Queensland pieces together a deal to keep its rising star Quade Cooper

[travelling_gerry]

Queensland pieces together a deal to keep its rising star Quade Cooper

• Bret Harris
• From: The Australian
• April 21, 2010 12:00AM

WALLABIES' playmaker Quade Cooper is expected to remain with Queensland next year, but his decision to stay could cost the Reds the services of rugby league convert Mark Gasnier.

The Western Force has made Cooper a tempting offer to move to Perth, where he could attract a lucrative third-party sponsorship.
But it is understood Cooper's management has secured a third-party sponsorship for him in Queensland, which can match what is available in Perth.
Mining magnate Kevin Maloney is supporting the Reds financially, although he would not confirm whether he would back Cooper.
"I'm up there (Brisbane) later this week. I'll be talking through a number of things with them," Maloney said.
Given Cooper's blossoming combination with Wallabies halfback Will Genia and the Reds' renaissance under coach Ewen McKenzie, there are good reasons for him to stay in Brisbane, notwithstanding his desire to play with close friends James O'Connor and David Pocock at the Force.


If he can command the same -- if not greater -- financial reward, there would be less incentive for him to go.
While the Reds can come to terms with Cooper, they cannot re-sign him until after he faces court on a burglary charge in July, after which the ARU will re-negotiate a top-up.
But it is uncertain whether there is sufficient third-party sponsorship money in Queensland for both Cooper and Gasnier, who seems likely to join the Melbourne Rebels if he decides to return to Australia from France.
Gasnier has been negotiating with the ARU, but Stade Francais coach-elect Michael Cheika is trying to convince him to stay.
He is expected to make a decision in the next 10 days.
The Reds are also expected to sign former Wallabies tighthead prop Guy Shepherdson as a replacement for Laurie Weeks, who will join the Rebels next season.
Shepherdson played 18 Tests in 2006 and 2007 and was the Wallabies' first-choice tighthead at the World Cup in France, but is now playing behind Ben Alexander and Salesi Ma'afu at the Brumbies.
A move to Queensland could rejuvenate Shepherdson's career and provide the Reds with a specialist tighthead.
The Reds are also talking to Brumbies back-five forward Sitaleki Timani.
A hard-running forward, Timani has played 11 games for the Brumbies since 2008, but he has struggled to make the 22-man squad this year.
Queensland yesterday announced the signing of four Australian sevens players -- flanker Liam Gill, blindside flanker Ed Quirk, outside back Dominic Shipperley and winger Kimani Sitauti -- who will graduate from its academy to the senior squad next year.
NSW Waratahs second-rower Chris Thomson is expected to sign with a French club.
Meanwhile, Julian Huxley's hopes of capping his remarkable comeback with a return to the Wallabies have been dented after the ARU decided against topping up his Super 14 contract.
Huxley, a member of the Wallabies' 2007 World Cup squad, is playing for the Brumbies this season after a two-year absence following surgery to remove a brain tumour.
If Huxley cannot secure a top-up, he may look to Europe or
Japan.


http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news...-1225856143002

[Burgs]

What a fine upstanding gentleman Kevin Maloney is and how wonderful that his pure, heartfelt contribution can see this wonderful player able to stay in the bosom of his support network.
It warms the heart.
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[James]

I suppose its now the Force's fault the Reds can't afford Gasnier. I'm not convinced the Reds really need him anyway. Not like Melbourne does.

I'd like to see the Force put in a serious bid for Huxley it would be a waste to see him go off to Japan and he's played well at 10 before. He may not be as flashy as Cooper but he's at least as good as Hill and he is Australian.

Sounds like there might be a bit of tension in the air at the Brumbies.

[zimeric]

i find it amusing that when QLD secure third party deals to Match Perth its a great thing but they cry blue murder when We do it?
double standards much?
I have no doubt QC will stay, you'll find that all this talk of huge third party deals is all a play by Coopers management to get a better deal at QLD.

[TOCC]

i find it amusing that when QLD secure third party deals to Match Perth its a great thing but they cry blue murder when We do it?
double standards much?
I have no doubt QC will stay, you'll find that all this talk of huge third party deals is all a play by Coopers management to get a better deal at QLD.

hangon champ, i think you need to realise who kicked off the whole third-party contract as part of there recruitment drive. Before then third party contracts were the role of the manager, now the line seems audaciously blurred.

[tic]

I'd rather keep Quadey than get Gasnier.

Gasnier, for me, is still a bit untested at this level. Plus the Reds look pretty solid for outside backs - although this changes somewhat if Marcia heads off to Europe.

[travelling_gerry]

hangon champ, i think you need to realise who kicked off the whole third-party contract as part of there recruitment drive. Before then third party contracts were the role of the manager, now the line seems audaciously blurred.

Are you saying RWA invented 3rd party contracts?

You better look back in Queensland history before Rugby became professional and see how many players were employed by XXXX Breweries as "Business Development Officers".

Tim Horan for 1.

[Sheikh]

But TOCC, the only reports of third-party deals the Force have offered Cooper have come from the media who berated the Force for such tactics. I've seen no quotes anywhere about the Force actually offering third-party deals.

Now there's reports of a third-party deal for Cooper in Queensland (although, again, no quotes) and everything's fine.

I agree with Zim; I reckon it's all a ploy from Cooper's manager to get him the best deal from the Reds.

[GIGS20]

hangon champ, i think you need to realise who kicked off the whole third-party contract as part of there recruitment drive. Before then third party contracts were the role of the manager, now the line seems audaciously blurred.

Fine, let's talk about that.........link to the EVIDENCE that the Force offered or brokered any third party agreement.


and speculation by Greg Martin on the Rugby club is NOT evidence.

[zimeric]

hangon champ, i think you need to realise who kicked off the whole third-party contract as part of there recruitment drive. Before then third party contracts were the role of the manager, now the line seems audaciously blurred.

Noone has denied that Gits manager did not play any part in the negotiation of his third party deals, so i fail to get your point? Additionally just because franchise negotiated third party deals got the spotlight with Giteau's move, doesnt mean they werent happening before then.

[GIGS20]

Oh, was TOCC talking about the general concept of Third party agreement brokerage?

Well since the Force were fined for that it's not a problem for me

QRU can make their $150,000 dollar cheque payable to the ARU care of John O'Neill.

and i take back my previous post.

[jargan83]

But I thought all 3rd party deals were evil and the work of the devil?

You could almost describe this Queensland mining fellow as a "White Knight"

[Boomer]

hangon champ, i think you need to realise who kicked off the whole third-party contract as part of there recruitment drive. Before then third party contracts were the role of the manager, now the line seems audaciously blurred.

Fail. Semantics don't count. Who gets the money and from whom, isn't the argument. It's the continual bleating over the EWF third party transactions.

Your argument is something akin to "He did it first, sir". Now that might work if you're a child. It doesn't cut it when you play with the big boys, mate

[TOCC]

settle down ladies, i was merely pointing out the fact that the Force were the first province to actively use third-party contracts as part of the player recruiment process, i acknowledge that third party contracts did exsist prior to the Force inception, however they werent actively used to lure players to another province.

Now that the Force have set the precedence of using third party contracts to lure players its forced other teams to also follow a similar path so that they can compete with the Force.

[Swee_82]

Now that the Force have set the precedence of using third party contracts to lure players its forced other teams to also follow a similar path so that they can compete with the Force.

But the big naughty stick is only weilded by Growden, Martin, Harris et al when one franchise does it. Go figure.

If he can get what he'd earn here AND stay in Qld then good luck to him. If he can't then he has to decide what's more important to him- and if he decided its $$ then that's up to him-the usual "short career, have to make top coin now" arguments still apply whether he's moving to Perth or Paris. No shortage of celebrated mercanaries over at Real-Canberra either and I don't see anybody giving them a hard time.