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Quade telling it how it is

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fatprop

George Gregan (70)
Staff member
No NRL team interest in signing rugby union renegade Quade Cooper

RENEGADE rugby union player Quade Cooper has been dealt a dose of reality, with every NRL club slamming the door on a code switch.
Tomorrow, at the Brisbane Convention Centre, Cooper will officially announce his plan to stage a boxing bout on the undercard of the latest Sonny Bill Williams sideshow against 44-year-old Francois Botha in February.
As world champion Danny Green pointed out last week, Cooper calling himself a boxer is like Green announcing his intention to takeover as the Wallaby five-eighth.
It's an insult to all the great names to have graced Australian pugilism over the past 50 years such as Lionel Rose, Jeff Fenech, Jeff Harding and Daniel Geale.
Cooper has been labelled a mercenary and high maintenance after walking away from his contract negotiations with the Australian Rugby Union.


And no NRL club is prepared to take a risk on the former Queensland Reds playmaker, with all 16 clubs contacted by The Sunday Telegraph issuing an emphatic "no".
Despite the New Zealand Warriors having ample room to accommodate Cooper, new coach Matthew Elliott branded him too much of a risk.
"He's obviously a sublime talent, but at this stage we're not in a position to take the risk," Elliott said.
"We are in a position where we do have some freight and we are looking at halves and outside backs, but we're not in a position to speculate that much money on a player coming from union to league."
It was a similar story at every other rugby league club.
...............................................
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sp...ade-quade-cooper/story-fn8tk0tu-1226523422551
 

Inside Shoulder

Nathan Sharpe (72)
The non-mobile link to the same story:

http://www.couriermail.com.au/sport...australian-rugby/story-fn8t7efs-1226523627145

It's another take, and an interesting one. Unsurprisingly, there's more to the story that we may never know. I don't think it's nearly as black or white as "villain Quade" or "villain ARU".

If I thought Nasser could string together that many sentences I'd suggest he wrote it.
There is no balance to the article at all: is there a single source cited?
It has to be read as another attempt to position Cooper vis a vis the ARU.

Cooper is scheduled to return to Ballymore to start Reds training at 9am tomorrow.
Or will his first appearance be a media conference to announce a break from Australian rugby, a deal abroad and a fun dabble with boxing in February?
Cooper is seriously torn. This is not another standard bargaining chip exercise of big-money offers from abroad being used to bump up his price with the Wallabies.

A media conference he called - surely the timing is of his choosing: the implication is that the inconsiderate Reds have required him to be at training when he wants to hold a press conference.
By asserting that its not "another" standard bargaining exercise it becomes one: he doesnt want to go but he will unless its all done his way.
 

Roundawhile

Billy Sheehan (19)
Saw someone say this on twitter thought it was apt; Quade never congratulates or wishes good luck to the Wallabies/his teammates when he's not playing on twitter. I know it sounds like a none issue but surely someone so conversed in the twitter-sphere would be all over various tweets about the Wallabies when a game is on? He probably doesn't even watch the game and just plays FIFA or something, I think it tells a lot about his passion for the Wallabies.

Troll.

You want to state facts, be my guest.

You want to allude to what someone said on twitter and use that as justification for once again slagging of someone, even telling us what he might be doing, and then state that he has no passion for the Wobs based on your idea of what he would be doing?

Go away and have a good hard look at yourself.
 

Quick Hands

David Wilson (68)
I'm not a QC (Quade Cooper) fan and believe that he only has himself to blame for his current predicament, but I also believe that he should only be judged by his on-field form and how he conducts his business with QRU and ARU. A couple of points:

Remember he was the one who rejected a long term contract when he was at the peak of his form. If memory serves correctly, he wanted to keep all (money earning) options open and had total confidence in his own ability. By any objective judgement, his form has dropped away and he no longer can command top dollar based on form. He set the criteria here.

In regards to the negotions, there seems to have been an generous ARU contract on the table at some point, which was not taken up by QC (Quade Cooper). The fact that the offer has been apparently now withdrawn again is his own doing. He could have accepted the offer earlier, but for whatever reason chose not to.
 

I like to watch

David Codey (61)
Troll.

You want to state facts, be my guest.

You want to allude to what someone said on twitter and use that as justification for once again slagging of someone, even telling us what he might be doing, and then state that he has no passion for the Wobs based on your idea of what he would be doing?

Go away and have a good hard look at yourself.

3 And most importantly, the way OUR game is administered is an absolute joke. Petty men who think they are bigger than OUR game. Petty pathetic people whose main consideration is their own status. Yes ARU board I am referring to you. The "Keeper of the Game". The trouble is that the game is OUR game, not your social standing.
Why isn't this trolling? Every member of the ARU board is a petty man who's only consideration is their social status?
I would back every single one of these "petty men" over your "whistleblower" who is about to shit on his team tomorrow.
BTW Got any examples of petty behaviour from ANY of these men?.
 

p.Tah

John Thornett (49)
I'm pretty much over all the contract discussions. I've had no inside information just interpreted what has been written in the media and at times I've been harsh on Quade and Co.
If he signs with the ARU tomorrow without farce (i.e. announcing he's boxing as well) I'll forget about the last 12 or so months and wish him well. He needs to show he is genuinely interested to play.

If its farcical and he leaves I'll be very p*ssed off.

EDIT: In saying that I still do think he'll sign.
 

Inside Shoulder

Nathan Sharpe (72)
I'm pretty much over all the contract discussions. I've had no inside information just interpreted what has been written in the media and at times I've been harsh on Quade and Co.
If he signs with the ARU tomorrow without farce (i.e. announcing he's boxing as well) I'll forget about the last 12 or so months and wish him well. He needs to show he is genuinely interested to play.

If its farcical and he leaves I'll be very p*ssed off.
Very tolerant and understanding of you.
When his career in rugby is over I must remember to take a poll to see if the view is he gave more than he took from the game.


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p.Tah

John Thornett (49)
When his career in rugby is over I must remember to take a poll to see if the view is he gave more than he took from the game.
I don't think he has given more than he has received from the game yet, that's why I hope his career isn't over. I'm willing him to play the way he did for the Reds in 2010-11 permanently. I do stand up when he has the ball, expecting him to pull off a genius play. Yet at the same time I'm conflicted, I hate the contract negotiations, I'm disappointed by the off field stuff and the niggely stuff with McCaw.

I live in hope he'll grow up and be the role model he should be for the kids who look up to him. If he signs I just want him to bunker down and focus on the rugby as a member of a wider team.
 

tic

Herbert Moran (7)
Oh, and from that article:



The entire article is a piece of pro-Quade propaganda...

That is very unfair. Jim Tucker is a balanced and sensible rugby writer. I would suggest that he has solid sources. If Quade stays, we should all support him and put the nasty personal attacks against him (fuelled largely by provincial insecurity), behind us.
 

mr pls

Allen Oxlade (6)
Hey guys I know this has nothing to do with the post but someone should make a post about the ARU starting up the Australian rugby championship again or a provincial rugby competition that would definantley help young players get prepared for super rugby and expose them to a bit more professional rugby instead of going straight from club too super rugby
 

Roundawhile

Billy Sheehan (19)
Why isn't this trolling? Every member of the ARU board is a petty man who's only consideration is their social status?
I would back every single one of these "petty men" over your "whistleblower" who is about to shit on his team tomorrow.
BTW Got any examples of petty behaviour from ANY of these men?.

Point taken IITW, if I am going to criticise others for their posts I should at least maintain my own standards. I apologise for the sweeping generalisation.

I will try to list my grievences in a more coherent manner.

RDs reappoint before the RWC with no due process, ratified by the board with no explanation.

The "review" of our RWC performance (still secret) performed by a non indepentdent panel.

Our contracting system for senior (sorry all S15) players which results in some of best players (eg Will Genia, David Pocock, Quade Cooper) having serious misgivings and not signing contracts for up to seven months.

The lack of KPIs applied to people in senior positions - Nucifora, Deans. JON.

The expectation that the administration of our game should be run as a business, but they do so without any form of objective critique (see above).

The allegations of payment rorts still not addressed (how long has it been now?).

The feeling of the grassroots that the focus on the top tier is to the detriment of the game.

The overwhelming opinion on this forum is that the Wobs are underperforming and have been for a considerable amount of time.

The fact the our national government (who a lot of posters hold up as a joke) is the one that is forcing change in the way our game is administered (at long last).

I will ask a simple question (pehaps this should be a poll of GAGR members), who is happy with the current stae of Australian Rugby?

My "petty men" statement was wrong. Let's just say that I do not believe that the board of the ARU as it now stands are doing what is necessary to develop our game the way it should be.
 

MrMouse

Bob Loudon (25)
Point taken IITW, if I am going to criticise others for their posts I should at least maintain my own standards. I apologise for the sweeping generalisation.

I will try to list my grievences in a more coherent manner.

It's an interesting topic, whether the ARU board is, to a man, hollow and empty, filled only with loathing for the people who play, watch and administer rugby and driven by a schizoid desire for social standing. (Ok now that I've gotten the hyperbole out of the way I'll be good).

RDs reappoint before the RWC with no due process, ratified by the board with no explanation.
This is, once more, a generalisation. They did not explain their decision to you, personally. I do not know what the minutes of the relevant meeting read, I would be happy to be informed but until that time your assumption that there was no due process is just that.

The "review" of our RWC performance (still secret) performed by a non indepentdent panel.
A "non-independent panel" auditing ones own organisation is most commonly referred to as internal audit. Perhaps the panel wants to be sure of facts, take in the opinions of all stakeholders, and not simply appease the masses by screeching "off with their heads!"
On the other hand, perhaps it is a shell game and puffery, in which case time will tell. Either way, whilst I'm prepared to hazard a guess that all of us desperately wanted to win the Rugby World Cup, we in fact came third. Coincidentally, that is our current rank under the IRB system. We're third in the world. We didn't fail to make the quarters, we didn't have players implicated in match fixing or drugs, and there was no serious fraud or misconduct. We just finished with Bronze, not Gold.

Our contracting system for senior (sorry all S15) players which results in some of best players (eg Will Genia, David Pocock, Quade Cooper) having serious misgivings and not signing contracts for up to seven months.
I would once more indicate that unless you have intimate knowledge of these negotiations, given to you personally by Will or David, or Quade, then your assumption of "serious misgivings" is once more lacking evidence.

The lack of KPIs applied to people in senior positions - Nucifora, Deans. JON.
The KPIs or lack thereof of you, your manager or your employees are presumably not public knowledge. Why would any of those individuals' be? Furthermore, JON is on his bike - making that a curious issue.

The expectation that the administration of our game should be run as a business, but they do so without any form of objective critique (see above).
By whom is this expectation held? Once more unto the breech dear generalisation. I, for one, do not believe it should be run that way. However, regardless an objective critique might find that performing at a level that saw a country with a smaller player base, from grass-roots through to 3rd tier football, high levels of competition in the marketplace for youth talent and serious divisions along provincial lines did remarkably well to obtain a ranking of third in the world. They may also observe many of the procedural, staffing, administrative etc areas in which we could improve. But I sadly suspect that given your stated issues, you are less interested in an objective critique.

The allegations of payment rorts still not addressed (how long has it been now?).
Personally, I have not seen evidence of this other than stories broken by Greg Growden. I have not seen independent verification nor any further on the issue. Perhaps, as it was rumour and innuendo it was dismissed? I am merely trying to provide balance.

The feeling of the grassroots that the focus on the top tier is to the detriment of the game.
I am glad that you can speak on behalf of all of us.
Personally I feel that the top tier is around about right, but what needs to shift is the culture from the middle (Super Rugby administrators) downwards to focus on those who participate in and give support to the game. A cultural shift will, I believe, engender far more change than redistributing dollars with no plan or cohesion.

The overwhelming opinion on this forum is that the Wobs are underperforming and have been for a considerable amount of time.
Now that is a statement I can't argue with. But I'm not sure what the ARU has to do with it...

The fact the our national government (who a lot of posters hold up as a joke) is the one that is forcing change in the way our game is administered (at long last).
Ah, yes, the national government...politics...I'm just going to steer clear of that one.

I will ask a simple question (pehaps this should be a poll of GAGR members), who is happy with the current stae of Australian Rugby?
I think that rugby faces significant challenges - some of them environmental, many of them weaknesses of the governing bodies. The beauty of weaknesses is that they can be addressed, they can be modified and challenged and worked upon. Thankfully, in the game's favour is its core of diehard supporters, the many people who play the game, either at a junior, amateur or professional level, and most of all the game itself.

Do I think things could be (much) better? Of course. Do I believe it's time to throw in the towel, or begin the lynchings, or keep bickering over whether or not Deans is the best man for the job? No. To quote Mick Cleary quoting Michael Lynagh: "former Wallabies captain Michael Lynagh has said it is time for Australians to get fully behind Deans. "We have invested in Robbie, we have made the decision, let's go with him.""

Rugby is a good game - it could be even better. The Waratahs and Wallabies are really important parts of my life - I want to feel as though I'm part of them, and part of making things better.

Perhaps I'm just a little tired of helping to tear them down.
 

Inside Shoulder

Nathan Sharpe (72)
It's an interesting topic, whether the ARU board is, to a man, hollow and empty, filled only with loathing for the people who play, watch and administer rugby and driven by a schizoid desire for social standing. (Ok now that I've gotten the hyperbole out of the way I'll be good).
The overwhelming opinion on this forum is that the Wobs are underperforming and have been for a considerable amount of time.
Now that is a statement I can't argue with. But I'm not sure what the ARU has to do with it.

I was impressed by your reasoning and balance up to this point.
The ARU reappointed, at a strange point in the the RWC cycle, the coach responsible for the underperformance. His reappointment wasn't due until after RWC. One could be forgiven for thinking that a measure of his performance and hence the merits of reappointment would be how we went in the cup.
So I find it hard to see how the fact that he's still in charge and the wallabies are underperforming is not to be laid at he feet of those who reappointed him AND those who ratified his reappointment.
The funny thing, I guess, is that no such short cuts and liberties are being taken to keep QC (Quade Cooper) in the game despite the fact that his best efforts have done less damage to the Wobblies than deans'.



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