Following on from Lance’s news that Quade Cooper has signed on for another year, we bring you the reasons behind Quades decision at the announcement today.
Speculation was brewing at ANZ Stadium today at the Wallabies Captain’s run when news came through of a special announcement to be made after the usual pre-match press conference. It must have been big news when word that John O’Neill would be present to announce the news in person.
To the relief of all east and north of Parramatta, Quade Cooper put to bed the speculation of a move to Rugby League for at least 12 months as the lure of a World Cup beckons. The possibility of performing on the world stage was telling in his reasons for staying on. The decision was a tough one for Cooper, who felt that as a sportsman taking on a challenge was something that he enjoyed and would consider in the future.
There were many factors in the decision for Cooper to re-sign including friends and family and he revealed that there had been some banter from other players in the squad over the whole contract saga, including a dig from Will Genia which was countered with comments about his height. (Ouch!)
O’Neill revealed that these negotiations were one of the few that he has been involved in with a player, which could prove how close Cooper was to leaving Rugby Union. He also said that he didn’t want to ruin a record of never losing a player to the other code that they didn’t want to lose in the last 15 or so years.
With the signing of only a 1 year contract, the Rugby public can get excited about going through this process again this time next year when the World Cup is in full swing or just after.
Below is some audio from Quades announcement – which nearly didn’t happen due to an unfortunate mix up with equipment at the press conference, sorry Grumbles.
