Canno - Guess what I'd like to do with Cooper's manag

[travelling_gerry]

Guess what I'd like to do with Cooper's manager

• By Brendan Cannon
• From: The Sunday Telegraph
• August 15, 2010 12:01AM

QUADE Cooper's manager should be taken out the back and shot.

The Australian Rugby Union showed Quade an enormous amount of loyalty when they could have kicked him to the kerb, but everyone in rugby stood by him during a difficult period.
If he really is thinking about league, it's time for Quade to stand by the code which has stood by him. But I don't think it's on his radar.
Quade is a wonderful player but not the type of individual who would be investigating the NRL. His manager has put him in the spotlight in a way he doesn't deserve.
Quade is coming off a very good Super 14 season and in the games he's played for the Wallabies, he's been one of our best. People start saying, "we can't win without Quade Cooper" and his manager decides to cash in. His best way of doing it? Throw out a yarn linking him to the NRL. It's a disgrace.


Quade has been put in that position by someone who is supposed to be looking after his best interests. Instead, it just looks bad for Quade. And it's nonsensical. He has just gone through a lengthy process of deciding between the Western Force and the Queensland Reds.
He stayed with the Reds because he thought Queensland rugby was going in the right direction. The Reds are popular again and he's helped re-build the brand.
His two court cases have been wrapped up and concluded, rugby has backed him, so why stir the pot? He comes across as a greedy, money-hungry guy. I doubt he deserves it.
The biggest weight on Quade's mind right now should be getting the Wallabies to somehow end their 47-year drought against South Africa on the high veldt.
That's a phenomenal stat. It can be torture at altitude. The best description I have - it's like doing a lot of exercise on a really cold day. You get a dry mouth, a dry throat, a quicker shortness of breath. Most athletes can push through it but in a team sport, if three or four blokes are mentally shot, it infects the others.
You can create your own monster by talking about it too much. The more you say altitude's not a factor, you're not worried about it, the more it has already become a factor.
The scoreboard is crucial. If you're tiring but your team has momentum, you get through. If you're under the pump, the tiredness feels like you're being buried in quicksand.
At its worst at altitude, nothing you do feels good. You feel uncomfortable from the first minute to the last. The more players are told not to worry about it, the more they worry about it.
The Wallabies need early momentum or they might be eaten alive. If South Africa get ahead at home, the support from the crowd goes off the Richter and they're practically unbeatable.
They feed off the other team's worries and blow them apart. Then the mental fight begins.
It can become an excuse - "we're at altitude, that's why we're struggling". But you don't lose your ability on a plane flight.
There's a significant mental factor. If you're thinking about it too much, they might as well take you out the back with Quade's manager.


http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/spo...-1225905268126

[shasta]

So let me get this straight. If the ARU doesn't come up with an offer that the manager and maybe the player think is reasonable, it's OK to use the European or Japanese leverage. Just like Giteau, Elsom, Dan Carter, Ioane, and a looooong list of other SH players have done. But Canno wants to take you out the back if you mention Rugby League. You should just STFU and be grateful for what they are offering.

Laughable.

Don't try to use the "Rugby stood by him line", Brendan. We'll never know what "Rugby" would have done if he didn't manage to extricate himself from that mess.

---------- Post added at 13:38 ---------- Previous post was at 12:01 ----------

P.S. Perhaps before you take the bloke out the back you might want to read this too....

http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/l...814-1241d.html

Maybe this had nothing to do with Quade's manager and everything to do with the continuing aftermath of a bitter struggle at the Eels which saw former Dual International Ray Price, Eric Grothe Snr, Ron Hilditch and Geoff Gerrard elected to the board. They immediately sacked Dennis Fitzgerald as the CEO and replaced him with former player Paul Osborne.

Another apology anyone?

[beige]

The difference with the European/Japanese thing (as much as that annoys me too) is that it doesn't result in a week-long orgasm of extended coverage of a nothing story by a notably anti-rugby Australian media. They were still discussing it on the TV today.

[StRemy5]

I cant help but see the irony in Brendan Cannon's article.

Isnt this the same player that moved from provence to Australian provence chasing money? Oh of course it wasnt, it was the 'opportunity'.

Look Brendon, you once were a professional player. If you think most players dont chase money then you spent your professional career on another planet.

Quade and his manager have every right to explore his financial options. If the ARU cant financially respect Cooper's ability then why not?

As they've shown in the past, the ARU have spent a lot of money in the past in contracting the wrong sort of player (and mercenary). Perhaps its time they get their own backyard cleaned up first and recognise and retain the talent thats staring them glaringly in the face.

[Rex Messup]

It's yesterdays fish and chip paper
Bad news sells. Try not to lose any sleep over it
Cooper will stay in Union. That's where the money is. The world cup is next year. QLD is coming good.

[zimeric]

if he does defect he'd better steer well clear of any QLD rugby union event for the forseeable future!

[brokendown gunfighter]

His manager had been playing funny buggers,especially with rugby WA

I had info from a source very close to the Cooper family(given to me when I was in Brisbane for the Force match)that quade had no intention whatsoever to leave the Reds
his manager was ,inmo,just trying to leverage a better deal from both the Reds,& now,the ARU

[Burgs]

Perhaps the ARU should reward such fishing with a "revised" deal rather than an up graded one.

[hertryk]

When I spoke to Quade he said he had no intention of leaving Union....He was being put in the spotlight for all the wrong resasons...