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DRAGONS star Matt Cooper has rejected an emergency call-up for the NSW State of Origin team just 24 hours before coach Ricky Stuart reveals his team for the opening game of the series.
The tough centre was granted an exemption from representative football after sending a letter to NSWRL chief executive Geoff Carr six weeks ago asking for permission to stand down.
The Sunday Telegraph understands Cooper changed his mind a fortnight ago after secretly discussing his form with Stuart and St George Illawarra coach Wayne Bennett at a private meeting in Wollongong.
He was even told he could miss the City-Country game but would still be assured of selection in the centres for the Blues in the series opener on Wednesday week.
Cooper thought long and hard about playing and was still considering the offer going into Friday night's match against the Bulldogs at Homebush, where he had another blinder.
But yesterday morning Stuart got the phone call telling him Cooper had decided not to play - and even his St George Illawarra team-mates couldn't convince him to change his mind over the weekend.
With Cooper unavailable, the Blues are now expected to go with his Dragons team-mate Mark Gasnier and Bulldogs youngster Jamal Idris as the centres when the 17-man squad is announced by NSW chairman John Chalk at Star City on Sunday afternoon.
Cronulla Sharks ironman Paul Gallen will be named as captain of a team that won't have too many surprises from what has been speculated in the media in recent weeks.
The Sunday Telegraph understands that boom Raiders fullback Josh Dugan is the front-runner for the fullback jersey, despite playing only a handful of games for the struggling Green Machine this year because of a calf injury.
His man of the match performance in the All Stars match on the Gold Coast in February and another smart display last night against Melbourne has convinced Stuart and his veteran adviser Bob Fulton that Dugan deserves the spot in what will be his Origin debut.
Who would have thought Parramatta's Jarryd Hayne would be left out of a NSW team when he was at the top of his game just two years ago, winning the Dally M Medal and leading the Eels on a charge to the grand final?
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/cooper-turns-down-rickys-sos/story-e6frexni-1226055885713
The tough centre was granted an exemption from representative football after sending a letter to NSWRL chief executive Geoff Carr six weeks ago asking for permission to stand down.
The Sunday Telegraph understands Cooper changed his mind a fortnight ago after secretly discussing his form with Stuart and St George Illawarra coach Wayne Bennett at a private meeting in Wollongong.
He was even told he could miss the City-Country game but would still be assured of selection in the centres for the Blues in the series opener on Wednesday week.
Cooper thought long and hard about playing and was still considering the offer going into Friday night's match against the Bulldogs at Homebush, where he had another blinder.
But yesterday morning Stuart got the phone call telling him Cooper had decided not to play - and even his St George Illawarra team-mates couldn't convince him to change his mind over the weekend.
With Cooper unavailable, the Blues are now expected to go with his Dragons team-mate Mark Gasnier and Bulldogs youngster Jamal Idris as the centres when the 17-man squad is announced by NSW chairman John Chalk at Star City on Sunday afternoon.
Cronulla Sharks ironman Paul Gallen will be named as captain of a team that won't have too many surprises from what has been speculated in the media in recent weeks.
The Sunday Telegraph understands that boom Raiders fullback Josh Dugan is the front-runner for the fullback jersey, despite playing only a handful of games for the struggling Green Machine this year because of a calf injury.
His man of the match performance in the All Stars match on the Gold Coast in February and another smart display last night against Melbourne has convinced Stuart and his veteran adviser Bob Fulton that Dugan deserves the spot in what will be his Origin debut.
Who would have thought Parramatta's Jarryd Hayne would be left out of a NSW team when he was at the top of his game just two years ago, winning the Dally M Medal and leading the Eels on a charge to the grand final?
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/cooper-turns-down-rickys-sos/story-e6frexni-1226055885713
if it means we have 1 less player vulnerable to injury...then im happy with that! Ill take another gf over an origin win 
