Quade telling it how it is

[en_force_er]

Time for the Reds to get creative I guess. Pay Quade to run the Ballymore restoration project?

 

[Hugh Jarse]

While there is undoubtedly potential there with QC (Quade Cooper), what actual value/revenue has he generated for Brand Wallaby this year?

He has been out of action with a long rehab injury and after one rather average performance has ended up back on Team Rehab with another long rehab injury.

He has been like an off shore racing yacht - pleasurable when things are going well, used on rather limited occasions, and very expensive to maintain. For the last 12 months this yacht has had a crack in the hull that is leaking water from somewhere that we have been unable to find and block.

 

[TSR]

Not sure I agree with all that HJ, but that is as good analogy as I've read.

 

[fatprop]

The reality is that adversity tells you a lot about a human

To me, he has two options

He can either take his toys and leave

Or shut up, take what is offered and prove the bastards wrong

 

[WorkingClassRugger]

The reality is that adversity tells you a lot about a human

To me, he has two options

He can either take his toys and leave

Or shut up, take what is offered and prove the bastards wrong

I hope I'm wrong but I suspect that given his management choices. This will be the option he takes. Though, I would much prefer him to show some steel and tough it out and prove he's worthy of a full 3 year contract in the future.

 

[Hugh Jarse]

^^ FP, Keeping my racing yacht thing going, I think that until the current owners find that leak in the hull and bog it up, there will be little interest from new Japanese or Euro owners.

There also seems to be very little genuine interest from local owners who just want a harbour cruiser (mungoland).

He really has your last option open. HTFU and prove the bastards wrong.

I sincerely hope that he has the mental resiliance and determination to overcome what is in front of him at the moment, and do exactly that.

 

[en_force_er]

We can argue about his value all we want but the reality it'd take a special kind of hubris to be pissed off at the fact his value has reduced.

Quade has spoken about 1 year contracts and backing yourself in the past. In between his last contract and his current offer he's been injured twice, played okay (injuries considered) but for a very small number of games, and launched one of the bigger recent Wallaby controversies. He rolled the dice and it didn't pan out.

Any kind of anger at his value drop is gambler's remorse and it has to be accepted as a risk of playing the game of 1 year contracts.

 

[I like to watch]

I think your wrong HJ, I reckon we haven't heard from Quade cos he's too busy trying to work out how you eat rice bubbles with chopsticks.

When you consider Benjy has been offered big bucks in Japan, there would still be interest for Quade at a higher level than what the Reds can pay.

 

[Hugh Jarse]

Do you think that they would sign him when his is #10 on Team Rehab?

Perpignon didn't get much value out of Carter (at least in terms of game time), and the Panasonic Black Knights must be in a similar situation with $BW after his recent injury. All they have now is a very marketable VIP Schmoozer. Is that enough for their alleged $1m investment?

 

[I like to watch]

But they keep doing don't they?
Why would any of them pay big bucks to see if Benjy can even play the game?
I'm sure they would have plenty of clauses about fitness etc.

 

[Hugh Jarse]

ILTW, On the "novelty" basis I agree that there may be interest from Japan, but I am pretty sure that their contract offer will not be a novelty and naive "here's a million dollars for turning up for the next year" type contract.

I think the Euro clubs are a not as attracted to novelty experiments. They seem to be more hard nosed and driven by on field performances.

The Reds will not be able to match what is potentially available from Japan.

What Team QC (Quade Cooper) does next will be interesting. As said earlier, I hope he decides to take some HTFU and stay here to show us how good he really is when all the off field distractions are gone.

On a slightly tangential track, when he was playing well and entertaining all and sundry, he had an Olympic swimmer on his arm. The issues of laptopgate and other things were resolved, and things seemed to be "sweet as bro" inside Camp QC (Quade Cooper).

Is there any correlation between his off field behaviour and his relationship status?

The breakup with Steph seems to coincide with the other issues re-entering Camp QC (Quade Cooper).

 

[Jets]

It will be interesting to see what RUPA has to say about this saga. It looks a lot like double jeopardy from the ARU. Hit him with a massive fine then cut down what they offer him. Genia is injured so maybe they should offer him an incentive only contract too. It another example of why there needs to be change at the ARU. We need solid leadership that provides direction for the organisation not reactionary decisions made by short sighted fools.
While Beale has been good for the Wallabies at 10 I don't see him as the solution and would like him back in 15. There are no other options at 10 for the Wallabies as JOC (James O'Connor) rarely plays there, and I doubt will for the Rebels, Barnes doesn't offer much there either and we don't know what Lealiifano or To'omua will offer at test level.
If the Wallabies are to beat the Lions then they need a fit, in form Cooper in the 10 jersey. Opposition teams are playing a compressed, rush defence against us and his long passing game will find space for our outside backs. At the moment we are using short kicks, that rarely work, to do this as no one else in Australian rugby has an accurate long passing game.
This isn't about the Reds it's about the best investment for Australian Rugby. I don't subscribe to the view that the ARU should top up his salary for what he does for QLD rugby. They should top it up because the Wallabies are much better team when he is involved.

 

[No4918]

The reality is that adversity tells you a lot about a human

To me, he has two options

He can either take his toys and leave

Or shut up, take what is offered and prove the bastards wrong

There is a third option. Go on playing Super Rugby for the Reds and spend his off seasons in France or Japan every year to supplement his income until he is again selected for national duties. I doubt the Reds would not allow it, could the ARU stop it if he is not contracted to them?

The trouble with such an offer is that i think it down plays the Dingo factor. I'd put the house on Quade not being selected for the Wallabies for the Lions tour or TRC even if he is head and shoulders above the competition next season. Quade knows it, Dingo knows it, do the ARU want to believe it?

He is without doubt worthy of a contract and even if he had been offered the equivalent of the lowest paid members of the squad the chances of his remaining would be significantly higher. This could be reasonable given his injury and lack of rugby this year. It would also be a show of good faith by the ARU. It tells Quade they do see a place for him, they have put past indiscretions behind them and are fully moving on. This offer would say to me we are still punishing you, not much good faith there.

 

[Braveheart81]

Why should Quade Cooper be given a full ARU contract at this point instead of someone like Tapuai or Timani who have worked hard to get into the team and haven't done anything to bring the game into disrepute.

It is not like there are an unlimited number of Wallaby contracts to hand out and not giving one to Cooper is just the ARU being petty.

The RUPA should acknowledge that if Quade Cooper is given a full ARU contract then another player who hasn't put a foot wrong is going to miss out.

I agree with Jets that when Cooper is fit and in form he adds something to the Wallabies but at this point in time, he has given them more than enough reason to take the previous offer they made off the table.

 

[USARugger]

There is a third option. Go on playing Super Rugby for the Reds and spend his off seasons in France or Japan every year to supplement his income until he is again selected for national duties. I doubt the Reds would not allow it, could the ARU stop it if he is not contracted to them?

The trouble with such an offer is that i think it down plays the Dingo factor. I'd put the house on Quade not being selected for the Wallabies for the Lions tour or TRC even if he is head and shoulders above the competition next season. Quade knows it, Dingo knows it, do the ARU want to believe it?

He is without doubt worthy of a contract and even if he had been offered the equivalent of the lowest paid members of the squad the chances of his remaining would be significantly higher. This could be reasonable given his injury and lack of rugby this year. It would also be a show of good faith by the ARU. It tells Quade they do see a place for him, they have put past indiscretions behind them and are fully moving on. This offer would say to me we are still punishing you, not much good faith there.

God knows we need a more natural #10, unless the ARU has fast-tracking UJS in mind :/

 

[Hugh Jarse]

Jets, I think a better comparison/precedent to the QC (Quade Cooper) injury situation may be Schmoo rather than Sanchez.

Setting aside Twittergate, and just focusing on Team Rehab issues, Sanchez has been basically injury free until now. On the other hand, Schmoo has had a series of long rehab injuries with only a game or two (including club comeback "testing fitness" games) between the injuries.

Schmoo has probably been fortunate to be on a long term contract that did not come up for review in the middle of another stint on Team Rehab.

As already posted by others, the gamble taken by Camp QC (Quade Cooper) over 1 year contracts, and negotiating strategies involving rumoured (real or furphy) discussions with Mungoland clubs, has spectacularly bitten him on the backside and hip pocket.

It will be interesting to see where RUPA goes with this one. They must be careful about their relationship and access "inside the house".

You have to wonder what else is or has been going on behind the scenes. Life is never as simple as many of us would like it to be.

Single jeopardy is the heavy fine in relation to the Twittergate and Fox Sports outbursts.

Reduction in contract offer may be related to turning up in the news for all the wrong reasons, leading Saint Kurtley astray etc. IIRC the three musketeers were all out celebrating before RWC last year the night before two of them left #3 (JOC (James O'Connor)) to sleep in and miss the photo call/promotional do with QANTAS. Was QC (Quade Cooper) the room mate (back up alarm) of JOC (James O'Connor)?

What other off field toxic issues has QC (Quade Cooper) been involved in which have not been made public (for all the right reasons) that may have influenced the reduced ARU offer?

While the revised offer may seem churlish, we are not in full possession of all the facts. Weighing up the risks of further (and possibly previously unadmonished) behavioural issues have probably been a factor in the revised offer from ARU. I may be wrong but I don't see that as double jeopardy.

 

[I like to watch]

....While Beale has been good for the Wallabies at 10 I don't see him as the solution and would like him back in 15. There are no other options at 10 for the Wallabies as JOC (James O'Connor) rarely plays there, and I doubt will for the Rebels, Barnes doesn't offer much there either and we don't know what Lealiifano or To'omua will offer at test level.
If the Wallabies are to beat the Lions then they need a fit, in form Cooper in the 10 jersey. Opposition teams are playing a compressed, rush defence against us and his long passing game will find space for our outside backs. At the moment we are using short kicks, that rarely work, to do this as no one else in Australian rugby has an accurate long passing game.
This isn't about the Reds it's about the best investment for Australian Rugby. I don't subscribe to the view that the ARU should top up his salary for what he does for QLD rugby. They should top it up because the Wallabies are much better team when he is involved.

Quade signed a 1 year contract prior to RWC, since he signed this contract his performance at Test level has varied from adequate to poor.Why should he be the only player in the squad where form is not a consideration?
Forget all the other bullshit that surrounds him, look at the player ratings for the Tests he played for the duration of his last contract.He was not playing well, blame it on the coach if you like. But the bottom line is that at test level based on the last 12 months QC (Quade Cooper) is lucky to have been selected as often as he was.

 

[Scotty]

Scotty - how does it demonstrably benefit WA or Victoria, for instance? I think Quade Cooper is an asset best kept in rugby in Oz, but I struggle a little with Quade=good for Qld = more supporters and players in Qld = good for everyone else = should be paid more by the ARU for all the positivity he brings. Ultimately, he carries baggage, much of which he packed himself.
The complete lack of a real offer is, in my mind, churlish on the part of the ARU, but he has to prove his value on the field, not as a sales pitch. I hope he does.

I don't think it would be a stretch to assume that the waratahs have benefitted more than any other state when it comes to player's top ups.

Should they have a limit because they don't affect WA or Vic? Or does a strong NSWRU translate to rugby being stronger in Australia?

Don't forget that the aru have just received a report where they have agreed with a recommendation that they should be seen as 'keepers of the game'. This means doing what is reasonable to grow the game at all levels and there is no doubt that QC (Quade Cooper) has been a big part of this in Qld particularly.

 

[Slim 293]

He's pretty fortunate to receive such an offer.

The ARU could've offered him no contract..........

 

[Inside Shoulder]

I don't think it would be a stretch to assume that the waratahs have benefitted more than any other state when it comes to player's top ups.

Should they have a limit because they don't affect WA or Vic? Or does a strong NSWRU translate to rugby being stronger in Australia?

Don't forget that the aru have just received a report where they have agreed with a recommendation that they should be seen as 'keepers of the game'. This means doing what is reasonable to grow the game at all levels and there is no doubt that QC (Quade Cooper) has been a big part of this in Qld particularly.

Phew: I thought my earlier prediction that this would turn into a conspiracy of everyone against the Reds was going to be wrong.


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