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I have a confession to make. This is something that I do when I’m alone, and it’s not something I’m particularly proud of.
It might be something that you do too – though I certainly hope not. A perpetual source of headshaking and exasperated sighs of disbelief (you probably know what I’m talking about): I often spend hours in the dark depths of the comments section of articles.
A place of strange beasts, camouflaged by benevolent sounding names and pictures, who eviscerate all those who dare cross them.
A place where ideas once thought confined to the history books take centre stage as bold new concepts. While usually harmless, these ideas can sometimes strangely manifest themselves in the consciousness of the sporting public and to the utter detriment of the rugby community.
It’s one of these ideas which have to stop: we need to stop talking about Quade Cooper.
Any debate surrounding what Australia’s best backline looks like, somehow, despite Quade playing for Souths in Brisbane’s GPS competition, involves a horde of fans declaring that the fix to the Wallabies’ woes will be fixed with a wave of the magic-Quade.
The comments read that Cheika’s Waratahs bias must end; that a 10-12 combination of Quade and Tim Horan will be the fulcrum to end the All-Blacks reign.
This has to end. Don’t get me wrong, the 2011 title-winning Reds’ Quade will always hold a special place in my heart.
Quade Cooper (AAP Image/Dave Hunt)
Hours spent in awe of Quade hot-stepping past foolish-looking defenders, watching mesmerising, floating passes cross the River City turning the impossible into the mundane. But even that Quade would flicker and fade with a changing of the wind.
An enigma whose highest of highs would be followed by games where you would wonder who this familiar-looking stranger at first-receiver was.
The Quade of yesteryear is gone: buried beneath several seasons of mediocrity and Reds underperformance. He was undermined by less-than impressive game management, non-existent defence and numerous fallouts with successive coaches.
Yet the nostalgia endures, cultivating a Quade-spiracy serves merely to consign Australian rugby to the past. A new chapter in Melbourne waits and maybe a rekindling his connection with Will Genia will reinvigorate Quade’s career.
Until then, let’s move on.
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.