Rookie Reds five-eighth 'better than Beale'

[Burgs]

Rookie Reds five-eighth 'better than Beale'

Thursday, March 1, 2007

Teenage playmaker Quade Cooper has been rated a better prospect than Kurtley Beale after gaining a surprise selection at five-eighth for Queensland.

New Zealand-born Cooper will have the playmaking reins for the Reds against the Lions on Saturday night just three months after finishing school in Brisbane.

The 18-year-old has been thrown into the hot seat in a reshuffled backline after Berrick Barnes was shifted from flyhalf to inside centre following an ankle injury to Peter Hynes.

But former dual international Russell Fairfax, a 1970s whiz-kid himself, is one who believes Cooper will thrive in the Super 14.

After watching the Waikato product star alongside NSW Waratahs wonderkid Beale for the Australian Schoolboys last year, Fairfax lauded him with immense praise.

"This kid is sensational, he's the best (schoolboy) I've ever seen," he told FoxSports.

"Right now I think he's a better player than Kurtley Beale.

"He's one to watch, he's certainly one out of the box."

Cooper, who has enjoyed three appearances off the bench, becomes the first Queenslander since Elton Flatley 11 years ago to make the immediate transition from school to provincial starter.

He has been shielded from the spotlight by coach Eddie Jones who has slapped a media ban on the youngster.

But in a QRU statement, Cooper said he was confident of coming to terms with the huge step up through the help of fellow youngster Barnes, 20.

"When you have two five-eighths on the field its easy to understand each other and there's more talk," he said.

"Berrick's a good reader of the game and it'll be good having him alongside me steering me around a bit."

Barnes, a fellow boom schoolboy recruit who first tried his hand at rugby league with the Brisbane Broncos, knows well the difficulty of dealing with expectations and has been a keen advisor to Cooper.

"This is a great opportunity for me and something I've hoped for since I was very young," Cooper said.

"As soon as I could run I was out playing rugby."

AAP

[Use The Force]

Geez I hate it when the media put so much pressure on these young guys! Just let them play a season and see if they develop!

[Vanilla Ice]

Why write about the rugby and chase down a story when you can just make crap up ?

[O'Regan]

Well just wait until you see him play, I am probably his biggest fan. Cooper likes to Run the ball, and has a massive kick on him, and I am sure he wouldn't mind using that kick. Although I can not say he is better (which I have not by the way) I am saying that if Cooper is that good, Beale Must be pretty good to be able to match him, or beat him.

He can also play Inside Centre and Fullback. Maybe you could see a swap with Barnes sometime in the game, you just don't know, with Eddie coaching.

[Burgs]

Well, in my eyes the reports are true.
Very impressed by what I saw from the young man tonight.
Had far more influence on tonights match than Beale did last night and played a far more solid brand of Rugby.
Set up and scored the first try and joined in the two man ruck clean out with O'Donoghue to create the second try.
Stronger in defence than Beale and doesn't have the cringe factor of looking like he's going to get taken out as discussed last night.
Purely on this weekends relative performances then if Beale is a must to make France (paraphrasing Growden) then it is only because Cooper has already been picked or injured!
The pairing with Barnes was also successful and when Berry went off early a glimpse of a future Wallabies combination was unvieled with possibly the youngest ever inside combination in Super Rugby of #9 Will Genia (19 years), #10 Quade Cooper (18 years) & 12. Berrick Barnes (20 years).
The Reds are still a way of hitting their straps (hopefully at least two weeks anyway!) but when they do they will be an exciting unit to watch.

[Shaun]

Coops was solid tonight. Better than Beale in my opinion. The Reds are now my third team after the Force and the Sharks. I am really starting to hate the Lions...

[O'Regan]

Yep, I was impressed with Cooper from yesterday nights perfomane, usually does have a better kick on him though, but still I am impressed, and lets hope Conolly see's the best in him, and shows a lot of Notice to him.

[Burgs]

Cooper touted as future star

By Jim Tucker
March 05, 2007

"THE Kid" can play. Teenage Reds discovery Quade Cooper has an exciting 10-year duel ahead with New South Wales prodigy Kurtley Beale to decide Australia's next long-term fly half.

That was the educated call of both Paul McLean and Elton Flatley when they sized up the slim 18-year-old figure who stepped into the Reds No.10 jumper that they once wore with such aplomb.

Cooper's silky passing, footwork and general have-a-go confidence were invigorating despite the forlorn landscape at fulltime at Suncorp Stadium on Saturday night.

Carelessly losing 26-20 to a Lions side there for the taking was "disgraceful", raged coach Eddie Jones with eardrum-bursting intensity to his players and, later, the media.

Dismay intensified yesterday when full back Clinton Schifcofske was ruled out for three weeks with a broken hand that will require minor surgery today.

Jones said no positives could be taken from a game where "absolutely dumb football" replaced the second-half tactics needed to ice a much-needed Super 14 win.

The Reds are now last on the ladder after a fourth straight loss.

The beacon of hope is Cooper. No one in the crowd of 17,011 missed the X-factor he instantly gave the Reds.

He attacked the line, he put the ball in front of supports, he showed surprising strength to slip two off-loads when jolted and he could step by two defenders in a phone box.

"It was a good, confident start and with Berrick Barnes at inside centre you could see the team suddenly had options in attack," said Flatley, who made his own Reds debut at 18 in 1996.

"When you're young like Quade, you do a lot of good things and make mistakes too.

"Success sometimes comes quickly. It's important he keep a level head and keep working hard when he has a setback.

"There'll be a prosperous 10 years competing with Beale ahead of him if he does."

Added McLean: "I'd been tipped off about Quade two years ago and I've been waiting to see him start.

"He's definitely got something. He plays with a bit of vision.

"With Quade, Berrick and Beale, Australia's got three good flyhalves for the future."

The Reds were on attack at 20-19 in the 73rd minute when lock Ed O'Donoghue carelessly pushed a pass that blighted an otherwise powerful display.

The Lions hacked the loose ball downfield and in a blink flanker Ernst Joubert was diving over.

The second-half blemishes were many - ragged kicks by Cooper, Barnes and Schifcofske, kicks that weren't contestable, dropped passes, poor presentation of ball at the ruck, abandoning pick-and-drive power when ball control was everything and a lack of leadership to make the adjustments.

[jazza93]

i think he played well but berrick barnes is a great player and is a walibies contender for fly half if the reds play him there but he played a blinder at #12 against the lions. cooper and barnes are way better than beale.

the guy is good and with barnes on his inside they are a great pair. the reds just need to sort out there outside backs if they want a good backline.

[Burgs]

I would think that if the Reds lose the next two then Eddie should revert to a development year for the future with his backs and perhaps look at a lineup of:

#9 Will Genia (19)
#10 Quade Cooper (18 )
#11 Brando Va'alu (19)
#12 Berrick Barnes (20)
#13 Lloyd Johansson (22)
#14 Caleb Brown (20)
#15 Charlie Fetoai (20)

It is getting close to this with injuries anyway however, under this scenario, I would keep the fit senior backs on the Bench and let the young bloods start.
Extreme I know, but if you keep headbutting the same wall...
You may as well come last building a winning team (see the Force and Cats/Lions 2006) rather than just floundering around waiting for the tide to come back in!

[Shaun]

Force need to pinch a couple of them for the years to come...Barnes would be awesome to have.

[Sagerian]

Yeah, cos it's good for australian rugby for the force to buy all avaliable players.

Lets see them work with what they've got frist mate.

[Darren]

Yeah, cos it's good for australian rugby for the force to buy all avaliable players.

Lets see them work with what they've got frist mate.

I guess they wouldn't be available if the other unions/countries wanted to keep them...

I do however agree with your second statement...

[Sagerian]

I guess they wouldn't be available if the other unions/countries wanted to keep them...

I don't really think the ACT had 4.5 million to spend. Ioane is another example of a player that the former club didn't want to get rid of, but that was Wendell's fault, not the Force.

But still, would be nice to see the force spend more on development, seeing as most members of this site say that when the topic of recruiting from league comes up.



Shaun's comment really sums up the mentality of some, you've got the most expensive player playing 10 for your team, and the sights are on more players for that position.

Probably just my eastern state bias.

[AndyS]

No, I'd agree. One of the main points of interest in the ARC will be to see how many and how close the local lads are to making the grade.