1
The $1m payday Quade Cooper would risk if he opts to chase his NRL dream
Former Wallabies star Quade Cooper could lose a $1 million payday from his current club in Japan if he decides to switch codes and pursue his ambitions to play in the NRL.
ADVERTISEMENT
The 32-year-old is contracted to recently-crowned Top Challenge League champions, the Kintetsu Liners, which he joined from the Melbourne Rebels alongside long-time halves partner Will Genia late last year.
However, with eight months between now and the new Japanese domestic season kicking off, Cooper last week outlined his “lifelong dream” of playing in rugby league’s premier club competition in an interview with the Sydney Morning Herald.
The NRL is eyeing a return to action on May 28 after its 2020 campaign was suspended after just two rounds due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
A shortened season of 13 weeks is being considered, which would hand Cooper a few months to ply his trade in the 13-man code for the first time in his professional career.
“I had a great time in Japan and Kintetsu has been nothing short of amazing,” the 70-test Wallaby told The Herald last Monday.
“The experience, the club, the people … and I’m very much looking forward to going back there.
ADVERTISEMENT
“But with their blessing, if they said that they don’t mind me going to the NRL for that short three-or four-month season to do something I’ve always wanted to achieve, then mate, I’d jump at the opportunity to fulfil a dream that I’ve had since I was a kid.
“The way things are kind of working out, it could be one where all the stars align.”
Interest in Cooper’s services within rugby league circles is reportedly high, with reports in Australia indicating that the Wests Tigers are one of the clubs interested in recruiting the former Queensland Reds, Melbourne Rebels and Toulon playmaker.
Gold Coast Titans head of football Mel Maninga has also gone on record to express his eagerness in bringing Cooper to Cbus Super Stadium.
“We’d discuss it, for sure, and see what we think,” Meninga told The Herald.
“There’s no doubt he has the skill there. Any of the union guys, especially the backs, who are brought up on league can make the transition. There is a gamble there because ideally you’d want him to have a pre-season because you can’t play him in reserve grade.
ADVERTISEMENT
“You’d have to throw him straight in. You don’t want someone like that to come to a club and fail. We’ll probably have to wait and see what sort of money we have to spend in the salary cap as well, but we’ll talk about it.”
Such a move would have to come with the blessing of Cooper’s employers Kintetsu, though, and it appears the club is unwilling to allow the temporary cross-code switch come to fruition.
“We’re playing our lead-up games in that period of time. Where is the upside for the club to go and let him play NRL? There is absolutely none,” Liners head coach Nick Stiles told The Herald.
“Kintetsu are newly promoted so, from a club’s perspective, we want to do the best we can by being up there.
“To do the best we can and to be up there, we want all the players on deck.”
The Herald reports that Cooper’s contract with Kintetsu, worth as much as $1 million, would have to be terminated if he was to return to Australia to try his luck in the NRL.
Stiles also believes that his star first-five would be rewarded with another contract if he decided to stick with Japanese rugby.
“The only safe haven in rugby at the moment is Japan. We’re on full freight at the moment,” he said.
“We’re not getting pay cuts, we’re not getting stood down.
“[Cooper] would jeopardise those conditions by going and playing rugby league for three months.”
Former All Blacks coach Steve Hansen has labelled a former All Blacks star as "the best rugby player the world has ever seen".https://t.co/8NvvzhqpKk
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) April 19, 2020
Financial incentive doesn’t seem to be a driving motive of Cooper’s, however, who told The Herald last week that he was willing to make the jump to the NRL despite the competition’s clubs facing economic uncertainty in the face of the coronavirus outbreak.
“Here’s the thing, money is not the be all and end all,” he said.
“It is a massive thing for athletes, but there’s more than just that. When you’re talking three or four months in the NRL, there’s a hit you’re going to cop but it’s not the end of the world. It’s not a two or three year deal. I have been fortunate enough to play for a while and earn money.
“I’m lucky that in Japan there has been no issues around my pay or having to take a pay cut. At the end of the day, if the opportunity arose you’d have to look at it and weigh everything up.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Exciting place to be for the young fella. I expected he was French Polynesian when I saw him included in the France 6N squad (after seeing him in NZs), and therefor be strong grounds we might loose him to rugby down here. Good, in that he is good enough to warrant such a profile, and from a journalism’s fan interaction aspect, to finally get a back ground story on the fella. Hope he has settled into NZ OK and that at least one rugby country will fit with him to help his development, which, if so, he should surely continue for a few years, and then that he can experience France to it’s fullest with a bit more maturity and less reliance on family than you would have at his current age. A good 3 or 4 years before he would be ready for International duty if he wanted to wait. Of course he already sounds good enough to accept a call up, and to cap himself, in the more immediate future (he’d have to be very very good in the case of the ABs), and he’ll get a great taste of that being with the Canes who have a bunch who are just a few years further into their career and looking likely Internationals themselves.
11 Go to commentsI remember towards the end of the original broadcasting deal for Super rugby with Newscorp that there was talk about the competition expanding to improve negotiations for more money - more content, more cash. Professional rugby was still in its infancy then and I held an opposing view that if Super rugby was a truly valuable competition then it should attract more broadcasters to bid for the rights, thereby increasing the value without needing to add more teams and games. Unfortunately since the game turned professional, the tension between club, talent and country has only grown further. I would argue we’re already at a point in time where the present is the future. The only international competitions that matter are 6N, RC and RWC. The inter-hemisphere tours are only developmental for those competitions. The games that increasingly matter more to fans, sponsors and broadcasters are between the clubs. Particularly for European fans, there are multiple competitions to follow your teams fortunes every week. SA is not Europe but competes in a single continental competition, so the travel component will always be an impediment. It was worse in the bloated days of Super rugby when teams traversed between four continents - Africa, America, Asia and Australia. The percentage of players who represent their country is less than 5% of the professional player base, so the sense of sacrifice isn’t as strong a motivation for the rest who are more focused on playing professional rugby and earning as much from their body as they can. Rugby like cricket created the conundrum it’s constantly fighting a losing battle with.
3 Go to commentsOh wow… “But as La Rochelle proved in winning in Cape Town this season, a cross-continental away assignment need not spell the end of days.” La Rochelle actually proved quite the opposite. After traveling to Cape town and back they (back-to-back and current champs) got mercilessly thumped the next week. If travel is not the reason, why else would a full-strength powerhouse like La Rochelle get dumped on their @r$e$ one week later?
26 Go to commentsYou know he can land a winning conversion after the full time siren is up. (Even if it takes two attempts.)
5 Go to commentsA very insightful article from Jake. I would love to know how South African’s feel about their move to Europe. Do you prefer playing in Europe or want to go back to Super Rugby?
3 Go to commentspure fire
1 Go to commentsA very well thought out summary of all the relevant complications…agree with your ”refer the Cricket Test versus 20/20 comparison”. More also definitely doesn't necessarily mean better!
3 Go to commentsMust be something when you are only 19 y.o and both NZ and France want you. Btw he wasn’t the only new caledonian in french U20 as Robin Couly also lived in Noumea until 17. Hope he’s successful wherever he chooses to play.
11 Go to comments“Several key players in the Stade Rochelais squad are in their thirties” South Africans are going to hate the implications of that comment!
5 Go to commentsI know Leinster did a job on La Roche but shortly after HT Leinster were 30-13 ahead of them and at a similar time Toulouse were trailing Exeter. At 60 mins Leinster were 27 ahead but after 67 mins Toulouse were only 19 ahead before Exeter collapsed. That’s heavier scoring by Leinster against the Champions. I think people are looking at Toulouses total a little too much. I also think Northhampton are in with a real chance, albeit I’d put Leinster as favourites. If Leinster make the final I expect them to win by more than ten and with control.
5 Go to commentsHey Nick, your match analysis is decent but the top and tail not so much, a bit more random. For a start there’s a seismic difference in regenerating any club side over a test team. EJ pretty much had to urinate with the appendage he’d been given at test level whereas club success is impacted hugely by the budget. Look no further than Boudjellal’s Toulon project for a perfect example. The set ups at La Rochelle and Leinster are like chalk and cheese and you are correct that Leinster are ahead. Leinster are not just slightly ahead though, they are light years ahead on their plans, with the next gen champions cup team already blooded, seasoned and developing at speed from their time manning the fort in the URC while the cream play CC and tests. They have engineered a strong talent conveyor belt into their system, supported by private money funnelled into a couple of Leinster private schools. The really smart move from Leinster and the IRFU however is maximising the Irish Revenue tax breaks (tax relief on the best 10 years earnings refunded at retirement) to help keep all of their stars in Ireland and happy, while simultaneously funding marquee players consistently. And of course Barrett is the latest example. But in no way is he a “replacement for Henshaw”, he’s only there for one season!!! As for Rob Baxter, the best advice you can give him is to start lobbying Parliament and HMRC for a similar state subsidy, but don’t hold your breath… One thing Cullen has been very smart with is his coaching team. Very quickly he realised his need to supplement his skills, there was talk of him exiting after his first couple of years but he was extremely shrewd bringing in Lancaster and now Nienaber. That has worked superbly and added a layer that really has made a tangible difference. Apart from that you were bang on the money… 😉😂
5 Go to commentsNot sure exactly what went wrong for him at Glasgow but it’s pretty clear he ain’t Franco’s cup of tea. Suspect he would have been better served heading out of Scotland around the same time as Finn, Hoggy and Jonny!
1 Go to commentsBulls disrespected the Northampton supporters and the competition. Decide quickly, fully in or out.
26 Go to commentsI wonder if Parling was ever on England’s radar as a coach? Obviously Borthwick is a great lineout coach, but I do worry he might be taking on too much as both head coach and forwards coach.
1 Go to commentsJason Jenkins has one cap. When Etzebeth was his age he had over 80 caps. Experience matters. He will never amount to what Etzebeth has because he hasn’t been developed as an international player.
2 Go to commentsSays much about the player picking this gig over the easier and bigger rewards offered to him in Japan. Also says a lot about the state sanctioned tax benefits the Irish Revenue offers pro rugby players, with their ten highest earning years subject to an additional 40% tax relief and paid as a lump sum, in cash, at retirement. Certainly helps Leinster line up the financial ducks in a row to fund marquee signings like this!!! No other union anywhere in world rugby benefits from this kind of lucrative financial sponsorship from their government…
5 Go to commentsTrue Jordie could earn a lot more in Japan. But by choosing Leinster he’ll be playing with 1 of the best clubs in the world and can win a champions cup and URC…..
6 Go to commentsThanks for that Marshy, noticed you didn't say who is gonna win it. We know who ain't gonna win it - your Crusaders outfit. They've gone from having arguably the best Super Rugby first five ever, to having a clutch of rookies. Hurricanes all the way!
1 Go to commentsGeez you really have to question the NRLs ability to produce players of quality. Its pathetic. Dont the 25mil in Aus produce enough quality womens players. Sad.
1 Go to commentsBulls fan here, and agree 100% with the conclusion (and little else) of this article. SA sides should absolutely f-off from the champs cup until we get fair scheduling, equal support for travel arrangements and home semis. You know, like all the european teams get.
26 Go to comments