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

[B-Tron 3000]

We were on the back foot for about 70 out of 80 minutes. Any playmaker would have struggled under those conditions.

Genia seemed to do ok.

Cooper was awful today...

his head was somewhere else.

I said the same thing. He was a second or two off the pace and out of synch with his teammates. It definitely looked like he wasn't focussed properly.

 

[Spot On]

agree with others that we're lucky we didn't land quade cooper... The guy is even less reliable to have on your side than morts!

Dodged a bullett!!! Will Genia must have sore shoulders after each game.

 

[parra pete]

Rugby Union is about as close to Rugby League as Tennis is to Badminton or squash.
The Total MATCH tackle count today was Wallabies 140 to Springboks 53...or something like that.
Missed the game on TV, but listened to it on ABC radio, travelling back from picking up the mother in law who has been sick in Melbourne.
Watched the Pumas and All Blicks though. All Blicks are relentless but will find the Wallabies a tough proposition


This is BRILLIANT........

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1xVbYQ9umt4

 

[Bazal]

Rugby Union is about as close to Rugby League as Tennis is to Badminton or squash.
The Total MATCH tackle count today was Wallabies 140 to Springboks 53...or something like that.
Missed the game on TV, but listened to it on ABC radio, travelling back from picking up the mother in law who has been sick in Melbourne.
Watched the Pumas and All Blicks though. All Blicks are relentless but will find the Wallabies a tough proposition


This is BRILLIANT........

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1xVbYQ9umt4

Not sure how they do it at "professional" level, but the tackle stats are tallied very differently to league at grade level and I'm too pissed to recall exactly how it differs

 

[Delboy]

Tried to watch the game but gave up as usual, switched it back on towards the end of the game to see the Boks get screwed on a forward pass when they scored. Guess it is more important to see the Wobblies play the Ill Blecks ( maybe thats what the blind bloke with the whistle thought), but a s*#t game, commentated on by ex players who over hype the rubbish.

Someone did a one on one tackle, and they nearly spoofed down the microphone, turned it off and went back to cleaning my shoes, more productive use of my time

 

[HevyDevy]

In saying all that though, the whole Wallaby team was outplayed completely today.
How the f**k we won I'll never know. Cooper wasn't the only hack out there today.
I find it amusing that you are all so quick to to bag him out.
Absolutely he has his shortcomings, but f**k me dead, what were the possesion stats today? We were on the back foot for about 70 out of 80 minutes. Any playmaker would have struggled under those conditions. Even Mortimer.


Suity

You did see the errors he made, yeah?

 

[Jake the snake]

Sorry I just find rugby boring. I'd rather etch AFL. Too many penalty kicks and stop start penalties. Ugly!!

 

[84 Baby]

The possession stat were poor however whenever he had the ball he either kicked it away or when he did run it he ran around an around in circles and turned the ball over. Has done for much of the competition.

If it wasn't for Genia, O'Connor ( a better 5/8 option) and Pocock and some strong defensive scramble they would have been smashed.

I'm assuming you meant O'Connor would make a better league 5/8th than Cooper, because there's no way he's a better union fly half. Cooper IMO would play halfback in league not 5/8th

 

[Joshuatheeel]

Tried to watch the game but gave up as usual, switched it back on towards the end of the game to see the Boks get screwed on a forward pass when they scored. Guess it is more important to see the Wobblies play the Ill Blecks ( maybe thats what the blind bloke with the whistle thought), but a s*#t game, commentated on by ex players who over hype the rubbish.

Someone did a one on one tackle, and they nearly spoofed down the microphone, turned it off and went back to cleaning my shoes, more productive use of my time

HA HA They also nearly spoofed when a Aussie took a bomb on the full with 6 opposition players on him - happens several times each week in each league game

 

[Spot On]

I thought Scott Dureau was one of the poorest defenders I'd ever seen. Cooper is on a par and sometimes worse. You couldn't hide him in defence in the NRL. He is having a shocking tournament. Surely he has to be better than what we are seeing. Surely.

 

[Suitman]

You did see the errors he made, yeah?

Are you an idiot?
Of course I did. Hence my questions.
I'd suggest you read my posts correctly if you want to take relevant discussions further. If not...................f**k off, dip stick.

Suity

 

[parra pete]

Quade Cooper will win more matches for the Wallabies than he loses (in my opinion)..Rather him be a Wallaby than against them....

 

[bartman]

Are you an idiot?
Of course I did. Hence my questions.
I'd suggest you read my posts correctly if you want to take relevant discussions further. If not...................f**k off, dip stick.

Suity

I think the question you asked was about the possession stats? Which massively favoured South Africa.

But I think the point HD made about Quade Cooper's error rate is very valid when considering the possession rate, as Quade's errors in attack were fundamental to the amount of possession that the Springboks went on to enjoy.

 

[caylo]

Rugby Union is about as close to Rugby League as Tennis is to Badminton or squash.
The Total MATCH tackle count today was Wallabies 140 to Springboks 53...or something like that.
Missed the game on TV, but listened to it on ABC radio, travelling back from picking up the mother in law who has been sick in Melbourne.
Watched the Pumas and All Blicks though. All Blicks are relentless but will find the Wallabies a tough proposition


This is BRILLIANT........

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1xVbYQ9umt4

That is true but it is because a forward does 1000 times more work off the ball. While the tackle count was 140 v 53 it would have probably been 450 v 250 with tackles off the ball or clearances. Also backs generally kick ahead if isolated because they can turn the ball over so much easier but while the games have their differences they are very much the same.

I have played rugby now for 3 years and its very technical and half the players don't know the rules but apart from the ruck the skills are very interchangeable, I think most #8 and flankers would make awesome wide running backrower (Palu and Samo), most rugby halfback would make awesome hookers (Genia, Burgess) and their flyhalfs and fullbacks would slot into most teams with ease. I think Cooper would probably find League easier because he would have so much more time and it would allow him to run more. Rugby is less a running game and more a rolling game and while they are trying to change it with the new rule it is still pretty easy to slow down the match and play a forward game.

 

[HevyDevy]

Are you an idiot?
Of course I did. Hence my questions.
I'd suggest you read my posts correctly if you want to take relevant discussions further. If not...................f**k off, dip stick.

Suity

You seem upset Suity. Had a bad day, did we?

 

[spiderdan]

I'd rather see us throw the big money at Genia and O'Connor.... at least they can defend. Cooper is an overated hack.

O'connor is another one of those players on the parra list of "ones that got away". Apparently a parra fan and went to school at one of the places we put our young players through before choosing union, or so he was saying in an interview a bit before the cup on ch9.

 

[HevyDevy]

I think the question you asked was about the possession stats? Which massively favoured South Africa.

But I think the point HD made about Quade Cooper's error rate is very valid when considering the possession rate, as Quade's errors in attack were fundamental to the amount of possession that the Springboks went on to enjoy.

Suity doesn't like having his judgement challenged.

The telling factor was that while none of the Aussie backs enjoyed any quality possession, some of them performed quite admirably under the circumstances - namely O'Connor and of course Genia.

Cooper on the other hand took terrible options, made shocking mistakes and failed to learn from any of them. I do rate him, but that was an absolute shocker of a game from him.

 

[Casper The Ghost]

Pocock is the mach 2 and mach 3 Ray Price & Wayne Pearce.
Best player on the field and one of the very best players in the world in either Yawnion or League.
Gees, we could do with signing him up as our lock - can easily play 2nd row too.

Quade looked sick - wonder if he was crook overnight?

 

[Bigfella]

Pocock's greatest skill is his ability to turn over possession. He would be made to leave rugby because one of his greatest technical skills would be denied him.

I don't think Cooper made a heap of mistakes as such; it was more his option taking and decision making.

Normally those are of a very high, even unique standard. He had a poor game and is having a poor tournament. But he is the best rugby player in the world when on song, and a freakish playmaker.

It also looked like his teammates were on a completely different page.

Digby Ione is one who would be a great league player.

 

[parra pete]

That is true but it is because a forward does 1000 times more work off the ball. While the tackle count was 140 v 53 it would have probably been 450 v 250 with tackles off the ball or clearances. Also backs generally kick ahead if isolated because they can turn the ball over so much easier but while the games have their differences they are very much the same.

I have played rugby now for 3 years and its very technical and half the players don't know the rules but apart from the ruck the skills are very interchangeable, I think most #8 and flankers would make awesome wide running backrower (Palu and Samo), most rugby halfback would make awesome hookers (Genia, Burgess) and their flyhalfs and fullbacks would slot into most teams with ease. I think Cooper would probably find League easier because he would have so much more time and it would allow him to run more. Rugby is less a running game and more a rolling game and while they are trying to change it with the new rule it is still pretty easy to slow down the match and play a forward game.

Thanks for that Caylo. I understand that. I played Rugby Union for a long time before moving to the bush, was President and sponsor of the local Club for over ten years, and I am a Life Member. I love the game and everything about it.
Most Union players would not seriously consider switching to Rugby League for the following reasons (a) They prefer playing Union (b) the game takes them all over the World playing before huge crowds (c) they are very well compensated for doing something they obviously enjoy (d) the fans really enjoy mixing with fans from other Countries, and the singing and brotherhood that goes with it...