Analysis: Did Quade Cooper 'struggle' last season? Part One
Queensland Reds head coach Brad Thorn has revealed his decision to dump mercurial playmaker Quade Cooper was due in part because he ‘struggled’ in attack, game management and defence last season.
The public outcry of the axing has been swift. Fans, ex-players and media in Australia have all been critical of the decision. However, is their merit to Thorn’s assertion that he ‘struggled’?
Breaking down the game tape we look at the 29-year-old flyhalf to qualify Thorn’s claims in this two-part analysis – first looking at set-piece attack and then open phase play and defence.
Set-piece attack
The Reds marquee recruit instantly became the centerpiece of the Reds set-piece attack, with the majority of plays running off 10 as the key decision maker and ball player. This gave Cooper the maximum amount of opportunities to influence the game.
Even for an adjustment so basic, this was a major improvement for the Reds strategically.
Set-piece attack was nearly non-existent in the previous few years under Richard Graham due to a tactic around playing for scrum penalties. The Reds strength in scrummaging became overkill, where nearly every feed was trapped at the back. The tactic would slow the game, starve the backs and often backfire against them given how subjective scrum reffing can be.
With Cooper back, the Reds playbook opened up and we saw a much more expansive side. Something was amiss though – sloppy execution and questionable play calling were common throughout the season.
Quade in the middle of this as the key cog was made to look amateur but he is not the only one to blame.
Here against the Force late in the season, the Reds have a mid-field scrum. Karmichael Hunt (15) initially lines up behind the scrum as a two-way bet, enticing the Force to do the same with one of their defenders.
The Force leave only two defenders on the open side giving the Reds a potential four-on-two situation if Hunt swings around as illustrated above. If Cooper can beat the halfback the Reds have a massive opportunity.
What ensues is either a lack of effort by Hunt, miscommunication or extremely poor play design.
Samu Kerevi (13) runs an ‘unders’ line, cutting back against the grain and Hunt meanders out the back aimlessly. Cooper ends up with only two possible options – Kerevi on a short crash ball or Nabuli wide on a cutout pass.
Both of these options fail to create an overlap or exploit the short numbers – Kerevi will run into contact and a cutout pass to Nabuli this early would allow for the defence to slide.
Karmichael Hunt jogs through the play, never becoming a viable option. It’s never clear what his intended route is meant to be.
When Cooper delivers his no-look pass to Kerevi, Hunt is 6-8 metres behind the play (circled). If he was coming around the corner behind Kerevi (superimposed), Cooper would have a back-door option to potentially open up the Force on the edge.
Instead, Cooper’s head fake fools no one and his pass to Kerevi is correctly ruled forward.
Cooper’s pass goes down as an error and a turnover but it is the cherry on top of a busted play and an illustration of the Red’s lack of thoroughness – running a play with a man not involved for no reason.
Against the Sharks in the first round, the Reds were offered the same attacking midfield scrum, this time only five metres out. This time the play calling is questionable and leads to a similar situation.
The Sharks will cover the Reds four open side players with three sliding defenders (two out of picture) and the halfback breaking off to cover 10.
If Cooper can get to or engage the first defender circled above, he will create an overlap and put the defence under pressure. He gets wide enough and does so.
The Reds run one of their standard ‘crash’ plays, with the 13 dropping under 10 and 12 sliding out.
The problem with using this play in this situation is Kerevi (13) effectively becomes a ‘dead’ option. With Cooper taking it to the line looking to hit someone running into a hole, Kerevi’s route takes him out of play leaving Paia’aua as the only flat option.
As Cooper releases his pass, Kerevi (circled) is in no man’s land – effectively removed from the play. Dropping the ball underneath is only going to result in Kerevi running into contact and trying to break tackles to score.
If the play called for Kerevi to hold a straight line and run into space (superimposed), he gives Cooper another option and forces the defenders into two decisions. He will either run in untouched or open up the hole for Paia’aua provided Cooper makes the right read.
The Sharks deliberately knock down the short pass to Paia’aua and the Reds receive a penalty but miss an opportunity for five points.
The man Cooper tries to hit flat, Paia’aua, is an easy read for the Sharks and would have never got through anyway.
What makes this play call even worse is the Reds had already tried it 10 minutes earlier with the same result, again in a great attacking position on the 22 but didn’t learn the lesson.
Summary
The Reds opened up the playbook and looked to strike more from the set-piece last year but struggled to make a break or score, often turning the ball straight back over.
These two examples were selected because they illustrate one of the Reds main issues at set-piece – the failure to use numbers efficiently to attack space.
When you try to run strike plays that require exquisite timing and understanding from three or four players, you need a high level of chemistry that wasn’t there last year.
In fairness to Cooper, the backline was foreign to him. He had only played a handful of games with Kerevi and Hunt, and it was Paia’aua’s first full season starting at 12.
They tried to play around Cooper as a playmaker but it was below par but it is unfair to say that it was solely his fault.
Where I believe Thorn couldn’t trust Cooper anymore will be revealed in part two looking at phase play and defence.
Comments on RugbyPass
I’m guessing Carl Hayman would have preferred to have stayed in NZ with benefit of hindsight. Up north there is the expectation to play twice as many games with far less ‘player management’ protocols that Paul is now criticising. Less playing through concussions means longer, healthier, careers. Carter used as the eg here by Paul, his sabbatical allowed him to play until age 37. OK its not an exact science but there is far more expectations on players who sign for Top 14 or Engl Prem clubs to get value for the huge salaries. NZR get alot wrong but keeping their best players in NZ rugby is not one of them. SA clubs are virtually devoid of their top players now, no thanks. They cant threaten the big teams in the Champions Cup, the squads have little depth. Cant see Canes/Chiefs struggling. Super has been great this year, fantastic high skill matches. Drua a fantastic addition and Jaguares will add another quality team eventually. Aus teams performing strongly and no doubt will benefit with the incentive of a Lions tour and a home RWC. Let Jordie enjoy his time with Leinster, it will allow the opportunity for another player to emerge at Canes in his absence.
4 Go to commentsLove that man, his way to despise angry little men is so funny ! 😂
4 Go to comments“South African franchises would be powerhouses if we had all our overseas based players back in situ. We would have the same unbeatable aura the Toulouses, Leinsters or Saracens of this world have had over the last decade or so.” Proof that Jake white does not understand the economics of the game in SA. Players earning abroad are not going to simply come back and represent the bulls. But they might if they have a springbok contract.
22 Go to commentsA lot of fans just joined in for the fun of it! We all admire O'Gara and what he has done for La Rochelle
4 Go to commentsThe RFU will find a way to mess this up as usual. My bet is there will be no promotion into the the Premiership, only relegation into National League One. Hopefully they won’t parachute failed clubs into the league at the expense of clubs who have battled for promotion.
6 Go to commentsWell that’s the contracts for RG and Jordie bought and paid for. Now, what are the chances we can persuade Antoine to hop over with all the extra dosh we’ll have from living at the Aviva & Croke next season…??? 🤑🤑🤑
8 Go to commentsWow, that’s incredible. Great for rugby.
8 Go to commentsYou probably read that parling is going to coach the wallaby lineout but if not before now you have.
14 Go to commentsIf someone like Leo Cullen was in O’Gara’s place I don’t hear Boo-ing. It’s not just that La Rochelle has hurt Leinster and O’Gara is their Irish boss. It’s the needle that he brings and the pantomime activity before the game around pretending that Munster were supporting LaRochelle just because O’Gara is from Cork. That’s dividing Irish provinces just to get an advantage for his French Team. He can F*ck right off with that. BOOOOO! (but not while someone is lying injured)
4 Go to commentsDid the highlanders party too hard before the game? They were the pits.
1 Go to commentsWhat a player! Not long until he’s in the England side, surely?
2 Go to commentsHe seems to have the same aura as Marcus Smith - by which I mean he’s consistently judged as if he’s several years younger than he actually is. Mngomezulu has played 24 times for the Stormers. When Pollard was his age he had played 24 times for South Africa! He has more time to develop, but he has also had time to do some developing already, and he hasn’t demonstrated nearly as much talent in that time as one would expect. If he is a generational talent, then it must be a pretty poor generation.
6 Go to commentsThe greatest Springbok coach of all time is entirely on the money. Rassie and Jacques have given the south african public a great few years, but the success of the springbok selection policy will need to be judged in light of what comes next. The poor condition that the provincial system is currently in doesn’t bode well for the next few years of international rugby, and the insane 2026 schedule that the Boks have lined up could also really harm both provincial and international consistency.
22 Go to commentsJake White is a brilliant coach and a master in the press. This is another masterclass in media relations and PR but its also a very narrow view with arguments that dont always hold water. White wants his team to win, he wants the best players in SA and wants his team competitive. You however have to face up to the reality of a poor exchange rate and big clubs with big budgets. SA Rugby cant compete and unless it can find more money SA players will keep leaving regardless of Springbok eligibility and this happened in 2015 - 2017. Also rugby is not cricket. Cricket has 3 formats and T20 cricket is where the money is at. When it comes to club vs country the IPL is king but that wont happen because the international calendar does not clash with the club calendar in rugby. So the argument about rugby going down the same path as cricket is really a non-starter
22 Go to commentsNZ rugby seem not to have learnt anything from professional rugby. Super rugby was dying and SA left before they died with the competition. SA rugby did a u turn on their approach to international players playing overseas and such players are now selected for Bok teams. As much as each country would love to retain their players playing in local competitions, this is the way the world is evolving my friends. Move with it or stay 20 years behind the times. One more thing. NZ rugby hierarchy think they are the big cheese. Take a more humble approach guys. You do not seem to have your players best interests at heart.
4 Go to commentsBeaches? In Cardiff? Where?
1 Go to commentsHe is right , the Crusaders will be a threat. Scott Barrett, ( particularly), Fergus Burke , Codie Taylor, ( from sabbatical) etc due back soon for the Crusaders. There are others like Zach Gallagher too. People can right the Crusaders off, Top 8 , here we come !!
1 Go to commentsWe will always struggle for money to match the other sides but the least the WRU can do is invest properly in Welsh rugby. Too much has been squandered on vanity projects like the hotel and roof walk amongst others which will never see a massive return. Hanging the 4 pro sides out to dry over the last decade is now coming back to bite the WRU financially as well as on the pitch. You reap what you sow.
1 Go to commentsWhat do you get if you cross a doctor with a fish? A plastic sturgeon
14 Go to commentsWhat happened to feleti Kaitu’u? Hasnt played in a while right?
1 Go to comments