Three of Quade Cooper's team-mates have voiced their disapproval with his criticism of Australia's environment.
Prop Sekope Kepu and wing Drew Mitchell have urged Cooper and the Australian Rugby Union to settle their differences and wing Digby Ioane said he was surprised at Cooper's recent vent.
The injured Waratahs duo said that the headlines generated by Cooper were not good for the game.
Cooper slammed the Wallaby set-up, calling it a "toxic environment" and the tactics employed by current head coach Robbie Deans.
"I guess they're his problems and opinions, he's just voicing it himself, and if that was me I'd definitely deal with it in a different way," Kepu told the Sydney Morning Herald.
"Hopefully they come to an agreement or some resolution about what's actually happening."
When questioned if the Wallabies needed Cooper, Kepu, who is suffering from a grade-two medial ligament tear, said: "You've got a lot of depth and talent there in the 10 position," he explained.
"Kurtley's [Beale] come up and he had a good performance last week, bar the injuries [to the team] and what not.
"But that's a decision the ARU and [coach Robbie Deans] have got to make."
Mitchell, who is sidelined with an ankle injury, said there will be life after Cooper if he decided to quit the game.
''I don't think anyone's bigger than the game, so in that sense if someone feels they can say whatever they like and feels like they are needed then I don't think there's anyone in any team, anywhere in the world, that is needed that much,'' he said.
''That's not to say we couldn't do with [Cooper], but the game will go on and the Wallabies will go on if Quade decided to move on.''
Kepu believes the situation is not as bad as it looked or was made out to be.
"At the end of the day, as an individual I've got to pull my weight and do the best that I can to fit the environment," he said.
"It's representing your country, there's no greater honour than that and not being [with them] it's just like something is missing, and it just makes you more determined and hungry to want to get back in there because it's opportunities that you're missing - It's obviously put a bit of heat on the sport but we'll pull through it, definitely."
Mitchell said the spat between Cooper and the ARU could damage the sport's reputation in Australia.
"We're in a competitive environment, you just have to look at the publicity the A-League are getting at the moment, rugby league and AFL had their biggest weekends of the year and unfortunately the press about our game hasn't been particularly as positive as it could have been," he added.
"The results are things that the players themselves and the coaching staff can try to rectify as much as they can - I think mounting external pressure and distraction at unnecessary times, we could probably do without that."
Meanwhile, Ioane - who is preparing with the Wallabies for Saturday's Test against Argentina in Rosario - disagreed with his close friend Cooper's views about the team environment and stressed that the team was a tight-knit group.
"I was surprised I guess but that's Quade and his situation," Ioane told AAP.
"It's a bit crazy but that's his business. I've got nothing to say about him.
"It's a really good spirit ... everyone has been tight and everyone is enjoying everyone's company but we just have to deliver on game day."
Comments
ruckingkiwi says...
A couple years earlier may have clashed with Australia's white only immigration policy
Posted 10:19 09th October 2012
Ramage says...
Isnt it interesting that all georgesmith's post are about how useless this player is how bad that player is and how another player is lazy and how the players and coach should be sacked. Such negativity. Careful georgesmith your total neagativity may create so many sckings if the ARU listened to you that you wouldnt be able to fill the gaps. I suspect most Wallaby supporters are glad Robbie Deans and not you is selecting the team and so he wont be making such large scale sackings as you want. Amazing that Robbie has now got due to the injuries inflicted on his first choices a whole new line of players who have had the taste of test rugby. Also good to see that at the start of the Rugby Competition Australia were ranked 2nd in the world and at the end still second. So the only team above them in NZ which georgesmith whether you like it or not is a superior team than the Wallabies. So once again in joining the crusade to rid yourself of Robbie Deans you have backed the wrong horse once again. So sad, so pathetic. Bet your blood is boiling to see planet Rugby has selected Nathan Sharp in this week's Competition team. When will we see your congratulations to Nathan appear in the Planet Rugby comments page? Or is that a step too far for you, as it is usually negative comments you seem good at spreading around.
Posted 03:23 09th October 2012
Wallaroo says...
Trinats,
ROLMAO "Cooper has some Kiwi traits which will take years to get rid of, maybe if his parents could have brought him over a couple of years earlier !!! (wink wink, nudge nudge)"
On a serious note I did read your post and hear you on the "rightly so" part regarding this being a public outburst however I don't believe the comments or behaviour are mutually exclusive. I disagree that Kepu & Ioane would agree with Cooper, his comments effectively defamed the entire team and that includes them; they're both a lot smarter than that. It's clear that they also want this dealt with.
Regarding something being wrong in the Wallaby camp, again I hear you, this is clearly evident from the on and off field body language however we'll just have to wait to see what's really going on. Not too long though I hope, Wallabies need to resolve this before the Lions arrive or we'll be easy prey.
Posted 15:07 06th October 2012
2eyedkiwi says...
@trinats4 - you can't have it both ways mate.
As you've whined on and on an on over the months, Cooper is an Aussie - and I agree with you.
You won the booby prize fair and square, we don't want him, and you can't give him back!
However, we'll gladly take Robbie back any day - for no other reason than to stop the moaning and moaning and moaning and moaning.....
Posted 05:29 06th October 2012
2eyedkiwi says...
@trinats4 - you can't have it both ways mate.
As you've whined on and on an on over the months, Cooper is an Aussie - and I agree with you.
You won the booby prize fair and square, we don't want him, and you can't give him back!
However, we'll gladly take Robbie back any day - for no other reason than to stop the moaning and moaning and moaning and moaning.....
Posted 05:29 06th October 2012
qwerty says...
Hobbithunter - it's that 650,000 that hate you most :) except those on the payroll of your national sports teams.
Posted 14:36 05th October 2012
ruckingkiwi says...
Kiwi traits = used to winning
Aussie traits = used to whinging (and losing)
georgesmith, which position did/do you play?
Posted 10:42 05th October 2012
Trinats2 says...
Wallaroo:
Got to read all my post !!!
(Cooper) "will probably cop a fine (and rightly so for his public outburst)"
I believe there is something not right, but there is a correct way to address it. Also apart from Mitchell's comments it doesn't sound as if they disagree with what he said, but more the way he went about it. I've heard from a friend ! there is much more going on, and when Deans has gone it will all come out !!!
Cooper has some Kiwi traits which will take years to get rid of, maybe if his parents could have brought him over a couple of years earlier !!! (wink wink, nudge nudge)
Posted 10:28 05th October 2012
Hobbithunter says...
Always the usual Australian hating kiwis on blogs enjoying side swipes at all things Australian whenever they get the chance (of course not the 650,000 who live in Australia now). But wait, what was that sign at Eden Park last year? "Quade: NZ Made"?
Posted 07:59 05th October 2012
tha_mai says...
Cooper has been very quiet and faded from any news - maybe someone stole his smartphone? or did he expect all the team to come out in support of his whining, now realises how much on the outer he really is?
No big bids from NRL clubs waving big cheques?
Posted 04:21 05th October 2012
safehands says...
@Georgesmith....the most hopeless prop in in the whole entire world...ever...has to be Dean Greyling...again your comments are as dumb as Greyling looks haha!!
Posted 00:38 05th October 2012
Wallaroo says...
@georgesmith, you may not respect Kepu but you can't not respect Mitchell or Ioane.
@Trinats, even Ioane disagrees with QC's comments, mate the bloke is not doing us any favours and neither are you condoning his comments or behaviour. If a C-Level exec from a corporate did the same thing, how long do you think it would take for the board to fire the said exec? Both have professional obligation and decorum,
I truly hope that Deans, QC and the ARU can resolve their differences, my main concern is that QC has broken trust with his team mates which will have a much more devastating effect on the collateral performance of the team. Australia's strength has always been in presenting a united front.
Posted 00:00 05th October 2012
Trinats2 says...
Where do they say they diagree with what Cooper said ?
Kepu - "if that was me I'd definitely deal with it in a different way" "Hopefully they come to an agreement or some resolution about what's actually happening"
So he "agrees" there is an issue, he would just do it "in a different way"
Mitchell - does have a bit of a go at Cooper in the way he went about it, but this was said the same day as Mitchell made himself available for the end of year tour !
"I think mounting external pressure and distraction at unnecessary times, we could probably do without that"
Ioane - "It's a bit crazy but that's his business. I've got nothing to say about him"
Cooper has a meeting this week with the ARU and will probably cop a fine (and rightly so for his public outburst) but it is out in the open now and the ARU need to address it. Hopefully the ARU have some balls.
Posted 23:53 04th October 2012
georgesmith says...
S. Kepu who!... The most hopeless prop in the world.
Posted 22:06 04th October 2012
kiwilad says...
Apart from Trinats203758932, the whole planet disagrees with Quade.
Posted 21:21 04th October 2012
Scrumpoacher says...
@rugby rockstar did you read the article? But never mind that, the depth at 10 is fine- JOC, KB just for starters. It's the 14 other positions that have issues with depth. 2015 is a long time time away too, but it ain't about that-its about performing consistently and not just putting on a good show every 4 years. (I personally would like to see us win the bledisloe at least once between now and then-it's nice to dream) Cheers
Posted 17:00 04th October 2012
Phill_Moore says...
Quade who?
Posted 16:23 04th October 2012
melkdave says...
Well what did QC expect ,that his views would hold universal favour with all his team mates.His rant was more to do with him than anything concreate about the national set up or team .
Posted 13:32 04th October 2012
rugby_rockstar says...
Lets face it, common sense tells you that its six of one and half a dozen of the other. Both the coaches and Cooper could have dealt with this better, but shock horror! Humans screw up!!!!!
What I do know is that verbally kicking Cooper in the nether regions in as many media formats as possible is just going to result in him walking away for good. Guess what Australia, you ain't got the player depth to let that happen. tick tick tick 2015... times a-rolling on.
Posted 11:51 04th October 2012
PREEST says...
Good to see that some of the players have condemned Cooper's behaviour. Maybe that way he will think twice before he makes such remarks. His comments effect the players too.
Posted 11:50 04th October 2012