Quade Cooper?

[Reddy!]

Cooper is obviously a very talented attacking flyhalf but he's not the next Stephen Larkham...

The best flyhalves can generally tackle...

Yeh he is not the next Stephen Larkham because he plays nothing like him. Unlike Larkham, Cooper possess an excellent tactical kicking game.

 

[Shiggins]

Cooper is probably still overrated. He needs too be in a really good team too play the way he does and when under pressure and his forwards are getting smashed he makes errors. Gits is good for these times but I would prefer coops over gits right now.


Go the force!!!!

 

[ChargerWA]

Don't get me wrong, I rate QC (Quade Cooper) and think he should rightfully be our Wallaby 10 at the moment, but I do perceive him as a fairweather sailor. When the forwards are smashing the breakdowns and he has go forward ball, he is better than any other 10 in the world, that natural attacking flair can't be taught. It's when his team is an arm wrestle he goes missing for me.

Dan Carter and Johhny Wilkinson (despite his age) are the sort of players who will lift their team around them and change a game. I think JOC (James O'Connor) could grow into this sort of player as well.

If he goes he goes, it won't be the end of Australian or Reds Rugby, but I hope he stays.

Edit: beaten by Shiggins.

 

[Slim 293]

Yeh he is not the next Stephen Larkham because he plays nothing like him. Unlike Larkham, Cooper possess an excellent tactical kicking game.

Larkham had an excellent tactical kicking game too...

Maybe not as good as the likes of Wilkinson or Carter... but neither does Cooper...

 

[Bowside]

I vaguely remember him saying when interviewed that he left in protest of the Bulldogs treatment in taking advantage of some of the younger islander players? (opposed to the media's "Money Bill Williams" alternative, remembering media pretty much run the NRL). When leaving France, IIRC, he also turned down the largest contract offer in Rugby history to pursue an All Blacks cap. I've always found him to be a pretty humble and committed professional.

Makes sense, I had never heard that, but you never know with the australian media. I agree its not fair to label him 'Money Bill Williams' after he turned down the huge French offer (2 mil a season plus sponsors money?).

Mind you I have also been told on a number of occasions over the years that he was the only player not stood down over the bulldogs 'sex incident' back in 2003 (i think the other 2 players involved were in the reserves so they got rid of them). But I stress that's a totally unsubstantiated claim, I have no idea if it's true.

 

[darkhorse]

I haven't heard the thing about him protesting the treatment of the young islander players before, but I'm sure its possible.

The explanation that I heard is that he felt he had been taken advantage of when he was young. The doggies made alot of promises to him and signed him up to an epicly long contract at an undervalued rate. They then preceded to fail to deliver in almost all of their promises. Also the dogs were a sinking ship at the time.

 

[Skippy]

Personally I've never been one to have a go at players who chase the money. The fact remains the 'loyalty' card of yesteryear died when the game went pro. And the reality is these young blokes have a max 10-12 year career perhaps to make as much money as they can to give them a 'future' when their playing days are over. Those who get into the media when they retire or study towards something like law, business (berrick barnes) or medicine (john roe) are often few and far between - as jsut like rugby league many players just have nothing when the end comes. I for one believe all contracts (league and union) within Australia should have clauses in them that include what courses of study the players are going to pursue and perhaps some of the contract money can be offset by clubs etc paying uni fees etc.
That being said, I think we all know Quade isn't going to retire and split the atom. Rocket scientist he ain't. And you can only ride the glory of being a twitter addict for so long.
Yes Mudines management will talk him up, play the league card and the French card and so on. If he goes, he goes. Perhaps he might go for a short term deal like SBW's prefers which are highly incentivised i.e. to make the most money he has to perform and not get injured.
And Quade may fancy a change but whilst the French may buy him, he won't settle in (doesn't strike me as one for 'culture') and the hardness of french rugby, the wet conditions and boring rugby in the UK will frustrate him and he will be back.
He may go to league for a year but again I think he will play all these card and then resign with the Wallabies. Whilst he may be super confident on the outside, like most people i bet he has his own demons and in the end he will stick with what he knows and where he can be a success.... and you've got the Lions tour, all his mates around him like JOC (James O'Connor) and he can get a pay day at 33 to play in Japan.

 

[Richo]

As an aside, an increasing number of American sporting leagues have pension programs to protect ex-players.

 

[Ash]

Its centred around Mundine, and at least from my experience it seems to be because he would often come out and say he was the greatest thing since sliced bread but never really beat any of the top boxers. It's part of the Australian psyche - don't talk yourself up, its not for you to tell people you're the best - if you show them they will say it for you.

I don't respect the way SBW walked out on his team mid season. But I respect the way he realised that if he wanted to play all blacks he had to train hard and become a world class player, which he did, and now he will reap the benefits he deserves.

This is a slight digression, but I think it's relevant.

I hate Mundine as much as the next guy (and that's A LOT), but a lot of his personality was a put-on for media. I've heard quite a few reports that he's completely different in person (although still arrogant), as opposed to his smack-talking media persona. That was how Mundine and his manager thought he could make a lot of money, from controversy, being loud and plenty of self promotion (rumour claimed they actually copied wrestlers). Basically being a polarising sportsman. And he's not the only boxer who does it, either.

I am not overly fond of Quade having them in his ear, or sharing the same management, but in my book they aren't much different from the other player manager scum you see littering the NRL and AFL (and rugby, as plenty of NRL agents also manage rugby players). If you dig a bit there's plenty of stories about the complete lack of ethics in player managers.

 

[I like to watch]

bullshit. Lynagh, Mehrtens, Fox, Knox. Plenty of examples of fancy dans who preferred not to get their jerseys dirty.

it's different these days,all those you quote were amateurs.
Campo wouldn't get a run anywhere these days with his defensive technique and he was regarded as a champion in the Lynagh,fox,mehrtens era.
No league team is going to offer QC (Quade Cooper) huge bucks, he is too much of a risk.
For those who want to quote Benji Marshall as a poor defender who is a success in Mungo. benji has had 3 or 4 shoulder reconstructions,there is no chance QC (Quade Cooper) has enough commitment to damage his body.
They will use Mungo as a leverage,just as they did last time.he is going nowhere

 

[Lee Grant]

On Mundine: I can't reconcile his behaviour as a young man with the same as an older man. I remember when he was a teenager and my youngest boy asked him for an autograph at Kogarah. As he was signing I said that I really enjoyed the way he played the game. (I did: he was like a smoother version of how Benji is now, and could thread his way through traffic like wind through wheat - thank you Brockie). He looked at me and he said "Thank you sir, I really appreciate that."

I thought that he was a pleasant young man, but how he changed. Maybe Ash is right and it was contrived, but it started before he became a boxer.

 

[I like to watch]

Those who know him all say there is the public Mundine & then the private one. the private one being humble polite etc.
Lee you are right that "the change" in Mundine's persona predated his move to boxing.
His claims of selection racism in the Kangaroos squads being a good example.(at the time artie beetson was on the selection panel!)

 

[Scotty]

it's different these days,all those you quote were amateurs.
Campo wouldn't get a run anywhere these days with his defensive technique and he was regarded as a champion in the Lynagh,fox,mehrtens era.
No league team is going to offer QC (Quade Cooper) huge bucks, he is too much of a risk.
For those who want to quote Benji Marshall as a poor defender who is a success in Mungo. benji has had 3 or 4 shoulder reconstructions,there is no chance QC (Quade Cooper) has enough commitment to damage his body.
They will use Mungo as a leverage,just as they did last time.he is going nowhere

There are some crazy thoughts in that post!

Merhtens finished well into the professional era for the All Blacks, and I believe is still playing (france?).

Campo would undoubtedly get a gig in most Super teams, and likely the wallabies.

 

[Torn Hammy]

Cooper will be taking the place of Darren Lockyer at the Broncos next year.

The trend is that the NRL brand is growing a lot faster than those of the NSWRU and ARU and this will be reflected in the money from TV rights and sponorships.

I can see in the near future NRL clubs cherry picking our stars as the ARU waffles on about fiscal responsibility and reducing player payments.

Imagine the Wallabies without Cooper, JOC (James O'Connor), Beale and Mitchell. Their worth is petty cash for the likes of Fox Ltd, Crowe and Tinkler.

 

[Bullrush]

Let him go...I'm sure there will be another young kiwi first-five who will be happy to come over and take his spot....and he'll probably be able to tackle too

But seriously...I've said all along that Beale - in the long run - will be a far better 10 in my opinion...

 

[I like to watch]

There are some crazy thoughts in that post!

Merhtens finished well into the professional era for the All Blacks, and I believe is still playing (france?).

Campo would undoubtedly get a gig in most Super teams, and likely the wallabies.

Scotty, you are being a pedant. I nominate 3 players & you quote one that is on the cusp. Mehrtens did finish in the pro era, however was an amateur when first playing for Cantebury & the all blacks,you might recall that many of those playing at that time admit that at the commencement of the pro era, it was professional in name only.
Campo coached in todays environment would still be a class Test player. Campo playing in todays environment with the tackling style he used to employ?
My original point that you can't compare the defensive obligations of a 10 today with the attitude that was acceptable in the amateur days, is still valid.

 

[spectator]

We all know his tackling style is dreadful, but that aside I actually think Cooper has shown us a bit more this season. He seems more composed in general, and is selecting his options to suit the game at hand. His goalkicking seems to have improved, his field position and tactical kicking were factors in the Force and Brumbies wins, and then last game we saw a return to some of that attacking audacity and genius we saw plenty of last year, all the while kicking astutely when he felt he had to. Also some of his passing, one in particular to Genia was sublime, don't know who else could have done it.

Wish he'd fix up his defence, but I reckon he's a motza for Wallaby 10 regardless.

 

[Rob42]

Cooper will be taking the place of Darren Lockyer at the Broncos next year.

The trend is that the NRL brand is growing a lot faster than those of the NSWRU and ARU and this will be reflected in the money from TV rights and sponorships.

I can see in the near future NRL clubs cherry picking our stars as the ARU waffles on about fiscal responsibility and reducing player payments.

Imagine the Wallabies without Cooper, JOC (James O'Connor), Beale and Mitchell. Their worth is petty cash for the likes of Fox Ltd, Crowe and Tinkler.

I strongly doubt it. How many tackles does Lockyer make per game? 30? In the NRL, the opposition forwards all spend their time trucking it up straight at the opposing playmaker. I don't thinking hiding him at fullback's an option there.

And two clubs suddenly made rich by benefactors (Crowe and Tinkler) doesn't change the salary cap, and there's plenty of other clubs who can't afford the comp to go without the salary cap. The Broncos would be crazy to spend premium money on a risk like Cooper.

 

[vidiot]

Let him go...I'm sure there will be another young kiwi first-five who will be happy to come over and take his spot....and he'll probably be able to tackle too

What do you mean kiwi? He is true blue Aussie.

Seriously, this tacking thing is over rated. Look at Barnes. Guy is stumbling from one concussion to the next. He needs to spend some time in the Cooper Rugby Academy. If Beale gets injured playing 10 and trying to tackle I will be significantly pissed.

 

[LeinsterRebel]

As Cooper can't tackle and makes sure he is constantly in a position not to make crucial tackles he is massively over-rated.