FFS! Quade Cooper in secret talks with Parramatta Eels

[shiznit]

this thread has to be one of the funniest ever on LU.

Quade Cooper would be a stupid signing... the guys just finished his first consistent super14... thats a fair bit shorter than a NRL season.

you would have rocks in your head to pay this bloke a marquee salary...

hes untested at international level.... off the top of my head i can think of Carter, Wilkinson, Steyn, Evans, Trinh-Duc, Jones.... hell, id even rate Craig Gower ahead of Cooper at this stage.

hes not even close to world class yet.... i dont even think hes played against the All Blacks yet.... :lol:

f**ken hell... Ossie would be better off grabbing Kimmorley for next season and give themselves another year to see if someone else comes on to the market.

 

[boxhead]

Funny that, from what I've seen of him and to what other experts would claim he would actually be a bloody amazing signing for Parramatta.

 

[stuke]

this may come across as a biased opinion as a Parra supporter, but why doesn't the NRL allow clubs to sign Union players at a discounted rate to the salary cap. maybe one player per club at a time for the first 2 seasons and the NRL gets to sanction the quality of the player (not unlike a marquee signing in the A-League).

the Union old boys are scrambling at the moment and, if it gets down to the nitty gritty, I'm sure they'll be able to stump up extra cash to keep Quade in the game. but it sure has made some positive headlines for the NRL and it is a nice change from NRL players being poached by rival codes.

the Union and AFL haven't let $ worry them when they are grabbing NRL players, and the majority of them have only been used to promote the new game.

 

[EelDredd]

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 former Kangaroos halfback 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."

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/rugby/top-up-will-get-cooper/story-e6frey4i-1225905265424

 

[adamkungl]

Personally I prefer a fair competition above taking pot-shots at other codes. I'd prefer the NRL didn't go down the path of offering huge contracts to players who have never played RL before. We've derided the AFL and Union for it, let's keep our integrity. If Parramatta can afford him, good for them.

 

[Schiltzenberger]

lol, I can imagine the fans of the other 15 teams blowing up about this. I probably would too if it was any other team, but it could work.

Maybe the NRL could make up some maximum amount they'd pay for defectors after helping Parra with this. Like they'll throw in a certain percentage of the players wage up to a 200k max or something, but each club can only have one player getting said top up.

 

[lucablight]

Isn't it very risky throwing big money at an unproven union player? How would he go as a first grade halfback?

 

[Forty20]

Personally I prefer a fair competition above taking pot-shots at other codes. I'd prefer the NRL didn't go down the path of offering huge contracts to players who have never played RL before. We've derided the AFL and Union for it, let's keep our integrity. If Parramatta can afford him, good for them.

I'm inclined to agree, as desperate as I am for us to sign a quality half and matters of integrity asides, this path opens up a nasty can of worms under our current salary cap system.

If we sign Cooper we do it under what space we have in our cap and that is pretty much the end all.

 

[BissyB]

This guy is a Benji Marshall with the strength of a Hayne. If we can get him I will dance naked in front of parliament house on the day of the election

 

[Joshuatheeel]

don't like spending $500k on a unproven player. I reckon it will end in tears as he will struggle to handle the defensive work load.,

But if we have to sign him, and it comes down to $200k surely we couldn't offer him 100K of the maque signing allowance and find him 100k in third party fees

 

[strider]

the nrl can help find him a 3rd party deal ... lockyer and inglis are apparently only cheap under the cap with 3rd parties ontop - no one can complain if the guy is still taking 500K in our cap and some 3rd party things come along

 

[Joshuatheeel]

the nrl can help find him a 3rd party deal ... lockyer and inglis are apparently only cheap under the cap with 3rd parties ontop - no one can complain if the guy is still taking 500K in our cap and some 3rd party things come along

Hi Strider, you are one of the wise guys in here ( hsa ha ha ), do you really think he will fix our half problem ?

I wonder if he really offered thurston a serious offer since we so much cash !!! maybe things could be different

 

[BissyB]

Joshua, this guy is seriously good. Has a rocket pass, a great step, strength, a long flat kick. All the attack skills he has. Don't know how he will go in defence

 

[Schiltzenberger]

the nrl can help find him a 3rd party deal ... lockyer and inglis are apparently only cheap under the cap with 3rd parties ontop - no one can complain if the guy is still taking 500K in our cap and some 3rd party things come along

Yeah, they helped with Johns and Gasnier.
If I were in charge of any team and was close to signing a player but needed that little extra, I'd be straight on the phone to Gallop to set up a meeting.

Maybe the NRL can fund it but make it look like Parra got the 3rd party deal.:sarcasm:

Joshua, this guy is seriously good. Has a rocket pass, a great step, strength, a long flat kick. All the attack skills he has. Don't know how he will go in defence

I wouldn't be too concerned with his defense, plenty of other teams have carried below average defenders. Maybe give him a body guard like Carroll was for Lockyer. There'd be ways to cover for him.

Imagine adding a Benji Marshall type player to our team. Holy Crap Batman.

 

[kanseki]

hmm.. if quade cooper hasnt had any league experience but the skillset to play in the halves.. wouldnt he better be suited for 5/8 and not halfback?

 

[BissyB]

I believe he played league at school

 

[Fathead]

I believe he played league at school

AND was very good at it... so was James O'connor - maybe get both!

 

[oldmancraigy]

hmm.. if quade cooper hasnt had any league experience but the skillset to play in the halves.. wouldnt he better be suited for 5/8 and not halfback?

Union 5/8 is like a league halfback. First receiver who calls the shots and directs the teams attack. To make him 5/8 in league would be a bigger learning curve!

(union halfback = league hooker)

I believe he played league at school

Are you sure?

He went to Sydney Grammar from years 7-12 I'm pretty sure - and they don't play league.... He was as Aus schoolboy for 2 years as well.

 

[Stagger eel]

we shouldn'r have to assistance from the NRL, if it was any other club we'd be blowing up deluxe and so we should..

 

[oldmancraigy]

we shouldn'r have to assistance from the NRL, if it was any other club we'd be blowing up deluxe and so we should..

What benefits did Johns receive to sign his last contract at the Knights?

The NRL didn't give them cash - they made an allowance though?

As far as an extra $100k per year goes, we could offer him that ourselves through the marquee player payment system as of next season. Currently we're committed to $150k and the limit is being raised to $300k!

An "independent" 3rd party sponsor could always jump in!