I suppose I should probably offer an actual opinion!
I think it just about right. Its hefty, and sends a clear warning to everyone about being professional.
However, its not too harsh, and whilst I dont agree about him using twitter, I think it may have literally been a last resort. He was clearly frustrated as all hell playing under Deans, you can see it in his face.
I also think he's 100% right. What he mentioned about injury management is alarming, yet explains a shitload. Why was he not picked (judged not fit/ready) for the first Bledisloe, yet a week later he's thrown into the STARTING side, with no extra rehab or significant fitness gains? Deans threw him to the wolves, hoping he'd bottle it and give him an excuse to drop him. I read that as Cooper providing input behind the scenes, probably for the last few years, and being ignored. Deans certainly has a history for that, as well as brainless tactics and selections. EG McCabe last year. Terrible! If he wanted a hard running, direct 12 who tackles like a starving animal, why the hell was Fainga'a not picked? He'd played with Cooper for 3 years at club and Super level, and knew how to play alongside him better than anyone else in Aus. Yet Deans picks and outside back who had passed the ball less frequently then the referee all year, plays him at 12, and then Fainga'a OUTSIDE McCabe?! The fuck? 2010 we were FINALLY starting to click as a backline, and winning consistently by playing attacking rugby with Cooper the general, and yet AT the world cup he changes the entire focus of the team, the style of play, picks an unknown , inexperienced play and plonks him right in an important position. Then tells Cooper to play defensive kicking rugby.
I see the whole thing as Quade finally snapping after being treated like shit, and not being made to feel like a valued member of the side. If he was average and not much more than a solid at best player capable of filling a hole when better players are injured (like some of our options at 10 ), then it would be different. However, Link has rated him as one of the best tactical, rugby brained players he's ever coached. He's also a magnificent drawcard for the Reds, and the work that he puts in off the field is 2nd to hardly anyone. He sticks around at Suncorp well after each game, signing things for the fans, posing for photos, talking to them, playing touch footy with clubs everywhere he goes (2011, before the Stormers game [where he out-saffered the saffers at kicking and territory] he was out playing touch footy in some local comp, for fun and fitness), and is a genuine crowd puller. People want to see him fire and tear teams apart. In a time when rugby here is struggling to pull the big crowds, he's the kind of player that is hugely valuable to Aussie rugby.
And whats more, i'm glad that at least SOMEONE appears to genuinely hate losing to New Zealand!
Unfortunately, he's not very eloquent, and the timing of it all was very poor. His ballsy decision to go on live tv, and attempt to explain his point of view backfired spectacularly, as he didn't have the ability to properly explain what he meant. The whole "i'd turn down the jersey" thing was explained by the Reds boss: his mind and confidence were shot, and it was affecting the team, so he'd have refused to play on the basis of it being detrimental to the team. A VERY different scenario to what everyone received it as!
Things would have been significantly different, I think, if he'd written an article instead, and had Link/Carmichael etc proof read it first and explain how his opinions would be interpreted, and its a crying shame he didn't.
However, in the meantime i'm getting seriously fucking tired of reading the same bullshit, uninformed dribble, and the fickle forgetful nature of our 'fans'.
Its done. He's apologised, been fined, stopped venting on twitter, and is focussed on moving forward and actually getting the Wallabies to WIN. I do miss when we did that.
So I would suggest we all shut up and do the same, there's a fecking LIONS series next year!