloke or player who'd be into petty acts. never seen that in him. others might have but that just is not his go, for me.
Danny
Roar Pro
Cooper ain't going to spend 1.5 more years playing club rugby and nothing else. He's played in France so he's capable of moving around. He's supposedly a professional sportsman so he needs to be flexible. But he's not. That's him. This whole "I'm loving my $800k pa for doing nothing" attitude says all that needs to be said about the guy. Some players fall out with coaches. Some coaches don't want players for all manner of reasons. If he was truly serious about getting back into the Wallabies he'd speak to the other franchises. They probably won't pay him as much - probably because he isn't worth it. He'd have to make sacrifices. Swallow his pride. Unlikely.
Danny
Roar Pro
No that's not what I'm saying. Martin Johnson is an obvious example of that not being true. I'm saying Thorn is a proven winner with top drawer discipline and is going about his business methodically to create a winning culture at the Reds. And his first year of coaching hinted that he could translate his own personal success into a winning team culture. So QLD gave him a crack and why not? He didn't contract Cooper or Hunt and wouldn't have IMO. The dangers of management being out of line with coaches. Like when Tiquiri got his ridiculous big money 5-year extension in 2007 by Gary Flowers just before Flowers was dumped. Tiquiri was out by 2009. You can see by my logo I'm probably the last person that should be arguing a case I think will make a big difference to the Reds. I like Thorn and want him to be successful. BTW I'm a 30+ year Canterbury/Crusaders supporter and thought the world of Dingo, but I didn't for one minute think he could be successful with the Wallabies. Took the job for revenge. Never had the makeup to impose himself and create a winning culture there. Crusaders - different matter because he'd earned the respect as a player and a stalwart of the province.