Cooper - Good or Great rugby player - discuss.

[Braveheart81]

They should threaten to ram a metal spike into their foot, Richie McCaw style every time they put in a reckless chip kick.

 

[Bullrush]

They should threaten to ram a metal spike into their foot, Richie McCaw style every time they put in a reckless chip kick.

I played with a guy this year who did one of those little chip kicks, re-gathered and scored the try.

Running back to half-way I told him that scoring the try was the worst thing that could happen - now he'll think that shit actually works.

 

[pete88]

These two moments have somewhat ruined Kurtley's form this year.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s-WToBvnVw8http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E5C9iVAEgjo

 

[RedsHappy]

Good support for QC (Quade Cooper) from a wonderful player (and IMO confirms ML's class vs the crass and unhelpful offerings on this topic by NF-J):

Quoting AAP today:

Unlike the enigmatic winger, Campese's 1991 World Cup-winning teammate Michael Lynagh has been extremely impressed by the current Queensland and Australian No.10 despite his forgettable quarter-final display against the Springboks.

"His other 14 teammates better give him some more ball to work with. If you put him in a Springbok jumper it would have been a different story," he said.

"When you get 25 per cent of the ball, I guess he's guilty of trying to create something and when you're starved of ball it's a very difficult situation to be in.

"But I've been very impressed with how he's behaved, not only just on the pitch but with all the stuff that's going on off the pitch."

 

[Inside Shoulder]

Good support for QC (Quade Cooper) from a wonderful player (and IMO confirms ML's class vs the crass and unhelpful offerings on this topic by NF-J):

Quoting AAP today:

Campo's a hoon and he was arguably a less interested tackler than QC (Quade Cooper)... which is saying something

 

[Gnostic]

Campo is highly knowledgable about our game, called on to consult everywhere but Oz becauae too many can't handle having their egos deflated here. A couple of years shop he got huge credit for his input at the Sharks backs. So to disparage him for telling the truth as he sees it is pretty weak.

QC (Quade Cooper) is a supremely gifted player, but the mantle of "Great" puts no won in a season, it takes IMO a long service of World Class performances to earth that accolade and few do it, Campo, Horan, Eales, NFJ, Ella, are about it from Oz IMO. Others have been world class for a season our so but longevity is the key or supreme performance. QC (Quade Cooper) has the potential to be regarded as great just not yet.

 

[Cardiffblue]

QC (Quade Cooper) is potentially a great outside half who requires better managing to help take the pressure off him and allow him to play his natural game. It has been a PR disaster to pretend that he doesn't care. This has wound up the kiwis more and more. read the SMH last two days and there must have been 5 artcles telling the world that 'Cooper is ok and doesn;t care. I thnk that they protest too much!

Also he needs a pack that is on front foot to give him the inch of space he need to release JOC (James O'Connor) and Beale. the rest will follow

 

[Sully]

No I'm pretty certain he doesn't care what strangers think of him. He has a strong support group and it's their opinions that count.

 

[James Buchanan]

QC (Quade Cooper) is a supremely gifted player, but the mantle of "Great" puts no won in a season, it takes IMO a long service of World Class performances to earth that accolade and few do it, Campo, Horan, Eales, NFJ, Ella, are about it from Oz IMO. Others have been world class for a season our so but longevity is the key or supreme performance. QC (Quade Cooper) has the potential to be regarded as great just not yet.

Bernie rates for mine. It is a shame that more forwards names don't rise to the top also. I suspect they've been there, just less noticeable.

 

[Cardiffblue]

No I'm pretty certain he doesn't care what strangers think of him. He has a strong support group and it's their opinions that count.

then why is his game going to pot?

 

[Sully]

Why aree you singling one player out in a shit team performance?

 

[Gnostic]

Bernie rates for mine. It is a shame that more forwards names don't rise to the top also. I suspect they've been there, just less noticeable.

I could agree with Bernie, Lynagh and add G Smith, but I honestly cannot think of anybody else who fits Great status. Many others where wonderful players but dont quite make the cut. From your post you seem to agree.

 

[Cardiffblue]

Cos the Australian gameplan for attack that deans has built depend on him pulling off virtuoso unpredictability. More than any of the other three teams, he has to be given the opportunity to expfress himself. trouble is other teams all know it and are targetting him with three runners.

 

[Blob]

Is he in his third year as an international? I can't remember him having dominated a game yet. Carter at 12 was better than Cooper has been at 10 thus far. And then Carter moved to 10....

 

[Cardiffblue]

Is he in his third year as an international? I can't remember him having dominated a game yet. Carter at 12 was better than Cooper has been at 10 thus far. And then Carter moved to 10....

Not saying he is world class. Larkham, Lynagh, Carter, these guys were/ are gods who seem to just generate space for guys outside. Cooper doesn't work like that. He seems to needs broken play or sace to generate it with a sidestep. I' like him because he isn't like any other outside half. He is an experiment in what a no 10 is supposed to do. Not seen anyone like him.

 

[Gnostic]

Cos the Australian gameplan for attack that deans has built depend on him pulling off virtuoso unpredictability. More than any of the other three teams, he has to be given the opportunity to expfress himself. trouble is other teams all know it and are targetting him with three runners.

So its his fault the rest of his team got less than 50% poss. Nearly all deep in their half? Its his fault he is being forced to play the idiotic game plan you described? Carter IS a great without doubt, but he has for his whole career at province and test levels been blessed with world's best forward packs who have provided far better than what QC (Quade Cooper) had had to work with.

 

[Cardiffblue]

think I made the same point earlier on. He doesn't need much space to release Beale but he needs some and at moment he isn;t getting it. Am worried too that if gameplan fails on Sunday, he will be blamed, when it's not his or genia's fault. they are currently always on backfoot. Means that centres are stationary

 

[PaarlBok]

Cooper mean more or less the same as Kots Watson for WP. Need only his poster up in the cloakroom to motivate the opposition. He was terrible on sunday.

 

[Inside Shoulder]

then why is his game going to pot?

always does when the pressure is on: should have seen him in the junior world cup in Ireland - he played like the busted a-hole he's playing like now

 

[Ruggo]

No I'm pretty certain he doesn't care what strangers think of him. He has a strong support group and it's their opinions that count.

Here you go Sully.

Besieged Wallabies playmaker Quade Cooper says pressure's on All Blacks in Rugby World Cup semi-final
By Darren Walton
AAP October 12, 2011 11:43PM

Besieged Wallabies playmaker Quade Cooper is back on the front foot, insisting the All Blacks are under greater pressure to deliver than he is in Sunday night's Rugby World Cup 2011 semi-final blockbuster in Auckland.

And Cooper has the full backing of hard-nosed Wallabies flanker Rocky Elsom, who on Wednesday applied the blow torch to the All Blacks with his loaded claim that anything less than a long overdue New Zealand final triumph would be deemed an abject failure.



"They're the No.1-ranked team in the world and they're in a country where they expect them to win the World Cup," Elsom said.

"Regardless of what happens, the public expect that. I can't speak for them, but I know you get a feeling around town that they won't tolerate anything less.

"The situation is, not only are they expected to win this match but then the next one as well.

"There is a hell of a lot of expectation. Just what that does to them, I'm not sure, but you definitely know it's there."

Start of sidebar. Skip to end of sidebar.
Related ContentStatistics: Dump the champs, claim the Cup + 89 Clarkie: 'Wallabies got lucky against Boks' + 94 Semi-final: Send your support to the Wallabies + 100 End of sidebar. Return to start of sidebar.


The heat is also on Cooper after the match-winning five-eighth was dubbed Quade Blooper following his haphazard display in Australia's great 11-9 quarter-final escape against South Africa on Sunday.

But the cool-headed 23-year-old on Wednesday claimed he was unfazed by the hysteria surrounding his perceived form slump and said he'd trade another below-par display for a Wallabies victory over the Cup favourites.

"Having a good game is going to play second fiddle to winning the game," Cooper said.

"I don't care if I have a shocker and we win as a team. I'd much rather walk off the field as a winning team than having the greatest game of my career and we lose.

"These are the moments you play rugby for, for an opportunity to play against the best team in the world, right in their backyard, in the World Cup semi-final.

"You can't picture it any better than that."

The only bigger fear for New Zealanders than the All Blacks choking again is Kiwi-born Cooper scoring the winning try to send the hosts crashing out of the tournament.



"That would be a tough one for them to swallow," said New Zealand's so-called Public Enemy No.1.

"But I'm sure that they've got a lot more things to worry about than myself.


"They've supposed to have won this World Cup for the past three tournaments and this is no different.

"A lot of pressure is on them to win this competition on home soil."

Cooper had little time for ironic advice from Wallabies legend David Campese - an enigmatic former game-breaker in the same style as Australia's attacking ace - that he needed to be more of a team player.

"Coming from a guy like that, I tend to take the advice from my teammates and the coaches that I have around me other than outside influences," Cooper said.

"So cheers for the advice, Campo, but I've got a lot of guys around me to support me."



Not that Cooper needs anyone watching his back or helping him cope with the inevitable jeers every time he touches the ball at Eden Park.

"First of all, he doesn't need looking after," Elsom said.

"And, secondly, I think whatever happens from the crowd you're obviously in New Zealand so you're not going to have hometown support.

"That's just the way it goes. It is part and parcel of the sport and it comes with the territory."

As does the Wallabies being asked, ad nauseum, how they would bury the ghosts at the All Blacks' Eden Park graveyard.

"I didn't know there were ghosts there," Elsom said.

"I'll tell you on Monday whether it's an issue."

http://www.foxsports.com.au/rugby/r...d-cup-semi-final/story-e6frf4zl-1226165363584