Wallaby ace dumps league club
Fri, 10 Sep 2010 11:03
Happy to be back: Wallaby match-winner Quade Cooper. (c) Gallo
Wallaby flyhalf Quade Cooper has turned his back on rugby league outfit Parramatta Eels and signed a new one-year deal with the Australian Rugby Union.
Cooper will stay in rugby union and target Australia's campaign for World Cup glory next year, the ARU revealed on Friday.
Cooper, 22, said he had resisted a huge offer to switch to Australia's National Rugby League and instead signed with the ARU and the Reds.
His confirmation comes on the eve of Australia's Tri-Nations and Bledisloe Cup Test against New Zealand in Sydney and ends weeks of speculation over his playing future.
"I'm loving my rugby at the moment," said Cooper in an ARU statement.
"I wanted to stay and I wanted to bring it to a head now because these negotiations have taken time, but that's to be expected because we're talking about my future.
"It was time to bring some certainty to my future and now I can focus on the 2011 World Cup."
ARU Managing Director John O'Neill said the playmaker was an important member of the Wallabies team. "Quade is a genuine talent who is still at the front-end of his career," O'Neill said.
"He is part of the nucleus of young players we have seen mature quickly under the guidance of coach Robbie Deans and we believe Quade is important to the Wallabies moving forward."
Wallabies coach Robbie Deans said Cooper's decision was great news for the Wallabies and Australian rugby.
"It allows Quade to continue with his development as a player in our environment where we have no doubt he has a lot more to offer in the build-up to next year's Rugby World Cup," Deans said.
New Zealand-born Cooper is lining up for his 19th Test against the All Blacks on Saturday.
Reports said the ARU's deal with Cooper was believed to guarantee him about AU$600,000 (US$554,000) a year - as well as match payments for Tests and Super 15 provincial matches with the Reds.
Newspapers said the ARU's deal was short of the reported AU$3.2-million (US$2.9-million) four-year offer the Parramatta Eels were believed to have been prepared to make him.
Reports said if Cooper stars at the 2011 World Cup in New Zealand he would likely be even more valuable when his new contract with the ARU expires.
Cooper also revealed he has turned his back on offers from clubs abroad to remain with the Wallabies.
The Reds also welcomed the contractual agreement between the ARU and the Wallaby flyhalf, Cooper.
"I've really enjoyed my time at the Reds this year," Cooper said. "The Reds have a lot of potential and I'm really excited to be part of a Queensland team heading into a new look, expanded Super Rugby competition in 2011."
Reds coach Ewen McKenzie said with Cooper's immediate future now settled, the coaching team could now plan the season ahead with confidence and certainty.
"2011 will be an important year for Queensland and Australian Rugby and Quade has the opportunity and incentive to really stamp his mark on the game," McKenzie said.
"As Quade said, next year is a new look, expanded Super Rugby competition so there'll be different challenges ahead.
"In planning and preparing for that it helps to now have certainty on Quade's availability," he added.