Quade Cooper heading to the Eels?

[Charmamba]

AUSTRALIAN Rugby Union boss John O'Neill and Wallabies coach Robbie Deans have refuted reports that star playmaker Quade Cooper is considering a shock defection to rugby league next season.

The Daily Telegraph exclusively reported that Cooper had held secret negotiations with the Parramatta NRL club but both O'Neill and Deans say the 22-year-old is going nowhere.

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/ ... 5904896062

Now i know here it say's the ARU believe he is staying, But like everything there is always the chance there is some truth to this.

As a league fan it would be awesome if the Eels got him.

 

[ningnangnong]

Hasn't Paul Osborne already said that he suspects it was just a ploy by Cooper's manager to drive his contract price up?

 

[Charmamba]

He did indeed, same was said about Izzy for abit as well wasn't it? Chance may not be high but would be good for league if the Eels did get him.

 

[Ghibli]

Do the ARU highly regard Cooper?

 

[Fozz]

Given how he and Genia turned the Reds around in Super 14 and their recent Test performances, they bloody well should!

 

[Benno]

http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,865 ... 59,00.html

Wallabies star Quade Cooper is prepared to walk away from rugby union if the NRL provides an extra $200,000 to his offer from Parramatta.

The revelation comes as Eels star Jarryd Hayne declared Cooper would be a hit in rugby league.

Hayne urged the NRL to strike a blow for the code by targeting the Wallabies playmaker.

Hayne's stance was backed by Fox Sports rugby league expert Greg Alexander, who called on the NRL to assist the Eels in their bid to poach Cooper just 12 months out from the 2011 Rugby World Cup.

While Cooper is adopting a diplomatic line to avert ructions with his ARU paymasters, privately the 22-year-old is seriously considering a code switch after meeting with Hayne and Eels powerbrokers Paul Osborne and Roy Spagnolo on Thursday night.

Cooper told the Eels trio he is interested in joining the club next season.

The Cooper camp are unhappy at suggestions they are using Parramatta to drive up their asking price after the Queensland utility turned down a $1 million offer from French rugby.

But the final impediment to his stunning code switch is money, with Cooper reluctant to quit rugby if Parramatta cannot trump the estimated $600,000 he stands to earn with the ARU next year.

With the Eels having around $500,000 to spend, their hopes of snaring Cooper hinge on whether the NRL is prepared to bankroll the biggest Wallaby defection since rugby turned professional in 1996.

Alexander said the NRL would be foolish to ignore the public relations opportunities in poaching Cooper after seeing big-name stars Craig Gower, Karmichael Hunt, Sonny Bill Williams and Israel Folau lost to rugby and AFL in recent seasons.

"It is time for the NRL to do something. Let's get Quade Cooper," Alexander said.

"Why not do it? The other codes have done it to us, why shouldn't we do it?

"I know it wouldn't be a popular decision (for the NRL to subsidise Cooper's Eels deal), but if a guy like Quade Cooper is interested in league, we shouldn't be closing the door on him. The AFL stepped in to help get Israel Folau, the ARU has stepped up previously to top-up several league guys' contracts like Mat Rogers and Wendell Sailor.

"If I was David Gallop (NRL boss), I'd be saying here's some money, pick which club you want to play with and we'll give you a top-up. I know NRL clubs will jump up and down, but Quade Cooper would be a massive coup for the game.

"He's got the goods. The NRL's help could drag him across the line."

After meeting with Cooper on Thursday night, Hayne urged the Reds playmaker to play alongside him at the Eels next season.

"He would adapt for sure, I'd love to play with him," said Hayne, who has struck up a friendship with Cooper via Twitter.

"Quade would be good for us, he's a great player."

 

[Coxy]

Tell him he's dreamin'!

 

[Flutterby]

Seriously??? The guy has been really good for what like 2 seconds? What is it with players across pretty much all codes thinking that once they have one really really good season they should just flog themselves off to the highest bidder? I would be seriously pissed if the NRL adds any money to the Eels offer - considering the number of NRL clubs that have had to let top line players go to other codes or Superleague, when just a little bit of help from the NRL would have kept them.

Also given Coopers off-field indiscretions, I think our code could actually do without the likes of him ATM

 

[Fozz]

Disgraceful! How can the Eels afford Cooper at $500,000 a season? I demand an investigation.

With Hayne, Burt, Robson and Horo on their books surely they are cheating!

 

[m1c]

He is a phenomenal talent. IMO probably the best playmaker in his age bracket in either code. However he would take some management and he has some very real defensive deficiencies. McKenzie has taken to shuffling him out to the wing anytime the Reds defend in their own half. After I think a single test Robbie Deans followed suit. He is not even a turnstile, the resistance he offers is even less than that.

I think the NRL would be crazy not to assist in working out some sort of TPA if it means League can strike this kind of blow.

 

[Ffs...]

Any union converts should be exempt from the salary cap. Be a great bite back if it happens.

 

[Nashy]

Maybe Hayne should take a paycut to get him. Since he's fucking useless and all.

 

[Flutterby]

So let me get this straight. It is not OK for a group like the Thoroughbreds to throw in some money to get a player to either come to or stay at the Broncos; however it is OK for the NRL (the governing body) to throw in some money to get a RU player to come play for the Eels [icon_shru

I am completely against the NRL topping up contracts to get players to come across from another code. Unless they give every single club $200,000 to be used towards paying a convert to come across.

 

[Nashy]

That still wouldn't be good enough. It would still be an unfair advantage, because there will never be 16 players code swap to a sport that has a stupid salary cap.

So if the NRL top up the contract. Then all the other clubs should have the grant to go towards one players in their team, or to sign another player to their team.

 

[Flutterby]

That still wouldn't be good enough. It would still be an unfair advantage, because there will never be 16 players code swap to a sport that has a stupid salary cap.

Exactly, if every club doesn't get to do it then no club does - hence I return to my original against the NRL topping up any contract at all under any circumstance.

 

[Flutterby]

But just for arguement's sake that the NRL does agree to give the Eels the extra $200,000 reported required to lure Cooper - would it just be a once off or would they be expect to chuck in the $200,000 for every year of his contract? If it's just a once off, then how will the Eels pay him the full amount of his contract in future years if they can't afford it now? They'll have to let go other players of course - so ulitmately it will probably weaken their team in the long run.

 

[Nashy]

And here lies the major issue with the salary cap.

People can whinge and moan all they like about making it fair, because god forbid the useless clubs might go under, but this is just proof.

Any sporting code can come to the NRL, and take what they want. Because they can pay for it. But it can never happen the other way around, because of the stupid restricting cap.

The cap has to go. It needs to go. The cap is only causing the clubs that need to go under, to stay in the game, and hold it back. It's stupid.

 

[Foordy]

And here lies the major issue with the salary cap.

People can whinge and moan all they like about making it fair, because god forbid the useless clubs might go under, but this is just proof.

Any sporting code can come to the NRL, and take what they want. Because they can pay for it. But it can never happen the other way around, because of the stupid restricting cap.

The cap has to go. It needs to go. The cap is only causing the clubs that need to go under, to stay in the game, and hold it back. It's stupid.

the AFL has a cap as well.