Quade Cooper has plenty to lose:
David Pocock
Jon Geddes and Peter Badel
The Daily Telegraph
August 20, 2010
WALLABIES back-rower David Pocock, one of Quade Cooper's closest mates,
believes the star five-eighth would be very brave to walk away
from rugby and make the big switch to rugby league.
Risk ... Quade Cooper. Source: The Daily Telegraph
His view came as the ARU bumped up its offer to Cooper to the tune of $100,000 over two years, bringing the talented No. 10's base contract level up to $400,000 a year.
Though still under Parramatta's $500,000-a-year offer, Cooper now stands to earn well over $600,000 by collecting match fees for both the Queensland Reds and the Wallabies.
Cooper reportedly met with Eels officials last night and despite flying out this morning with the Wallabies to South Africa, is believed to be keen to make a decision over the weekend.
Wallabies coach Robbie Deans yesterday admitted the Cooper saga had caused "angst" in camp this week and was later seen deep in discussion with his five-eighth at the team hotel. He was no doubt attempting to convince Cooper to stay on. Pocock- who first played with Cooper as a schoolboy in Queensland - also had discussions with him but hadn't tried to persuade him what to do.
"He has built up over five years or so to get where he is," Pocock said. "He would be very brave to leave I think. It's a totally new challenge, it's a bit of the unknown."
Pocock, who has spent time with Cooper since the squad went back into camp this week, said it was hard to know what he will do.
"He obviously has a lot to think about. At the end of the day he's a grown man and he will make his own decision," Pocock said.
"From my point of view I hope he stays. I really enjoy playing alongside him and he knows how much we enjoy having him around."
Pocock said the issue had not affected the Wallabies' preparations for their upcoming Tests against South Africa and that it was business as usual. But he will clearly be happy when the current hullabaloo ends.
"It will be good to get to South Africa tomorrow, they have never heard about rugby league," Pocock said.
Pocock had been in Perth when the story about Cooper first broke.
"I had no idea about the whole thing and coming to Sydney there is so much carry-on about Quade," Pocock said.
Deans said the saga had been the source of a lot of discussion and humour among the squad.
"And probably it would be fair to say that it has been the source of a bit of angst as well because it has added some peripheral interest which potentially can be a distraction depending on how we manage that," Deans said.
"I don't believe it has been a distraction to date.
"It's actually par for the course - obviously there is a little more interest than usual in this one."
Link:
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sp...ose-david-pocock/story-e6frey4i-1225907464335
