Unhappy Wallaby: Quade Cooper
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Frustrated Reds fly-half Quade Cooper's future in Rugby Union seems uncertain after another thinly-veiled attack on Wallabies coach Robbie Deans' tactics and the Australian Rugby Union.
Just days after telling AAP that the Wallabies will continue to lose fans and Bledisloe Cup Tests if they play to a boring, conservative style, Cooper used his Twitter account to vent about problems behind the scenes.
38-Test playmaker - who is currently sidelined with a knee injury but was reportedly involved in a minor car accident with fellow Wallabies Kurtley Beale and Digby Ioane at 2am on Thursday, just hours before Beale and Ioane were scheduled to fly to South Africa - also suggested he wants to join good friend Sonny Bill Williams in the NRL.
His latest complaints come at a delicate time in contract negotiations with the ARU and he may have overstepped the mark, as he subsequently removed two of his Twitter posts.
In June Cooper signed a three-year contract to remain with the Reds but it has yet to be ratified as his ARU component hasn't been finalised, promoting suggestions he may switch to League.
"Might (sic) thoughts on rugby now is who's playing ... my thoughts on other codes how the f--- do we get tickets !!" read one deleted Tweet.
"I love rugby but there's s--t going on behind and above the players the effects the whole organisation! Happens at the reds few years back," said another, referring to problems at the QRU that preceded an administrative and coaching cleanout.
When a follower told Cooper he should be given more freedom to play exciting rugby, the fly-half responded with a broadside at Deans' tactics.
"I am allowed from February to May sir," Cooper wrote, in reference to Super Rugby under Reds coach Ewen McKenzie.
Asked by another follower if he would play for the South Sydney Rabbitohs in the 2013 NRL competition, Cooper replied: "No but I want to play with @SonnyBWilliams".
Cooper revealed he would spend some time with close friend Williams, who is set to play for Sydney Roosters next season, in Japan in the coming weeks.
"I know we're competing against a lot of other sports in this country," Cooper said last week.
"If people want to go out there and play a boring brand of football then there's other guys they can pick to do that.
"I'd much rather go down swinging and throwing the punches to put yourself in a winning position than come out saying we kept it close."
Cooper insisted in an interview on Sunday that his comments were not a direct attack on Deans, but rather the result of his frustration with the entire Wallaby set-up at the moment.
"There's a lot of people who are afraid to say what they feel so they just go along with it and nothing is going to change," he told AAP.
"That's why I feel so strongly as a player. I don't want to be involved in the toxic environment, and that's how it is at the moment.
"It's an environment where things aren't going according to plan and everyone is looking to point the finger," he explained.
"All I want to do is fix the problems and get on with it and win rugby games," the 24-year-old said.
"I'm very respectful to Robbie and I'm very thankful to Robbie as well for giving me the opportunity that he has.
"But for me it's about bettering myself and bettering the country and I'm just sick of losing to the All Blacks. I hate losing," he said.
Cooper added that having confidence in the Wallabies' plans is crucial if he is going to make a serious commitment to staying in Union.
"I don't want to come across as a mercenary but I feel very strongly about how this is run because I'm part of it and I want to succeed," he said.
"There would have to be big things to take me away from the game but at the same time I don't want to be a pawn in things that aren't moving forward," he said.
Comments
vitieddie says...
QC all talk no show
Deans is not the best coach but he just doesn't have the depth in players
Aust might have a huge population but there just aren't as many union players
There isn't even that much union coverage on free TV
Looking forward to the NRL and AFL finals this weekend
Posted 04:09 24th September 2012
5Lock4ward says...
Funny how two New Zealanders are ruining Australian rugby from the inside out.
Posted 01:52 24th September 2012
Trader2 says...
His comments do echo mine a few posts ago, the ARU is run like a fifedon, from 2003 they wasted the money made out of the WC pouring it in from the top down, instead of the grassroots up et al 2 additional Super teams that Oz cannot support. Quakey has a point, however with him I suspect it is more driven from a personal perspective than one for the well being of Australian rugby. If he had any real creed he would work from within rather than blurt (sorry) tweet to the wider world. However to do that you need to have respect and lets face it he does not poccess much of that, except maybe with the boys at 2:00 am after a good night out. Whatever, he is gone and apart from Trinats2 will not be missed that much. Actually looking at Quackey's spelling and grammar could he and Trinats2 be one in the same?
Posted 00:24 24th September 2012
rugbyforever says...
Cooper should go and so should the ARU's C.E.O., his name is O'Neil I think!!
Posted 23:47 23rd September 2012
jash says...
he is not saying anything wrong. I am a Wallabies fan and we are sick of seeing Wallabies going down to ABs. Robbies Deans need to be sacked and an Australian coach need to be appointed for betterment of rugby in Australia.
Posted 23:45 23rd September 2012
isthatrightref says...
ARU should call his bluff & refuse to top up his Reds contract until he proves he's over his knee problems & worth a long-term contract i.e. through until RWC 2015, then we'll see how deeply committed to oz rugby he really is...
@ NHSaints... yeap, he'd get murdered in the halves but if you watch how few tackles guys like Slater & Barba are required to make I'd fancy QC's chances of making a fairly decent go of fullback.
Posted 21:19 23rd September 2012
ArmchairGeneral says...
Sounds like he's not making it up: re the toxic atmosphere. The guy hates losing to the ABs and wants to attack them. He just wants to fix things. No big deal. Indiscreet and dumb but you can forgive such a great talent that. There are few players I would rather watch on and off form. Hopefully Deans talks it through and all is well.
Posted 21:02 23rd September 2012
JayStarr says...
This guy needs to grow up. Quickly. Otherwise he'll be a nobody as quickly as he became a somebody.
Posted 20:34 23rd September 2012
2EyedKiwi says...
Sounds like he's compensating.
Posted 19:59 23rd September 2012
carpelone says...
This is extraordinary. What a child!
Poor Trinats, he may be regretting all the time wasted on this forum try to convince all of us that this guy is not a baboon. What a waste!
Posted 18:18 23rd September 2012
davodiablo says...
He really comes across badly and he can't see it .
Posted 18:14 23rd September 2012
BillyMutt2 says...
What a tool. The sooner he leaves Rugby Union the better for everyone.
His one-trick-pony game has been found out by every other team anyway, which leaves him as nothing more than a liability on the field. Deans would be well advised to ignore Cooper fron now on, both personally and as a coach.
Posted 16:51 23rd September 2012
Terry_English says...
Prima Donna is the word for Quade Cooper! A very talented player on attack, when in form, but he plays badly, picks up an injury and blames the coach, who is doing a half decent job with average players and one or two stars.
As far as him syaing he is getting sick of getting beaten by the All Blacks. Get used to it. They are 36 wins from the last 39 tests and 2 of those loses were to Aussie. He should focus on the fact Aussie are 7 wins from the last 8 tests against South Africa.
I agree with NHSaints that his tackling isn't strong enough for league so I don't think that is the solution for him. He might just have twittered his way out of the Wallabies though.
Posted 16:31 23rd September 2012
melkdave says...
I think his ego is getting ahead of his present skills atm,R.Deans is still doing a very good job ,with a limited player base ,given the injuries ect atmHis gameplan is taylored to the players he has available atm,might not be the best gameplan ,but better than the bokke for sure.He has a valid point concerning the ARU though ,ive been very vocal on what i percive as their failings,good to see players also recognise them aswell.Concerning his ambition to play League,his tackling needs improve 100% imo,for him to do well there.
Posted 14:17 23rd September 2012
three6three6 says...
Unfortunately class is permanent, both as a player and as a person!
Even in this twitter filled age that we live in we still need to show a little circumspection.
Quade is in danger of becoming a "flash in the pan" - he needs to pull his head in and stop baiting people..... if he wants to go to rugby league then head off to rugby league.... and good luck to you in such a code....
But please heed the advice that "actions speak much louder than words!" Since you are currently injured with a bit luck we will not hear from you again until you are back on the pitch.... Good luck with the latest injury.
Posted 14:13 23rd September 2012
kpe12 says...
Although Australia is not strong in rugby at the moment... they are still ranked in the top 3 of the world constantly. They will not fall off the edge of the world into obscurity as far as rugby is concerned because ... they are Australians and they compete well at all sports at all levels. They just need a couple of James O'Conners to be trained right at the right age and they will be in the thick of it again (by the way JO'C has been ruined and Lambie may go the same route... wasted talent).
Rugby league has its advantages but in the end, when you are retiring, where do you go for league?? Rugby you have Europe and Japan which sets you up for life.
GL QC, you have balls but you need to get over the injury niggles and bang out more than 1 season of good rugby to be considered a legitimate world class player.
Posted 13:52 23rd September 2012
Cdn_content says...
Character, this guy lacks it big time, 2 am accident? Not too hard to figure what was going on there.
The hell with it, let him go to league if he wants too, be a big fish in a small pond. Aussie league players are far from global stars. Swb only became huge when he switched to union. He'll be back.
How sad for cooper that he can't take huge risks whenever he wants to and cost his team the game, he can blam deans all he wants but Robbie didn't kick a restart out on the fullin the rwc semi and otherwise have a stinker.
Posted 13:22 23rd September 2012
tweedledee49 says...
"I'd much rather go down swinging and throwing the punches to put yourself in a winning position than come out saying we kept it close."
dont forget kneeing!
Posted 13:00 23rd September 2012
Ferdie says...
This just comes across as an ego-driven rant; he has never proven himself at test level, and a release from any ARU contract is probably the best thing, let him try to prove himself in NRL as if any side would consider him with current and potentially ongoing injuries. Is he drunk again?
Posted 12:04 23rd September 2012
Ferdie says...
if he was a tenth of the star he believes himself to be.
Posted 12:04 23rd September 2012