QC

[GIGS20]

He'll probably already be contracted otherwise the Force/Melbourne would have taken a crack at recruiting him. Between him, Tim Walsh and a couple of the Reds academy guys they would probably cope well enough without Cooper. Given the shitstorm that would follow you kind of start to hope Cooper won't sign with the Force. Mind you they kicked up that much of a fuss when Giteau did the same and its not like that heralded the end of the world.

I could weather the shitstorm of him signing, I'm just concerned we'll pay good money and get the same result we did from Giteau, when he signed he was clearly the best player in the World in his position, when he left he was a petulant, overpaid paper tiger.

Hopefully that's a special case!

[jombi]

when he signed he was clearly the best player in the World in his position,

Well that's debatable!!!

From all reports Cooper doesn't think the team revolves around him.

[GIGS20]

Well that's debatable!!!

From all reports Cooper doesn't think the team revolves around him.

I'd be prepared to make the argument, there wasn't a better #12 in 2007!

[farva]

We didnt sign Giteau as a 12, we signed him as a 10. And his last year here, he was the best 10 in the S14s.

Id prefer we hold on to Hill to be honest. He isnt a super star but he is very competant and will be a great mentor to teh young flyhalves we have here already. JOC will learn a lot playing outside of him, Stefano Hunt will be the better for coming off the bench having watched him, and he will be a great mentor for guys like Kyle Godwin, who will be the future of the Force.

[James]

I could weather the shitstorm of him signing, I'm just concerned we'll pay good money and get the same result we did from Giteau, when he signed he was clearly the best player in the World in his position, when he left he was a petulant, overpaid paper tiger.

Hopefully that's a special case!

I think most of that money is coming from 3rd party sponsors who want something identifiable to show for their investment. Sure it might be better spent elsewhere like on the academy but if the Force itself is only actually forking over the typical 110k it isn't a big deal.

I see your point but the Force need to win in order to keep sponsors and keep fairweather fans (jerks!) to keep money coming in and to keep the state investing in a bloody stadium and to retain our players and be enticing to new ones. I don't want to see the Force become the Lions or the Cheetahs. Now I'm not saying Quade Cooper would single handedly do all of this but he is in some bloody good form.

[jono]

i dont see Quade comming here for anything but top dollar, plus the third party stuff

[todd4]

There's arguements both sides but it worries me a little when I see reports suggesting Cooper has been offered a staggering amount of money, no one knows how much exactly but it makes you wonder where it will lead to.

When JOC re-signed recently IIRC his total package was around 600k per year. Reports are Cooper has been offered a lot more than this.

Pocock's contract expires this year and you would think that he should be offered pretty much whatever Cooper is offered. If not will he be insulted and walk?

Will O'Connor's nose be put out of joint if Cooper is paid a lot more than him?...

Will Coopers' mega deal be the benchmark that all other Force player use to determine their self-worth when their contracts come up for renewal.

I can understand the Force wanting results sooner rather than later but will putting one player on a mega-buck pedestal cause resentment in the playing group.

If the Force do insist on trying to sign him I hope they leave themselves a get-out clause depending on what happens after his trial in July.

[AndyS]

Say we did sign him and it somehow created an influx of sponsors and fans - where the hell would we put them?

[zimeric]

i think in the professional era players and their agents are a little more realistic than that, its all about demand and supply as opposed to setting precedents.. If cooper is hot property he will garner top dollar.. if youre not being chased you probably will take any deal thats not insulting to your actual percieved worth.

im not saying that cooper is any better than Pocock or that Pocock shouldnt be looking for the same deal but rather that if Pocock is being offered more somewhere else and the Force cant match it then we'll have a problem.. not if one person is earning more than the other..

[Burgs]

Personally I think in the midterm all players are going to need to be paid significantly more. Not only need to be but should, if we (Australia/SANZAR) expect to continue to have a premium product we need to be able to retain all of our best players until they are no longer able to play to the standard required, not just disappear to other more lucrative competitions in the NH with a few great years left in the tank.
With this downward pressure would come the numbers to establish a genuine ARC and also an increased value in sponsorship.
There can't be a sudden jump but the ship does need turning at the moment as it is generally headed to conservatism rather than dominance.

[James]

i dont see Quade comming here for anything but top dollar, plus the third party stuff

Top dollar for all S14 franchises is only 110k a season + match payments.

While I'm sure that somewhere behind the scenes someone is orchestrating all of this (not a comment on the Force thats 3rd party sponsorship in general), it technically isn't 'the Force' who are offering him all of this money.

[tdevil]

Top dollar for all S14 franchises is only 110k a season + match payments.

I recall seeing an article last year on Rocky getting $150k + match fee only $3k + 3rd party sponsor $100k compared to JoC $110k + $50k match fee, so I guess that(match fee) is where the force will make up the money to get Cooper over here and then if you throw in 3rd party sponsor......makes a difference

[tic]

There's arguements both sides but it worries me a little when I see reports suggesting Cooper has been offered a staggering amount of money, no one knows how much exactly but it makes you wonder where it will lead to.

When JOC re-signed recently IIRC his total package was around 600k per year. Reports are Cooper has been offered a lot more than this.

Pocock's contract expires this year and you would think that he should be offered pretty much whatever Cooper is offered. If not will he be insulted and walk?

Will O'Connor's nose be put out of joint if Cooper is paid a lot more than him?...

Will Coopers' mega deal be the benchmark that all other Force player use to determine their self-worth when their contracts come up for renewal.

I can understand the Force wanting results sooner rather than later but will putting one player on a mega-buck pedestal cause resentment in the playing group.

If the Force do insist on trying to sign him I hope they leave themselves a get-out clause depending on what happens after his trial in July.

Good post. This is a very dangerous strategy. If you get Cooper because of the money, you are very likely to lose many more talented (and pissed off) players in the longer term.

It's actually a really dumb move and may prove that nothing has been learnt from the Giteau/Mitchell failed experiment.

Best option - keep Hill or another journeyman and train up young Stephano.

[jargan83]

Given that the rumour is legit, all we have so far is rumour and speculation

[zimeric]

one thing is for sure, if this is true and he does take the bait... its a VERY bad thing for the Reds and QRU, so im not surprised that Tic & Tocc are fizzing about this.