Quade Cooper knocks back Parramatta Eels offer to switch to NRL and sticks with Union

[Casper The Ghost]

Cooper expected to stay with Wallabies
David Beniuk
SMH - AAP
September 5, 2010 - 7:44PM

Wallabies star Quade Cooper is expected to announce this week he is staying with Australian rugby.

It is believed Cooper has agreed to a two-year extension of his contract with the Australian Rugby Union and decided against a switch to NRL club Parramatta.

The deal will keep him in a Wallabies jersey for next year's Rugby World Cup and through until at least the end of 2012.

Parramatta chief executive Paul Osborne said he was resigned to Cooper staying in rugby, having not heard from the Wallabies star for a number of weeks.

Before the Australian rugby team's trip to South Africa, Cooper had been heavily linked with the Eels, who reportedly tabled an offer of around $1.5 million for the five-eighth to become the club's key playmaker from next season.

Osborne said the same money was still there despite the club announcing the signing of former representative forwards Reni Maitua and Carl Webb during the week.

"I think he'll stay in rugby I haven't heard from him for a few weeks," Osborne told AAP.

"I always thought he'd stay in rugby." Cooper was close to some of Australia's best and worst moments in Saturday's historic Bloemfontein victory over South Africa, at one stage having to watch a pass from eventual hero Kurtley Beale sail over his head and roll over the dead ball line.

"You sort of think what more could go wrong and then the falcon on KB (Beale), so things were starting to build up," Cooper said.

"We had a yellow card (on Saia Faingaa), backs were against the wall but the attitude and intent that everyone showed to push through and come out the right end of it is what special teams are made of." Cooper will play his first Test against the All Blacks at ANZ Stadium next Saturday night.

"Coming up against the All Blacks for my first time is going to be great but as a group we're really looking forward to it," he said.

Link: http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-new...ed-to-stay-with-wallabies-20100905-14vun.html

 

[TheParraboy]

someone put parra pete on suicide watch

 

[PJ Marshal]

not even the lure of playing alongside carl webb and reni maitua could sway quade?!? ..... oh geez he is a tough man to crack

 

[TheParraboy]

Inu leaving was no doubt instrumental

 

[El Diablo]

would have come if only we'd managed to get Colin Best

 

[Casper The Ghost]

Put me in the picture too, my friend told me a while ago that Quade was close to signing, I assumed that it was more a yes he was coming than a no.
But lets wait until we here it is official.
Does anyone have a spare straitjacket for Pete hanging around?

 

[PJ Marshal]

would have come if only we'd managed to get Colin Best

would of been a the big baragining chip, to say you play along side colin best would be pretty awesome , i still remember when leon bott made him look like an ass clown

 

[El Diablo]

what has happened to Leon Bott?

think he was playing Union and got suspended after smashing Bob Hawke's relo

i remember after his first few games he declared himself a Blue as he was being talked up as a future Origin player

 

[grapeape]

ozzie got played for a fool

looked like a fat ghost zombie last nite

 

[El Diablo]

looked like a fat ghost zombie last nite

was probably thinking about 2011

would give you nightmares

 

[adamkungl]

not even the lure of playing alongside carl webb and reni maitua could sway quade?!? ..... oh geez he is a tough man to crack

:lol: gold

 

[PJ Marshal]

was probably thinking about 2011

would give you nightmares

 

[Fee]

There was no way he was coming to Parra! It was such a long shot!

 

[Forty20]

Cooper 'league' decision after Tri Nations
September 6, 2010 - 12:00AM


Five-eighth Quade Cooper admits Saturday's miracle win over the Springboks could influence his decision on whether to stay in rugby union or switch to the NRL.

But the brilliant playmaker says that decision can't be expected until after next weekend's final Tri Nations Test against the All Blacks in Sydney.

That could also have a bearing on his thinking because it will be Cooper's first Test against New Zealand.

Asked if the euphoria of the drought-breaking win in Bloemfontein would come into his thinking, Cooper said: "It could but I'm just enjoying playing footy.

"Just getting two games in a row and one more left (against NZ), once we knock that over I'm sure I'll be able to come up with a decision and hopefully it's a good one.

"Coming up against the All Blacks for my first time is going to be great but as a group we're really looking forward to it.

"It gives you confidence when the team is going so well and the team comes out on top in such a tight performance like this."

NRL club Parramatta's chief executive Paul Osborne is resigned to Cooper staying in rugby, having not heard from the Wallabies star for a number of weeks.

Before the Australian rugby team's trip to South Africa, Cooper had been heavily linked with the Eels, who reportedly tabled an offer of around $1.5 million for him to become the club's key playmaker next season and forego leading Australia's hopes in next year's Rugby World Cup in New Zealand.

Osborne said the same money was still there despite the club announcing the signing of former representative forwards Reni Maitua and Carl Webb during the week.

"I think he'll stay in rugby I haven't heard from him for a few weeks," Osborne said.

"I always thought he'd stay in rugby."

Cooper was close to some of Australia's best and worst moments in the Bloemfontein epic, at one stage having to watch a pass from eventual hero Kurtley Beale sail over his head and roll over the dead ball line.

"You sort of think what more could go wrong and then the falcon on KB (Beale), so things were starting to build up," Cooper said.

"We had a yellow card (on Saia Faingaa), backs were against the wall but the attitude and intent that everyone showed to push through and come out the right end of it is what special teams are made of."

Clicky

 

[mrpwnd]

Hopefully the wallabies have an absolute shocker and get thrashed by the all blacks.

 

[Parra Guru]

Well no surprise there. There is no way the ARU will let go of their first choice fly half without a fight.

what has happened to Leon Bott?

think he was playing Union and got suspended after smashing Bob Hawke's relo

i remember after his first few games he declared himself a Blue as he was being talked up as a future Origin player

Think he went to play for the Reds years ago didn't he?

that clearly went well :lol:

 

[strider]

i don't think he was ever any legit chance of coming .... we should consider ourselves well and truely used and discarded

 

[Stagger eel]

i don't think he was ever any legit chance of coming .... we should consider ourselves well and truely used and discarded

I disagree, I think he did flirted with the thought for quite a while but at the end of the day I think the preasure of him staying would of been too great.

 

[strider]

sure maybe he would have come if union hadn't come to party, but i think that was always the prime motive

we can laugh at rugby world cups all we like, but union ppl think they are great - he'd never want to miss that

if he really wanted to play league for parramatta, he'd take a 1 yr deal to stick with union until after the world cup .... if he signs a 2 yr deal with union, then I believe he never really wanted to play league for parramatta

 

[Stagger eel]

sure maybe he would have come if union hadn't come to party, but i think that was always the prime motive

we can laugh at rugby world cups all we like, but union ppl think they are great - he'd never want to miss that

if he really wanted to play league for parramatta, he'd take a 1 yr deal to stick with union until after the world cup .... if he signs a 2 yr deal with union, then I believe he never really wanted to play league for parramatta

well the length of the deal is still only speculative but the ARU would definitely be pushing for a 2 year deal, no doubt about it.