Quade Cooper | It’s Never Quiet Down South

The Tri-Nations drew to a close last weekend with the All Blacks triumphant, unbeaten and a long way ahead of the chasing pack. The battle for southern hemisphere supremacy usually throws up plenty of drama as well as the best rugby to be found on this ‘ere rock, but even the most dyed-in-the-wool Springbok fan would have to admit that 2010 was a vintage year. There were several belting games and a handful of bona-fide classics all mixed in with the usual media outbursts and scandal and we’ve done our bests to distil the biggest talking points to emerge from the tournament in our latest Scrum Seven.

There’s life in the old dogs yet.

The All Blacks played some magnificent rugby on their way to the title but also showed granite-like determination when the chips were down. A great deal of credit must go to their old stagers, skipper Richie McCaw, lock Brad Thorn, fullback Mils Muliaina and hooker Keven Mealamu in particular. McCaw got away with murder on several occasions but remains the best there is, having added superb support play to his bulging repertoire. Muliaina was a man revitalised under the new tackle laws and in the early weeks of the tournament was unplayable. As for Thorn and Mealamu, the set-piece was solid and they spent the rest of their time either smashing anything that moved or pretending to be Dan Carter in midfield. Great stuff.

Beale-y good

This young Wallabies side are a likable bunch and despite still being in the ‘excitable puppy’ phase there was always the sense that they had one big win in them. Ideally for them, that big win would have come against the All Blacks, but their Bloemfontein victory over South Africa will have to do for now. Having conspired to chuck away their second big lead in as many weeks the winning points eventually came from the boot of Waratahs fullback Kurtley Beale and his 55-metre penalty with the final kick of the game will be mentioned in the same breath as winning efforts from John Eales and Stirling Mortlock. It ended a 47-year wait for victory on the high-veldt – which incidentally is also the reported amount of time it will take for James O’Connor to look 25.

I probably shouldn’t say this, but…

Every Peter De Villiers press conference must take a year off the life of South African Rugby Union boss Oregan Hoskins. Last season, the Springbok coach was a winning eccentric, this year, as his side floundered at the foot of the table, he was more often cast as a liability. His side were a shadow of the well-oiled machine that steamrolled all comers in 2009 and bar the Wallabies’ inexperience could have lost all six of their fixtures. It doesn’t help that extra ammunition is passed to the media week on week – when the papers have finished tearing apart a poor performance they should not be handed talk of refereeing conspiracies for dessert. Whether De Villiers survives his September review remains to be seen – Jake White might yet have his way.

“He’s got some rare skills that kid.”

He may not have played the biggest role in the All Blacks’ triumph, but Graham Henry is bang on the money with his assessment of Israel Dagg’s talent. He scored the winner at Soccer City as the All Blacks wrecked John Smit’s big day out and while he got a dressing down for celebrating that score too early, his try against South Africa in round two should be treasured as a brilliant moment of impetuous youth. As should McCaw’s shuddering hit on him as he celebrated. He was the only player to get close to him.

The Quade Train

A media storm in the finest tradition, Quade Cooper’s ‘Will he? Won’t he?’ dalliance with rugby league was another unwanted sideshow to the real business of winning Tests. But as the oft-covered song says, ‘You don’t know what you’ve got ’til it’s gone.’ The threat of Cooper, who barely a year ago was considered to be a flighty presence on the periphery of the Wallabies squad, leaving for the 13-man-code was widely greeted with horror Down Under. It was also greeted with horror in the ESPNscrum office – after some early reservations we’ve been won over by his disdain for boring rugby. His performances against the Springboks on tour and his goose-step against the All Blacks last weekend were further evidence of what union could have lost. A special talent.

Time to call it a day?

John Smit is arguably the greatest captain in the history of the game, but that didn’t spare him criticism this season as his ability to make it to next season’s World Cup was called into question. After losing his 100th Test, against the All Blacks in Soweto in front of a record crowd, Smit cut a forlorn figure and will need all of his fighting spirit to keep going through until next September. Bismarck du Plessis is back playing for the Sharks and while the selectors don’t appear to fancy him, Saracens’ Schalk Brits would be playing for pretty much every other Test nation right now. Over to you John, for career challenge number 10,746…

Hail to the lawmakers

The new tackle laws have freed up the game immeasurably. While they apparently weren’t welcomed in South Africa, both New Zealand and Australia cut loose to spectacular effect and showed that back-threes could a be used for more than tackling. The north will inevitably lumber after their southern rivals in November and only England and France appear to possess sufficient grunt to suck the life out of the Wallabies and All Blacks. England face a rematch with the Wallabies after beating them in June, it won’t be as easy now, while it will be interesting to see how Wales fare with a little more freedom. The fact remains however that even after a dismal Tri-Nations campaign, the weakest southern hemisphere side should still win a Grand Slam this year. The gap is more like a chasm.

Quade Cooper | NRL Is Cooper’s Destiny Hayne

Eels fullback Jarryd Hayne hasn’t given up on playing alongside Quade Cooper, believing the Wallabies playmaker could still make a switch to the NRL.

Cooper on Friday re-signed with the Australian Rugby Union for another year, ending speculation over his immediate future after he was heavily linked with the Eels.

But Hayne feels there could be a different result at the end of next season following the Rugby World Cup in New Zealand.

“He’s very keen to try his hand at league, so I guess we’ve just got to wait 12 months,” Hayne said.

The Eels reportedly offered 22-year-old Cooper a big cash incentive to make the switch and Hayne said it would have been exciting to play alongside him.

“He’s such a talented athlete and his ability and experience is similar to mine, with his way of thinking and the way he plays the game,” Hayne said.

Departing North Queensland Cowboys forward Willie Mason has questioned whether coach Neil Henry is the man to resurrect the ailing club’s on-field stocks.

The outspoken Mason, who spent this season with the 15th-placed side before signing with English club Hull KR, says tough decisions need to be made in Townsville.

The Cowboys are reviewing all aspects of their operation after a woeful year and have already moved chief executive Peter Parr into another role.

Test halfback Johnathan Thurston’s captaincy is also reportedly under the microscope.

Asked if the players at the club were happy, Mason said: “I don’t think so. Obviously there’s got to be some changes up there.”

Henry is signed until the end of 2013 but the former test forward hinted the coaching position also needed reviewing.

“I think the board has to make that decision and they’ve got to make some really tough decisions,” Mason said. “Obviously it starts at the coach.”

- AAP

Quade Cooper | ARU Boss Happy With Wallabies’ Progress

Posted September 14, 2010 06:54:00

Buoyant Australian Rugby Union boss John O’Neill says the Wallabies have overcome their perceived weaknesses and he is very positive about their World Cup prospects next year.

Australia finished their 2010 Tri-Nations campaign in second spot with a mediocre 2-4 win-loss record.

However the development of some exciting young backs and the encouraging performances in Australia’s last two Tri-Nations games in Bloemfontein and Sydney have convinced O’Neill the Wallabies are on the right path.

“I think from where we were to where we’ve come, the improvement is quite distinct,” O’Neill said.

“As a collective they are really coming together. Rocky Elsom is growing in the captaincy job extremely well.

“Given the injuries we’ve had, some really significant impact players were not available.

“But look at Quade Cooper, look at James O’Connor, look at Kurtley Beale, throw in Matt Giteau, Adam Ashley-Cooper and Drew Mitchell.

“And the forwards… a lot of our perceived weaknesses have been overcome.

“The scrum is good, the line-out is good, the restarts are getting better.

“All the signs are very positive. I’m very proud of them and I think we’re heading in the right direction.”

The normally forthright O’Neill was a little less bullish when asked whether Australia could win the 2011 World Cup in New Zealand.

“We are going to be very competitive,” was O’Neill’s succinct reply.

He was optimistic about rugby’s future, with an expanded 15-team Super tournament starting in 2011 following a year of more entertaining Super and Tri-Nations competition.

“I think the timing of this (the Super expansion) is perfect, it’s in a World Cup year,” O’Neill said.

“We’ve got a marvellous opportunity set up for us in 2011 for rugby to make a significant move.”

Asked if the increased quantity of Super games would be matched by a rise in quality, O’Neill said: “We will soon find out. I believe it will, the quality of rugby this year has been outstanding.”

Tags: sport , rugby-union , super-14 , australia , nsw , sydney-2000

Quade Cooper | NRL Is Cooper’s Destiny Hayne

Eels fullback Jarryd Hayne hasn’t given up on playing alongside Quade Cooper, believing the Wallabies playmaker could still make a switch to the NRL.

Cooper on Friday re-signed with the Australian Rugby Union for another year, ending speculation over his immediate future after he was heavily linked with the Eels.

But Hayne feels there could be a different result at the end of next season following the Rugby World Cup in New Zealand.

“He’s very keen to try his hand at league, so I guess we’ve just got to wait 12 months,” Hayne said.

The Eels reportedly offered 22-year-old Cooper a big cash incentive to make the switch and Hayne said it would have been exciting to play alongside him.

“He’s such a talented athlete and his ability and experience is similar to mine, with his way of thinking and the way he plays the game,” Hayne said.

Departing North Queensland Cowboys forward Willie Mason has questioned whether coach Neil Henry is the man to resurrect the ailing club’s on-field stocks.

The outspoken Mason, who spent this season with the 15th-placed side before signing with English club Hull KR, says tough decisions need to be made in Townsville.

The Cowboys are reviewing all aspects of their operation after a woeful year and have already moved chief executive Peter Parr into another role.

Test halfback Johnathan Thurston’s captaincy is also reportedly under the microscope.

Asked if the players at the club were happy, Mason said: “I don’t think so. Obviously there’s got to be some changes up there.”

Henry is signed until the end of 2013 but the former test forward hinted the coaching position also needed reviewing.

“I think the board has to make that decision and they’ve got to make some really tough decisions,” Mason said. “Obviously it starts at the coach.”

- AAP

Quade Cooper | Cooper’s Post-Cup Future Uncertain

WALLABIES five-eighth Quade Cooper has been locked in for next year’s World Cup, but his future following the tournament is uncertain, with rugby league and playing overseas among his options.

The Australian Rugby Union anticipated it would secure Cooper to a two-year deal, after numerous discussions involving its chief executive, John O’Neill, with the Test pivot during the Wallabies recent trip to South Africa.

However, Cooper, who will be Australia’s chief playmaker when they confront the All Blacks at ANZ Stadium tonight, eventually opted for an upgraded one-year contract, which will see him remaining with the Wallabies and Queensland Reds until the end of next season.

This opens the way for Cooper to again negotiate with rugby league’s Parramatta Eels next year, after they came close to snaring him before the World Cup. Also, if Cooper has a successful World Cup campaign, he could again become the prime target of several European clubs following recent approaches from French interests.

But the lure of the World Cup and a dramatic boost in his ARU base salary – which should see him earn around $700,000 next season – were the prime reasons for Cooper opting to stay with the Wallabies for another 12 months.

”It’s a load off my shoulders, as I had to weigh up so many different factors,” Cooper said yesterday. ”Fools rush in to making decisions on their future … that’s why I took my time.”

The standout Australian Super 14 player this year admitted that ”rugby league was a serious option”.

”The offers from Parramatta and rugby league were very flattering, and you’d be silly not to look at them,” he said. ”After all, it is a professional era. It’s also a challenge any sportsman would look at. Sport is all about challenges. As a rugby team [tonight], the Wallabies have the biggest challenge of all in playing the All Blacks. As for personal challenges, well rugby league is something I really looked into.”

O’Neill was yesterday confident Cooper would remain in rugby for a considerable time.

”Over a number of weeks Quade and I talked about a range of options,” he said. ”Ultimately we’re comfortable with the one-year contract. I’m also confident that Quade will be with us for years to come.

”Personally, I believe rugby is the place for him. In 15 years, we haven’t lost a player to rugby league that we have wanted to keep, and I didn’t want to spoil that record. I remain confident that Quade will become a player of real stature in our game.”

Wallabies coach Robbie Deans appeared relieved Cooper would remain for the 2011 World Cup.

”Quade has attributes which are unique,” Deans said. ”So it provides us with a bit of scope, as we can approach the game in a different way. It draws a different response from our opposition, and so it’s good to have him committed.”

Quade Cooper | NRL Is Cooper’s Destiny Hayne

Eels fullback Jarryd Hayne hasn’t given up on playing alongside Quade Cooper, believing the Wallabies playmaker could still make a switch to the NRL.

Cooper on Friday re-signed with the Australian Rugby Union for another year, ending speculation over his immediate future after he was heavily linked with the Eels.

But Hayne feels there could be a different result at the end of next season following the Rugby World Cup in New Zealand.

“He’s very keen to try his hand at league, so I guess we’ve just got to wait 12 months,” Hayne said.

The Eels reportedly offered 22-year-old Cooper a big cash incentive to make the switch and Hayne said it would have been exciting to play alongside him.

“He’s such a talented athlete and his ability and experience is similar to mine, with his way of thinking and the way he plays the game,” Hayne said.

Departing North Queensland Cowboys forward Willie Mason has questioned whether coach Neil Henry is the man to resurrect the ailing club’s on-field stocks.

The outspoken Mason, who spent this season with the 15th-placed side before signing with English club Hull KR, says tough decisions need to be made in Townsville.

The Cowboys are reviewing all aspects of their operation after a woeful year and have already moved chief executive Peter Parr into another role.

Test halfback Johnathan Thurston’s captaincy is also reportedly under the microscope.

Asked if the players at the club were happy, Mason said: “I don’t think so. Obviously there’s got to be some changes up there.”

Henry is signed until the end of 2013 but the former test forward hinted the coaching position also needed reviewing.

“I think the board has to make that decision and they’ve got to make some really tough decisions,” Mason said. “Obviously it starts at the coach.”

- AAP

Quade Cooper | Cooper’s Post-Cup Future Uncertain

WALLABIES five-eighth Quade Cooper has been locked in for next year’s World Cup, but his future following the tournament is uncertain, with rugby league and playing overseas among his options.

The Australian Rugby Union anticipated it would secure Cooper to a two-year deal, after numerous discussions involving its chief executive, John O’Neill, with the Test pivot during the Wallabies recent trip to South Africa.

However, Cooper, who will be Australia’s chief playmaker when they confront the All Blacks at ANZ Stadium tonight, eventually opted for an upgraded one-year contract, which will see him remaining with the Wallabies and Queensland Reds until the end of next season.

This opens the way for Cooper to again negotiate with rugby league’s Parramatta Eels next year, after they came close to snaring him before the World Cup. Also, if Cooper has a successful World Cup campaign, he could again become the prime target of several European clubs following recent approaches from French interests.

But the lure of the World Cup and a dramatic boost in his ARU base salary – which should see him earn around $700,000 next season – were the prime reasons for Cooper opting to stay with the Wallabies for another 12 months.

”It’s a load off my shoulders, as I had to weigh up so many different factors,” Cooper said yesterday. ”Fools rush in to making decisions on their future … that’s why I took my time.”

The standout Australian Super 14 player this year admitted that ”rugby league was a serious option”.

”The offers from Parramatta and rugby league were very flattering, and you’d be silly not to look at them,” he said. ”After all, it is a professional era. It’s also a challenge any sportsman would look at. Sport is all about challenges. As a rugby team [tonight], the Wallabies have the biggest challenge of all in playing the All Blacks. As for personal challenges, well rugby league is something I really looked into.”

O’Neill was yesterday confident Cooper would remain in rugby for a considerable time.

”Over a number of weeks Quade and I talked about a range of options,” he said. ”Ultimately we’re comfortable with the one-year contract. I’m also confident that Quade will be with us for years to come.

”Personally, I believe rugby is the place for him. In 15 years, we haven’t lost a player to rugby league that we have wanted to keep, and I didn’t want to spoil that record. I remain confident that Quade will become a player of real stature in our game.”

Wallabies coach Robbie Deans appeared relieved Cooper would remain for the 2011 World Cup.

”Quade has attributes which are unique,” Deans said. ”So it provides us with a bit of scope, as we can approach the game in a different way. It draws a different response from our opposition, and so it’s good to have him committed.”

Quade Cooper | ‘I Felt Undervalued’

FOR possibly the first time in their lives, Quade Cooper’s parents David and Ruhia Jones will tonight cheer for a team to beat the All Blacks as the 22-year-old Wallabies playmaker plays in his first Test against the country of his birth at ANZ Stadium.

Yet they could have just as easily have been across town at the Sydney Football Stadium watching Cooper play alongside lifelong friend Shaun Kenny-Dowall for the Sydney Roosters, who take on a Wests Tigers side led by Benji Marshall – the fellow Kiwi five-eighth whose brilliant attacking style most resembles his own. Cooper has been torn between the two codes for as long as he remember, and he revealed to the Herald yesterday how he had been meant to join Kenny-Dowall and his father John on their now famous backpacking journey to Sydney to trial with NRL clubs.

Instead, Cooper stayed in New Zealand before eventually following Kenny-Dowall across The Ditch, although not to league.

It is something he still might do, but not for at least a year after yesterday turning down a $3.2 million four-year offer from Parramatta to sign an upgraded one-year contract extension – worth $600,000 plus match payments – more in keeping with his standing as the player most likely to win the World Cup for the Wallabies than the initial $360,000-a-season deal tabled by the ARU.

”I did feel a bit undervalued at the start, especially with the offers from league,” Cooper says. ”They were very flattering so that was what made me get very serious about switching codes. I was very serious about league and it was a very serious offer that Parramatta put in front of me. There were some good financial opportunities there. When you have those sort of people knocking on your door it would be rude not to acknowledge them and take them seriously. It would be very silly and arrogant of me not to look into that as best I could. I guess the thing about playing rugby league is that it does offer another challenge; I haven’t had the opportunity to play at the top level in rugby league so I was definitely fair dinkum about it and looking into that offer as best I could. At the end of the day, I enjoy playing both league and union so I guess I was in a win-win situation.”

Coincidentally, the Wallabies have the man the All Blacks believe can be the X-factor in their World Cup campaign, Sonny Bill Williams, to thank for helping to convince Cooper to stay in rugby until the World Cup. ”Sonny Bill is a guy who I deeply respect, and to get an opinion from someone like that, who has played and done well at three sports, is huge,” Cooper says. ”The advice I got out of him was that playing in front of 5.1 billion people who would be watching over the period of the World Cup is something I might never get again.”

Tonight there will be 80,000 fans at ANZ Stadium and a television audience of millions watching on both sides of the Tasman but the two people for whom Cooper most wants to play well are his parents.

Growing up in New Zealand, he dreamt of playing for the All Blacks and always supported them, as did his entire family. But tonight they will be cheering for the Wallabies – even those family members still living in New Zealand.

”I think it has been a bit hard for my dad but since I started playing he has crossed over to being a Wallabies supporter,” Cooper says. ”My mum and dad have always been my biggest fans, and to have them come down [from Brisbane] for my first game against the All Blacks is going to be a great occasion. My mum used to take me to training as a kid, and my dad used to help me practise kicking in the backyard so to repay them for all of their hard work and the sacrifices they made to get me to where I am today is very special. At one stage, I definitely dreamed of playing for the All Blacks, and tomorrow to be playing against them is going to be a very special moment for myself and my family. I’m sure when I’m facing the haka tomorrow it is going to send a bit of a shiver down my spine. It will be very emotional, and I am just going to try and use that to my advantage and take as much out of it as they do.”

Quade Cooper | ARU Boss Happy With Wallabies’ Progress

Posted September 14, 2010 06:54:00

Buoyant Australian Rugby Union boss John O’Neill says the Wallabies have overcome their perceived weaknesses and he is very positive about their World Cup prospects next year.

Australia finished their 2010 Tri-Nations campaign in second spot with a mediocre 2-4 win-loss record.

However the development of some exciting young backs and the encouraging performances in Australia’s last two Tri-Nations games in Bloemfontein and Sydney have convinced O’Neill the Wallabies are on the right path.

“I think from where we were to where we’ve come, the improvement is quite distinct,” O’Neill said.

“As a collective they are really coming together. Rocky Elsom is growing in the captaincy job extremely well.

“Given the injuries we’ve had, some really significant impact players were not available.

“But look at Quade Cooper, look at James O’Connor, look at Kurtley Beale, throw in Matt Giteau, Adam Ashley-Cooper and Drew Mitchell.

“And the forwards… a lot of our perceived weaknesses have been overcome.

“The scrum is good, the line-out is good, the restarts are getting better.

“All the signs are very positive. I’m very proud of them and I think we’re heading in the right direction.”

The normally forthright O’Neill was a little less bullish when asked whether Australia could win the 2011 World Cup in New Zealand.

“We are going to be very competitive,” was O’Neill’s succinct reply.

He was optimistic about rugby’s future, with an expanded 15-team Super tournament starting in 2011 following a year of more entertaining Super and Tri-Nations competition.

“I think the timing of this (the Super expansion) is perfect, it’s in a World Cup year,” O’Neill said.

“We’ve got a marvellous opportunity set up for us in 2011 for rugby to make a significant move.”

Asked if the increased quantity of Super games would be matched by a rise in quality, O’Neill said: “We will soon find out. I believe it will, the quality of rugby this year has been outstanding.”

Tags: sport , rugby-union , super-14 , australia , nsw , sydney-2000

Quade Cooper | It’s Never Quiet Down South

The Tri-Nations drew to a close last weekend with the All Blacks triumphant, unbeaten and a long way ahead of the chasing pack. The battle for southern hemisphere supremacy usually throws up plenty of drama as well as the best rugby to be found on this ‘ere rock, but even the most dyed-in-the-wool Springbok fan would have to admit that 2010 was a vintage year. There were several belting games and a handful of bona-fide classics all mixed in with the usual media outbursts and scandal and we’ve done our bests to distil the biggest talking points to emerge from the tournament in our latest Scrum Seven.

There’s life in the old dogs yet.

The All Blacks played some magnificent rugby on their way to the title but also showed granite-like determination when the chips were down. A great deal of credit must go to their old stagers, skipper Richie McCaw, lock Brad Thorn, fullback Mils Muliaina and hooker Keven Mealamu in particular. McCaw got away with murder on several occasions but remains the best there is, having added superb support play to his bulging repertoire. Muliaina was a man revitalised under the new tackle laws and in the early weeks of the tournament was unplayable. As for Thorn and Mealamu, the set-piece was solid and they spent the rest of their time either smashing anything that moved or pretending to be Dan Carter in midfield. Great stuff.

Beale-y good

This young Wallabies side are a likable bunch and despite still being in the ‘excitable puppy’ phase there was always the sense that they had one big win in them. Ideally for them, that big win would have come against the All Blacks, but their Bloemfontein victory over South Africa will have to do for now. Having conspired to chuck away their second big lead in as many weeks the winning points eventually came from the boot of Waratahs fullback Kurtley Beale and his 55-metre penalty with the final kick of the game will be mentioned in the same breath as winning efforts from John Eales and Stirling Mortlock. It ended a 47-year wait for victory on the high-veldt – which incidentally is also the reported amount of time it will take for James O’Connor to look 25.

I probably shouldn’t say this, but…

Every Peter De Villiers press conference must take a year off the life of South African Rugby Union boss Oregan Hoskins. Last season, the Springbok coach was a winning eccentric, this year, as his side floundered at the foot of the table, he was more often cast as a liability. His side were a shadow of the well-oiled machine that steamrolled all comers in 2009 and bar the Wallabies’ inexperience could have lost all six of their fixtures. It doesn’t help that extra ammunition is passed to the media week on week – when the papers have finished tearing apart a poor performance they should not be handed talk of refereeing conspiracies for dessert. Whether De Villiers survives his September review remains to be seen – Jake White might yet have his way.

“He’s got some rare skills that kid.”

He may not have played the biggest role in the All Blacks’ triumph, but Graham Henry is bang on the money with his assessment of Israel Dagg’s talent. He scored the winner at Soccer City as the All Blacks wrecked John Smit’s big day out and while he got a dressing down for celebrating that score too early, his try against South Africa in round two should be treasured as a brilliant moment of impetuous youth. As should McCaw’s shuddering hit on him as he celebrated. He was the only player to get close to him.

The Quade Train

A media storm in the finest tradition, Quade Cooper’s ‘Will he? Won’t he?’ dalliance with rugby league was another unwanted sideshow to the real business of winning Tests. But as the oft-covered song says, ‘You don’t know what you’ve got ’til it’s gone.’ The threat of Cooper, who barely a year ago was considered to be a flighty presence on the periphery of the Wallabies squad, leaving for the 13-man-code was widely greeted with horror Down Under. It was also greeted with horror in the ESPNscrum office – after some early reservations we’ve been won over by his disdain for boring rugby. His performances against the Springboks on tour and his goose-step against the All Blacks last weekend were further evidence of what union could have lost. A special talent.

Time to call it a day?

John Smit is arguably the greatest captain in the history of the game, but that didn’t spare him criticism this season as his ability to make it to next season’s World Cup was called into question. After losing his 100th Test, against the All Blacks in Soweto in front of a record crowd, Smit cut a forlorn figure and will need all of his fighting spirit to keep going through until next September. Bismarck du Plessis is back playing for the Sharks and while the selectors don’t appear to fancy him, Saracens’ Schalk Brits would be playing for pretty much every other Test nation right now. Over to you John, for career challenge number 10,746…

Hail to the lawmakers

The new tackle laws have freed up the game immeasurably. While they apparently weren’t welcomed in South Africa, both New Zealand and Australia cut loose to spectacular effect and showed that back-threes could a be used for more than tackling. The north will inevitably lumber after their southern rivals in November and only England and France appear to possess sufficient grunt to suck the life out of the Wallabies and All Blacks. England face a rematch with the Wallabies after beating them in June, it won’t be as easy now, while it will be interesting to see how Wales fare with a little more freedom. The fact remains however that even after a dismal Tri-Nations campaign, the weakest southern hemisphere side should still win a Grand Slam this year. The gap is more like a chasm.

Quade Cooper | Orford Could Be The Answer To Eels’ Woes

Former Dally M winner Matt Orford could be the solution to the Parramatta Eels halves dilemma. With Quade Cooper staying in union for two more years and both Brett Kimmorley and Trent Barrett retiring, Orford may be the savior for the Eels .

Orford appears desperate to return to the NRL , after an unhappy stint in the UK with Bradford, and has been in talks with Canberra, Manly and Parramatta. If the Eels can negotiate Orford a release from the Bulls , it may be a perfect fit.

At 32, Orford probably has two more good seasons in him. It was only two years ago that he won the Dally M and captained Manly to the 2008 grand final win. Since making his NRL debut for the Northern Eagles in 2000, Orford has been most one the most consistent halfbacks in the competition.

A solid player for the Storm for five years, Orford developed a lethal combination with the likes of Brett Stewart and Jamie Lyon at Manly. He left Manly at the end of 2009 because of the salary cap and a dispute over the amount of years Manly was offering him.

But a two-year deal at the Eels makes sense. The man they called “Ox” could be a perfect foil and steady partner to Daniel Mortimer, Anthony Mitchell and Jeff Robson (who he already played with at Manly). As I’ve written earlier, Parramatta desperately need an experienced half to help their team.

A player like Orford would not only take pressure off Hayne as a playmaker, but he could help guide Mortimer, Keating and Tom Humble. The Eels should have room under the cap in 2011, after letting Matteo and Innu go, and Cayless retire, but Orford wouldn’t be on the kind of money he was getting at Manly.

Parramatta is a young team that needs a seasoned pro at its spine and Orford is the best available option. If the Eels and Bradford can agree on a transfer fee, then the blue and gold army should have something to crow about before the next season kicks off.

Quade Cooper | NRL Is Cooper’s Destiny Hayne

Eels fullback Jarryd Hayne hasn’t given up on playing alongside Quade Cooper, believing the Wallabies playmaker could still make a switch to the NRL.

Cooper on Friday re-signed with the Australian Rugby Union for another year, ending speculation over his immediate future after he was heavily linked with the Eels.

But Hayne feels there could be a different result at the end of next season following the Rugby World Cup in New Zealand.

“He’s very keen to try his hand at league, so I guess we’ve just got to wait 12 months,” Hayne said.

The Eels reportedly offered 22-year-old Cooper a big cash incentive to make the switch and Hayne said it would have been exciting to play alongside him.

“He’s such a talented athlete and his ability and experience is similar to mine, with his way of thinking and the way he plays the game,” Hayne said.

Departing North Queensland Cowboys forward Willie Mason has questioned whether coach Neil Henry is the man to resurrect the ailing club’s on-field stocks.

The outspoken Mason, who spent this season with the 15th-placed side before signing with English club Hull KR, says tough decisions need to be made in Townsville.

The Cowboys are reviewing all aspects of their operation after a woeful year and have already moved chief executive Peter Parr into another role.

Test halfback Johnathan Thurston’s captaincy is also reportedly under the microscope.

Asked if the players at the club were happy, Mason said: “I don’t think so. Obviously there’s got to be some changes up there.”

Henry is signed until the end of 2013 but the former test forward hinted the coaching position also needed reviewing.

“I think the board has to make that decision and they’ve got to make some really tough decisions,” Mason said. “Obviously it starts at the coach.”

- AAP

Quade Cooper | Cooper’s Post-Cup Future Uncertain

WALLABIES five-eighth Quade Cooper has been locked in for next year’s World Cup, but his future following the tournament is uncertain, with rugby league and playing overseas among his options.

The Australian Rugby Union anticipated it would secure Cooper to a two-year deal, after numerous discussions involving its chief executive, John O’Neill, with the Test pivot during the Wallabies recent trip to South Africa.

However, Cooper, who will be Australia’s chief playmaker when they confront the All Blacks at ANZ Stadium tonight, eventually opted for an upgraded one-year contract, which will see him remaining with the Wallabies and Queensland Reds until the end of next season.

This opens the way for Cooper to again negotiate with rugby league’s Parramatta Eels next year, after they came close to snaring him before the World Cup. Also, if Cooper has a successful World Cup campaign, he could again become the prime target of several European clubs following recent approaches from French interests.

But the lure of the World Cup and a dramatic boost in his ARU base salary – which should see him earn around $700,000 next season – were the prime reasons for Cooper opting to stay with the Wallabies for another 12 months.

”It’s a load off my shoulders, as I had to weigh up so many different factors,” Cooper said yesterday. ”Fools rush in to making decisions on their future … that’s why I took my time.”

The standout Australian Super 14 player this year admitted that ”rugby league was a serious option”.

”The offers from Parramatta and rugby league were very flattering, and you’d be silly not to look at them,” he said. ”After all, it is a professional era. It’s also a challenge any sportsman would look at. Sport is all about challenges. As a rugby team [tonight], the Wallabies have the biggest challenge of all in playing the All Blacks. As for personal challenges, well rugby league is something I really looked into.”

O’Neill was yesterday confident Cooper would remain in rugby for a considerable time.

”Over a number of weeks Quade and I talked about a range of options,” he said. ”Ultimately we’re comfortable with the one-year contract. I’m also confident that Quade will be with us for years to come.

”Personally, I believe rugby is the place for him. In 15 years, we haven’t lost a player to rugby league that we have wanted to keep, and I didn’t want to spoil that record. I remain confident that Quade will become a player of real stature in our game.”

Wallabies coach Robbie Deans appeared relieved Cooper would remain for the 2011 World Cup.

”Quade has attributes which are unique,” Deans said. ”So it provides us with a bit of scope, as we can approach the game in a different way. It draws a different response from our opposition, and so it’s good to have him committed.”

Quade Cooper | Un-Beale-lievable

A spectacular Kurtley Beale penalty goal on fulltime has enabled the Wallabies to enjoy one of their greatest moments on South African soil when they won at altitude for the first time in 47 years when beating the Springboks 41-39 in Bloemfontein this morning.

This was an unbelievable Test which involved all possible emotions, but thankfully the Wallabies were able to survive in the most dramatic of circumstances to ensure they won the Nelson Mandela Plate while consigning the Springboks to last place in the Tri Nations.

It was a Test of extraordinary contrasts where for the first 39 minutes the Wallabies played brilliantly taking what seemed to be an unbeatable 31-6 lead after 24 minutes following marvellous tries to fullback Beale, winger James O’Connor, hooker Stephen Moore and skipper Rocky Elsom.

The first half was virtually all the Wallabies as they performed with great skill as their exquisite backline continually broke through the Springboks defence to finish off marvellous attacking raids while the forwards were on song with their tenacious play.

The first try featured a Quade Cooper cut-out pass that put Adam Ashley-Cooper into space and Beale finished a classy backline movement of more than 50m.

It was 17-3 after 14 minutes when Cooper picked up the scraps of a Springboks defensive lineout gone wrong and sent James O’Connor over.

Obviously still confident, South Africa opted to narrow it to 17-6 with an 18th minute penalty goal and they missed a golden opportunity a minute later when Juan Smith dropped a ball cold in great attacking position.

Australia went out to a 24-6 lead when Moore burrowed over and, when an electrifying O’Connor run sent Elsom on a 20m run to the line, the Bloemfontein crowd were left shaking their heads.

The tries were outstanding showing great support play, however just before the break it all went astray and in a baffling 14-minute period, South Africa scored 24 unanswered points starting with a try after the halftime siren to centre Jaque Fourie.

It took a remarkable effort from champion lock Matfield to give the home side some hope to cling to, the big man chipping and regathering on the full before sending Fourie over with a brilliant pass.

As was the case in Pretoria last week, the Wallabies struggled to defend an enormous lead, and their defence disintegrated under pressure.

By the 61st minute the Springboks had taken a 33-31 lead following a succession of ridiculous mistakes. Suddenly the Wallabies were dropping the ball under pressure, not taking control of the high ball, while some wayward passes put the Springboks on the front foot.

And it appeared in the 68th minute that they had completely shot themselves in the foot when Saia Faingaa was sent to the sin bin by referee Wayne Barnes after a stupid dangerous tackle on Springbok replacement forward Flip van der Merwe.

With Springbok five-eighth Morne Steyn kicking everything in sight, Faingaa’s indiscretion, it seemed, would hurt the Wallabies eventually.

However, down a player, the Wallabies regained the lead in the 71st minute when a classic snipe by replacement back Berrick Barnes put winger Drew Mitchell away to make the score 38-36 in Australia’s favour.

For the next few minutes the Wallabies were perched near their line and the Springbok pressure took its toll when a penalty was awarded in the 76th minute. Steyn kicked his ninth goal from as many attempts for the home side to again take the lead 39-38.

Again the Wallabies looked doomed until in the final minute when the Springboks were penalised at the breakdown, giving Beale the chance to be a hero or villain for the Wallabies.

This was the chance for Beale to redeem himself after making several major blunders in the second half that helped the Springboks to get back in the game.

Earlier, Beale threw a pass over the head of five-eighth Cooper near his own goal line and it went dead, the Springboks scored off the ensuing scrum to make it 31-30 after 54 minutes.

But Beale was up to the pressure, kicking it through the posts from just inside the Springboks half, leading to scenes of ecstasy from the delighted Wallabies.

The Wallabies had many heroes with David Pocock having another exceptional game in open play and at the breakdown, while O’Connor did everything with the chances he was given. Adam Ashley-Cooper was tremendous in attack and defence while Quade Cooper was more assured than last week. Replacement halfback Luke Burgess was outstanding after coming on in the 54th minute.

Apart from their 20-minute period of indecision, the Wallabies stood tall.

AUSTRALIA 41 (Kurtley Beale, Rocky Elsom, Drew Mitchell, Stephen Moore, James O’Connor tries Matt Giteau 4, O’Connor cons Beale, Giteau pens) bt SOUTH AFRICA 39 (Jean De Villiers, Jaque Fourie, Gurthro Steenkamp tries Morne Steyn 3 cons 6 pens) at Vodacom Park. Referee: Wayne Barnes (ENG).

with AAP

Quade Cooper | Grieving Eels Put Their Faith In Cooper – If Only He’d Sign

PARRAMATTA coach Daniel Anderson has conceded his side needs another half after the Eels’ hopes of finals football were killed off at ANZ Stadium last night with a 24-16 loss to the Rabbitohs.

Last year’s grand finalists – who have made a massive offer to Wallabies five-eighth Quade Cooper – were often awful against a lacklustre South Sydney side and played without intensity or creativity even though a win could have kept their season alive.

Anderson said it was an effort that typified Parramatta’s year.

”We try hard but we have lacked execution at critical moments in games and in critical games. We’re out of our misery in terms of September footy.”

The Eels scraped into the final eight last year after just 12 wins and a draw in the regular season. Last night’s loss leaves them with just 10 wins from 23 games this season.

”We had expectations that we would win more than 12 [this season],” Anderson said. ”We are very disappointed.”

Anderson said he had given his players licence to ”chance their arm and play with an element of risk” to win last night’s game by a big margin but mostly what they produced was errors.

”We have to improve our skill level over the summer; we have to improve our passing, our kicking, lots of the basics of the game,” he said.

Before the match the Eels had scored fewer than 12 points in 10 of their 22 games and boasted just 65 tries for the year. Only Cronulla had scored fewer.

Five-eighth Daniel Mortimer was back after Anderson gave him a two-game break but the 21-year-old was largely invisible last night.

With halfback Kris Keating off to the Bulldogs next season, Anderson said Parramatta obviously needed to buy another half. ”We have had difficulty in our halves this year in establishing a confident pairing so we have to improve that area,” he said.

With Anderson admitting there was not much halves talent available, the Eels will be hoping more than ever that Cooper will accept the offer they have made him to switch codes.

”We have to look laterally a little bit,” Anderson said. ”I wouldn’t say no to considering anyone at the moment.” Anderson, however, said he had not been involved in negotiations to snare Cooper.

”We have had the same group of boys [in the halves] for a couple of seasons and I think that we need an addition,” the coach said.

”We are down a half anyway with Kris Keating leaving. Normally every team would carry four halves. We’ve got three at the moment.”

Instead of co-captains Nathan Cayless or Nathan Hindmarsh attending last night’s press conference, Anderson was accompanied by forward Justin Horo, who has just re-signed with the club and was one of the few Eels who could hold his head high after another strong performance.

Quade Cooper | Chalkboard: Dragons Vs Sea Eagles

PARRAMATTA have targeted Matt Orford to play halfback while they wait for Quade Cooper or Cooper Cronk to become available – but the Eels face stiff competition from Canberra for the services of the former Manly captain.

Orford, 32, who has been playing in England, is understood to have met last week with Parramatta chief executive Paul Osborne and coach Daniel Anderson. Anderson said the Eels lacked a top-line playmaker after they bowed out of play-off contention. Eels officials made a strong bid to lure Cooper from rugby union after attempts to persuade Cronk to move north after the Storm salary-cap scandal failed, but they have again fallen short.

Cooper, the player considered most likely to help the Wallabies to World Cup success next year, is expected to announce today that he is staying in rugby union for a further two years. It is understood the opportunity of playing in a World Cup convinced Cooper to stay, and his decision was helped by the fact the Australian Rugby Union significantly increased their offer after initially being stunned by the deal tabled by Parramatta.

Cooper, who receives a total of $260,000 a year from the Queensland Reds and the ARU, is believed to be guaranteed about $600,000 under the new deal, as well as match payments for Tests and Super 15.

The deal is still short of the $3.2 million, four-year offer the Eels are believed to have been prepared to make, but if Cooper stars at the World Cup he might be even more valuable when his new two-year contract with the ARU expires in 2013.

The 22-year-old New Zealand-born five-eighth has indicated several times that he eventually wants to try his hand at league after growing up playing both codes and the Eels are likely to still be interested when he comes off contract again.

Cronk is also off contract at the Storm in 2013 and Parramatta officials are again likely to make a bid for the Melbourne halfback.

Meanwhile, the Eels believe Orford could fill the void and Osborne and Anderson met with him last week.

However, the Raiders are also keen and have been in talks with the former Manly premiership winner since learning he wanted to return from England if he can get a two-year deal in the NRL.

Orford is understood to have recently visited Canberra and toured the Raiders facilities at Bruce, where the Australian Institute of Sport is.

Sources in England say Orford was impressed by the set-up, and there is speculation he has agreed to a deal with the Raiders. But Orford remains under contract to Bradford, and the Bulls are reluctant to release him unless an NRL club is prepared to pay a transfer fee similar to the £100,000 ($166,000) they got from South Sydney for Sam Burgess.

Leeds are also seeking a £100,000 release fee for Kiwis international Greg Eastwood, who wants to return to the NRL and has been linked with Canterbury. Eastwood is good friends with Penrith second-rower turned Bulldog Frank Pritchard.

Quade Cooper | NRL Is Cooper’s Destiny Hayne

Eels fullback Jarryd Hayne hasn’t given up on playing alongside Quade Cooper, believing the Wallabies playmaker could still make a switch to the NRL.

Cooper on Friday re-signed with the Australian Rugby Union for another year, ending speculation over his immediate future after he was heavily linked with the Eels.

But Hayne feels there could be a different result at the end of next season following the Rugby World Cup in New Zealand.

“He’s very keen to try his hand at league, so I guess we’ve just got to wait 12 months,” Hayne said.

The Eels reportedly offered 22-year-old Cooper a big cash incentive to make the switch and Hayne said it would have been exciting to play alongside him.

“He’s such a talented athlete and his ability and experience is similar to mine, with his way of thinking and the way he plays the game,” Hayne said.

Departing North Queensland Cowboys forward Willie Mason has questioned whether coach Neil Henry is the man to resurrect the ailing club’s on-field stocks.

The outspoken Mason, who spent this season with the 15th-placed side before signing with English club Hull KR, says tough decisions need to be made in Townsville.

The Cowboys are reviewing all aspects of their operation after a woeful year and have already moved chief executive Peter Parr into another role.

Test halfback Johnathan Thurston’s captaincy is also reportedly under the microscope.

Asked if the players at the club were happy, Mason said: “I don’t think so. Obviously there’s got to be some changes up there.”

Henry is signed until the end of 2013 but the former test forward hinted the coaching position also needed reviewing.

“I think the board has to make that decision and they’ve got to make some really tough decisions,” Mason said. “Obviously it starts at the coach.”

- AAP

Quade Cooper | Cooper’s Post-Cup Future Uncertain

WALLABIES five-eighth Quade Cooper has been locked in for next year’s World Cup, but his future following the tournament is uncertain, with rugby league and playing overseas among his options.

The Australian Rugby Union anticipated it would secure Cooper to a two-year deal, after numerous discussions involving its chief executive, John O’Neill, with the Test pivot during the Wallabies recent trip to South Africa.

However, Cooper, who will be Australia’s chief playmaker when they confront the All Blacks at ANZ Stadium tonight, eventually opted for an upgraded one-year contract, which will see him remaining with the Wallabies and Queensland Reds until the end of next season.

This opens the way for Cooper to again negotiate with rugby league’s Parramatta Eels next year, after they came close to snaring him before the World Cup. Also, if Cooper has a successful World Cup campaign, he could again become the prime target of several European clubs following recent approaches from French interests.

But the lure of the World Cup and a dramatic boost in his ARU base salary – which should see him earn around $700,000 next season – were the prime reasons for Cooper opting to stay with the Wallabies for another 12 months.

”It’s a load off my shoulders, as I had to weigh up so many different factors,” Cooper said yesterday. ”Fools rush in to making decisions on their future … that’s why I took my time.”

The standout Australian Super 14 player this year admitted that ”rugby league was a serious option”.

”The offers from Parramatta and rugby league were very flattering, and you’d be silly not to look at them,” he said. ”After all, it is a professional era. It’s also a challenge any sportsman would look at. Sport is all about challenges. As a rugby team [tonight], the Wallabies have the biggest challenge of all in playing the All Blacks. As for personal challenges, well rugby league is something I really looked into.”

O’Neill was yesterday confident Cooper would remain in rugby for a considerable time.

”Over a number of weeks Quade and I talked about a range of options,” he said. ”Ultimately we’re comfortable with the one-year contract. I’m also confident that Quade will be with us for years to come.

”Personally, I believe rugby is the place for him. In 15 years, we haven’t lost a player to rugby league that we have wanted to keep, and I didn’t want to spoil that record. I remain confident that Quade will become a player of real stature in our game.”

Wallabies coach Robbie Deans appeared relieved Cooper would remain for the 2011 World Cup.

”Quade has attributes which are unique,” Deans said. ”So it provides us with a bit of scope, as we can approach the game in a different way. It draws a different response from our opposition, and so it’s good to have him committed.”

Quade Cooper | ‘I Felt Undervalued’

FOR possibly the first time in their lives, Quade Cooper’s parents David and Ruhia Jones will tonight cheer for a team to beat the All Blacks as the 22-year-old Wallabies playmaker plays in his first Test against the country of his birth at ANZ Stadium.

Yet they could have just as easily have been across town at the Sydney Football Stadium watching Cooper play alongside lifelong friend Shaun Kenny-Dowall for the Sydney Roosters, who take on a Wests Tigers side led by Benji Marshall – the fellow Kiwi five-eighth whose brilliant attacking style most resembles his own. Cooper has been torn between the two codes for as long as he remember, and he revealed to the Herald yesterday how he had been meant to join Kenny-Dowall and his father John on their now famous backpacking journey to Sydney to trial with NRL clubs.

Instead, Cooper stayed in New Zealand before eventually following Kenny-Dowall across The Ditch, although not to league.

It is something he still might do, but not for at least a year after yesterday turning down a $3.2 million four-year offer from Parramatta to sign an upgraded one-year contract extension – worth $600,000 plus match payments – more in keeping with his standing as the player most likely to win the World Cup for the Wallabies than the initial $360,000-a-season deal tabled by the ARU.

”I did feel a bit undervalued at the start, especially with the offers from league,” Cooper says. ”They were very flattering so that was what made me get very serious about switching codes. I was very serious about league and it was a very serious offer that Parramatta put in front of me. There were some good financial opportunities there. When you have those sort of people knocking on your door it would be rude not to acknowledge them and take them seriously. It would be very silly and arrogant of me not to look into that as best I could. I guess the thing about playing rugby league is that it does offer another challenge; I haven’t had the opportunity to play at the top level in rugby league so I was definitely fair dinkum about it and looking into that offer as best I could. At the end of the day, I enjoy playing both league and union so I guess I was in a win-win situation.”

Coincidentally, the Wallabies have the man the All Blacks believe can be the X-factor in their World Cup campaign, Sonny Bill Williams, to thank for helping to convince Cooper to stay in rugby until the World Cup. ”Sonny Bill is a guy who I deeply respect, and to get an opinion from someone like that, who has played and done well at three sports, is huge,” Cooper says. ”The advice I got out of him was that playing in front of 5.1 billion people who would be watching over the period of the World Cup is something I might never get again.”

Tonight there will be 80,000 fans at ANZ Stadium and a television audience of millions watching on both sides of the Tasman but the two people for whom Cooper most wants to play well are his parents.

Growing up in New Zealand, he dreamt of playing for the All Blacks and always supported them, as did his entire family. But tonight they will be cheering for the Wallabies – even those family members still living in New Zealand.

”I think it has been a bit hard for my dad but since I started playing he has crossed over to being a Wallabies supporter,” Cooper says. ”My mum and dad have always been my biggest fans, and to have them come down [from Brisbane] for my first game against the All Blacks is going to be a great occasion. My mum used to take me to training as a kid, and my dad used to help me practise kicking in the backyard so to repay them for all of their hard work and the sacrifices they made to get me to where I am today is very special. At one stage, I definitely dreamed of playing for the All Blacks, and tomorrow to be playing against them is going to be a very special moment for myself and my family. I’m sure when I’m facing the haka tomorrow it is going to send a bit of a shiver down my spine. It will be very emotional, and I am just going to try and use that to my advantage and take as much out of it as they do.”

Quade Cooper | Sonny Bill Helps Keep Quade Cooper With Wallabies

Pilots at fault in Air New Zealand crash – report

Huge storm bears down on New Zealand

Aussie locust plague is coming

Death sentence appeal told Rush played ‘minor role’

Bond girl slams ‘piece of ass’ industry

Companies ‘shamed’ over staff treatment after quake

Lost ring resurfaces… 40 years later

Man ‘in shock’ when police arrived at bloody apartment

Kiwi dollar plunges as rates held steady

Crucial information omitted in Garrett case

Quade Cooper | Quade Cooper Sticks With Rugby… For Now

Pilots at fault in Air New Zealand crash – report

Huge storm bears down on New Zealand

Aussie locust plague is coming

Death sentence appeal told Rush played ‘minor role’

Bond girl slams ‘piece of ass’ industry

Companies ‘shamed’ over staff treatment after quake

Lost ring resurfaces… 40 years later

Man ‘in shock’ when police arrived at bloody apartment

Kiwi dollar plunges as rates held steady

Crucial information omitted in Garrett case

Quade Cooper | Forget Quade, This Cooper Shouldn’t Have Got Away

AT THE end of a week where much attention has been on a rugby star contemplating a lucrative switch to the NRL, last night was all about a player who has already decided to go the other way.

The decision of Newcastle winger Cooper Vuna earlier this season to sign with Super 15 franchise Melbourne Rebels, joining them when they enter the competition next year, gained a fraction of the coverage dedicated to Parramatta’s courting of Quade Cooper in the past seven days.

Vuna will be the only name on lips in Newcastle this morning, though, and Knights fans are unlikely to hold his defection to the 15-man code against him after his quartet of tries helped keep the club’s finals hopes above water last night. The flyer’s colleague on the other flank, Akuila Uate, has had all the headlines in 2010 for his try-scoring spree, which is now at 21, but Vuna is making some sort of late charge.

”I guess he got a good head-start on me and I probably just didn’t finish off in the first half of the season,” said Vuna, whose four tries brought his season tally to 14, and whose post-try celebrations brought the 16,000-plus crowd to life. ”But coming back at the end it’s pretty good. I love to get the crowd involved, I think they’re the backbone of me.”

Asked whether his late-season run of form had made him have second thoughts about his changing of codes, Vuna said it was in the ”back of my mind, yeah” but added: ”I’ve just got to play it out tough for the last couple of weeks and do the job for the boys and the club.”

The Knights are reticent about their top-eight hopes despite the victory. They have St George Illawarra next on the fixture list and are aware all the back-slapping will be of no use if they succumb to the competition leaders next Saturday night.

Knights captain Kurt Gidley said: ”Next week is a huge game against the Dragons. It’s our last home game, it’s our old boys’ day, it’s always a big tradition so I know we’ll certainly be up for the game.”

Newcastle coach Rick Stone said the win was his team’s best performance of 2010. ”We controlled the ball pretty well, I think we asked plenty of questions, scored some terrific tries,” he said. ”If we’re going to beat the Dragons we’ve probably got to play them outside the square a little bit … they’re such a consistent footy side defensively. We’ll worry about that next week.”

Broncos coach Ivan Henjak was understandably less pleased with his troops and the officials. He questioned a decision by video referee Paul Simpkins not to award a penalty try to fullback Josh Hoffman in the third minute when he had been taken out by Gidley, and also queried the appointment of referee Ben Cummins given the tirade the official had received from the Knights in mid-week for his role in their previous defeat to the Warriors.

”Newcastle didn’t have any trouble in the penalty count with Ben Cummins tonight,” Henjak said. ”I’m not saying that lost us the game but I just find it amazing that a club will attack a referee publicly all week and [the NRL] put that referee on at a home game. It’s real smart. Who knows with these officials? They’ve got me beat.”

However, Henjak said the refereeing was no excuse. ”I’m not happy about the manner in which we allowed that game to get away from us. We’ve got some real honest assessments to do,” he said.

Henjak said captain Darren Lockyer was no certainty to return from a rib cartilage injury against the Warriors next Friday night. ”We’ll have a look at him during the week,” he said. ”We’re hopeful but we’re not over the line yet. If he thinks he’s up to it and the medical staff think he’s up to it we’ll have a go. But if not we’ll go with what we’ve got.”

Quade Cooper | Forget Quade, This Cooper Shouldn’t Have Got Away

AT THE end of a week where much attention has been on a rugby star contemplating a lucrative switch to the NRL, last night was all about a player who has already decided to go the other way.

The decision of Newcastle winger Cooper Vuna earlier this season to sign with Super 15 franchise Melbourne Rebels, joining them when they enter the competition next year, gained a fraction of the coverage dedicated to Parramatta’s courting of Quade Cooper in the past seven days.

Vuna will be the only name on lips in Newcastle this morning, though, and Knights fans are unlikely to hold his defection to the 15-man code against him after his quartet of tries helped keep the club’s finals hopes above water last night. The flyer’s colleague on the other flank, Akuila Uate, has had all the headlines in 2010 for his try-scoring spree, which is now at 21, but Vuna is making some sort of late charge.

”I guess he got a good head-start on me and I probably just didn’t finish off in the first half of the season,” said Vuna, whose four tries brought his season tally to 14, and whose post-try celebrations brought the 16,000-plus crowd to life. ”But coming back at the end it’s pretty good. I love to get the crowd involved, I think they’re the backbone of me.”

Asked whether his late-season run of form had made him have second thoughts about his changing of codes, Vuna said it was in the ”back of my mind, yeah” but added: ”I’ve just got to play it out tough for the last couple of weeks and do the job for the boys and the club.”

The Knights are reticent about their top-eight hopes despite the victory. They have St George Illawarra next on the fixture list and are aware all the back-slapping will be of no use if they succumb to the competition leaders next Saturday night.

Knights captain Kurt Gidley said: ”Next week is a huge game against the Dragons. It’s our last home game, it’s our old boys’ day, it’s always a big tradition so I know we’ll certainly be up for the game.”

Newcastle coach Rick Stone said the win was his team’s best performance of 2010. ”We controlled the ball pretty well, I think we asked plenty of questions, scored some terrific tries,” he said. ”If we’re going to beat the Dragons we’ve probably got to play them outside the square a little bit … they’re such a consistent footy side defensively. We’ll worry about that next week.”

Broncos coach Ivan Henjak was understandably less pleased with his troops and the officials. He questioned a decision by video referee Paul Simpkins not to award a penalty try to fullback Josh Hoffman in the third minute when he had been taken out by Gidley, and also queried the appointment of referee Ben Cummins given the tirade the official had received from the Knights in mid-week for his role in their previous defeat to the Warriors.

”Newcastle didn’t have any trouble in the penalty count with Ben Cummins tonight,” Henjak said. ”I’m not saying that lost us the game but I just find it amazing that a club will attack a referee publicly all week and [the NRL] put that referee on at a home game. It’s real smart. Who knows with these officials? They’ve got me beat.”

However, Henjak said the refereeing was no excuse. ”I’m not happy about the manner in which we allowed that game to get away from us. We’ve got some real honest assessments to do,” he said.

Henjak said captain Darren Lockyer was no certainty to return from a rib cartilage injury against the Warriors next Friday night. ”We’ll have a look at him during the week,” he said. ”We’re hopeful but we’re not over the line yet. If he thinks he’s up to it and the medical staff think he’s up to it we’ll have a go. But if not we’ll go with what we’ve got.”

Quade Cooper | Deans Urges Cooper To Focus On Test

CAPE TOWN: Wallabies coach Robbie Deans has warned five-eighth Quade Cooper to ignore the league-union battle for his services or risk derailing the team’s quest to humiliate the Springboks on home soil.

While the public focuses on whether Cooper will remain in rugby or accept a lucrative offer to play for the Parramatta NRL club has waned somewhat since the Wallabies departed for South Africa last Friday, it remains a major team issue.

There are concerns that if Cooper continues to be distracted by the league offer, it will affect his ability to become a match-winning playmaker in the Tests against the Springboks over the next two weekends, in Pretoria and Bloemfontein. Team officials and senior players are working hard to ensure Cooper remains focused on the task at hand.

”If any of the peripheral stuff is in the forefront of his mind, it will bite him and it will bite the team,” Deans said. ”Hopefully, that is not the case. Being here [in South Africa] is advantageous because there is less profile and less interest.”

Adding to the pressure is that Cooper is returning from a two-week suspension.

”It won’t be easy for him against the Springboks because he hasn’t been in rugby for a few weeks,” Deans said. ”So to go from nothing into the Tri Nations fixture where there is a lot of intensity and a lot at stake will be hard.

”The Springboks won’t make his life easy either. They’ve got the background of playing against him in Brisbane. They would have taken out of that some ideas of how to make his life difficult.”

Despite numerous approaches from team management to address the issue over the past fortnight, Cooper remains in a cone of silence. He again refused to make any public comment, even about his preparation for Saturday night’s Test match in Pretoria. He is not expected to decide on his playing future until he returns to Australia in two weeks. However, it appears increasingly likely he will remain with rugby.

At least Matt Giteau, who will move to inside-centre to accommodate the return of Cooper to five-eighth, is relishing the Queenslander’s return to Test football.

”I do enjoy playing outside him because he creates a lot of space,” Giteau said. ”He’s had a great year. Quade has always been very flashy, and done the flashy things well. But he probably hasn’t been as consistent as he is now.

”He has really matured. His kicking enables him to control the game really well. And he does those small things that people probably don’t notice much, which are crucial.”

Despite many South Africans believing the best way to handle the highveld factor is to spend the week at the venue, the Wallabies have opted to be in Cape Town for most of the week before heading to Pretoria on Thursday. It will be much of the same next week for the Bloemfontein international, with the team basing itself again at sea level in Durban.

Francois Steyn was last night beckoned back to the Springboks line-up, and will play at fullback in one of two changes. Jaque Fourie returns from suspension to partner Jean de Villiers in the midfield, while Steyn, who has returned from the French club Racing Metro, replaces Gio Aplon.

Springboks team: Francois Steyn; JP Pietersen, Jaque Fourie, Jean de Villiers, Bryan Habana; Morne Steyn, Francois Hougaard; Pierre Spies, Juan Smith, Schalk Burger, Victor Matfield, Flip van der Merwe, Jannie du Plessis, John Smit (c), Gurthro Steenkamp.

Reserves: Chiliboy Ralepelle, CJ van der Linde, Danie Rossouw, Ryan Kankowski, Ricky Januarie, Butch James, Juan de Jongh.

Quade Cooper | NRL Is Cooper’s Destiny Hayne

Eels fullback Jarryd Hayne hasn’t given up on playing alongside Quade Cooper, believing the Wallabies playmaker could still make a switch to the NRL.

Cooper on Friday re-signed with the Australian Rugby Union for another year, ending speculation over his immediate future after he was heavily linked with the Eels.

But Hayne feels there could be a different result at the end of next season following the Rugby World Cup in New Zealand.

“He’s very keen to try his hand at league, so I guess we’ve just got to wait 12 months,” Hayne said.

The Eels reportedly offered 22-year-old Cooper a big cash incentive to make the switch and Hayne said it would have been exciting to play alongside him.

“He’s such a talented athlete and his ability and experience is similar to mine, with his way of thinking and the way he plays the game,” Hayne said.

Departing North Queensland Cowboys forward Willie Mason has questioned whether coach Neil Henry is the man to resurrect the ailing club’s on-field stocks.

The outspoken Mason, who spent this season with the 15th-placed side before signing with English club Hull KR, says tough decisions need to be made in Townsville.

The Cowboys are reviewing all aspects of their operation after a woeful year and have already moved chief executive Peter Parr into another role.

Test halfback Johnathan Thurston’s captaincy is also reportedly under the microscope.

Asked if the players at the club were happy, Mason said: “I don’t think so. Obviously there’s got to be some changes up there.”

Henry is signed until the end of 2013 but the former test forward hinted the coaching position also needed reviewing.

“I think the board has to make that decision and they’ve got to make some really tough decisions,” Mason said. “Obviously it starts at the coach.”

- AAP

Quade Cooper | NRL Is Cooper’s Destiny Hayne

Eels fullback Jarryd Hayne hasn’t given up on playing alongside Quade Cooper, believing the Wallabies playmaker could still make a switch to the NRL.

Cooper on Friday re-signed with the Australian Rugby Union for another year, ending speculation over his immediate future after he was heavily linked with the Eels.

But Hayne feels there could be a different result at the end of next season following the Rugby World Cup in New Zealand.

“He’s very keen to try his hand at league, so I guess we’ve just got to wait 12 months,” Hayne said.

The Eels reportedly offered 22-year-old Cooper a big cash incentive to make the switch and Hayne said it would have been exciting to play alongside him.

“He’s such a talented athlete and his ability and experience is similar to mine, with his way of thinking and the way he plays the game,” Hayne said.

Departing North Queensland Cowboys forward Willie Mason has questioned whether coach Neil Henry is the man to resurrect the ailing club’s on-field stocks.

The outspoken Mason, who spent this season with the 15th-placed side before signing with English club Hull KR, says tough decisions need to be made in Townsville.

The Cowboys are reviewing all aspects of their operation after a woeful year and have already moved chief executive Peter Parr into another role.

Test halfback Johnathan Thurston’s captaincy is also reportedly under the microscope.

Asked if the players at the club were happy, Mason said: “I don’t think so. Obviously there’s got to be some changes up there.”

Henry is signed until the end of 2013 but the former test forward hinted the coaching position also needed reviewing.

“I think the board has to make that decision and they’ve got to make some really tough decisions,” Mason said. “Obviously it starts at the coach.”

- AAP

Quade Cooper | Grieving Eels Put Their Faith In Cooper – If Only He’d Sign

PARRAMATTA coach Daniel Anderson has conceded his side needs another half after the Eels’ hopes of finals football were killed off at ANZ Stadium last night with a 24-16 loss to the Rabbitohs.

Last year’s grand finalists – who have made a massive offer to Wallabies five-eighth Quade Cooper – were often awful against a lacklustre South Sydney side and played without intensity or creativity even though a win could have kept their season alive.

Anderson said it was an effort that typified Parramatta’s year.

”We try hard but we have lacked execution at critical moments in games and in critical games. We’re out of our misery in terms of September footy.”

The Eels scraped into the final eight last year after just 12 wins and a draw in the regular season. Last night’s loss leaves them with just 10 wins from 23 games this season.

”We had expectations that we would win more than 12 [this season],” Anderson said. ”We are very disappointed.”

Anderson said he had given his players licence to ”chance their arm and play with an element of risk” to win last night’s game by a big margin but mostly what they produced was errors.

”We have to improve our skill level over the summer; we have to improve our passing, our kicking, lots of the basics of the game,” he said.

Before the match the Eels had scored fewer than 12 points in 10 of their 22 games and boasted just 65 tries for the year. Only Cronulla had scored fewer.

Five-eighth Daniel Mortimer was back after Anderson gave him a two-game break but the 21-year-old was largely invisible last night.

With halfback Kris Keating off to the Bulldogs next season, Anderson said Parramatta obviously needed to buy another half. ”We have had difficulty in our halves this year in establishing a confident pairing so we have to improve that area,” he said.

With Anderson admitting there was not much halves talent available, the Eels will be hoping more than ever that Cooper will accept the offer they have made him to switch codes.

”We have to look laterally a little bit,” Anderson said. ”I wouldn’t say no to considering anyone at the moment.” Anderson, however, said he had not been involved in negotiations to snare Cooper.

”We have had the same group of boys [in the halves] for a couple of seasons and I think that we need an addition,” the coach said.

”We are down a half anyway with Kris Keating leaving. Normally every team would carry four halves. We’ve got three at the moment.”

Instead of co-captains Nathan Cayless or Nathan Hindmarsh attending last night’s press conference, Anderson was accompanied by forward Justin Horo, who has just re-signed with the club and was one of the few Eels who could hold his head high after another strong performance.

Quade Cooper | Boks Target Cooper, Giteau

Morne Steyn has great admiration for Quade Cooper and Matt Giteau, but has intimated that as a combination they could be defensively vulnerable.

Flyhaf Cooper and inside centre Giteau’s attacking prowess needs no elaboration, but there is a widely held perception that they don’t pack the same punch on defence. That perception is reinforced by their defensive statistics in the Super 14.

Cooper missed an average of two tackles per game, but it’s his performance against teams with hard-running loose forwards, like the Springboks possess, that is telling. He missed an incredible six tackles against the Brumbies, four against the Bulls and three against the Stormers.

Giteau also seems susceptible against powerful back rows, slipping six against the Reds and three against the Sharks.

‘I wouldn’t say they’re bad defenders but we have spoken about attacking the 10-12 channel. We could get some reward in doing that,’ Steyn told keo.co.za.

‘We’ve got a big centre combination in Jean de Villiers and Jaque Fourie, and some strong, quick loose forwards who’ll relish the opportunity to run at them.’

Steyn tempered his comments by acknowledging the attacking threat the Wallabies’ duo posed.

‘We have to close Cooper’s space down,’ he said of the player who led the Super 14 in linebreaks. ‘When we’ve done that in the past he hasn’t been as big a factor. Giteau has the potential to create something from nothing, but the same defensive principles apply with him.’

Steyn has paled in comparison to Cooper and All Blacks pivot Dan Carter from an attacking perspective. Much of that has to do with the directive to play a pragmatic game marked by tactical bombs. He’s made just two linebreaks in the four matches he’s played, and conceded that that statistic has to improve.

He, however, countered by saying that the platform hadn’t been set in most matches, and stressed the importance of the heavies taking the ball over the advantage line in order to generate the momentum needed to trouble the Wallabies. Steyn also highlighted the importance of nullifying openside flank David Pocock.

‘Our forwards have a big role to play in keeping him quiet, especially Schalk [Burger],’ he said. ‘If Pocock gets his hands on the ball you’re likely to lose [possession]. We have to be hard in the clean and support our ball carriers in contact. As soon as we’re isolated he becomes a major factor.’

Steyn will have the comfort of the Springboks’ most experienced midfield combination on his outside. He said that they were unmatchable as a defensive pair, and that that would ease some of the pressure on him.

‘They communicate so well, especially Jaque who is always talking and organising the line,’ he said. ‘It’s comforting to have them back, especially against the Aussies who pose a threat out wide.

‘Furthermore, having Frans Steyn there also helps spread the responsibility when it comes to tactical kicking,’ he added. ‘The scrumhalves and fullbacks we’ve had in Fourie du Preez and Frans’ absence are good kickers, but not in the same class as those two, so it’ll be a weight off my shoulders to throw it to Frans sometimes and let him put his monster boot to it.’

Follow Ryan on Twitter

Follow SA Rugby mag on Twitter

This entry was postedon Tuesday, August 24th, 2010 at 5:21 amand is filed under Springboks , Tri-Nations .You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.

Quade Cooper | NRL: How To Keep The Beast Fed

The prospect of rugby star Quade Cooper earning more than $1 million next year if he signs with Parramatta may help the gold-plated incisors of Manu Vatuvei sparkle further when he smiles.

Such a deal indicates lucrative contracts are still available in the NRL, despite a season when clubs have been closely watching their finances in response to the Storm’s disrespect for the salary cap.

Cooper’s situation shows the Vatuvei camp that, by virtue of a third-party agreement, the way could be cleared for him to be a Warrior for life.

It also shows there is a need for partnership building by Warriors management to find such sponsorship arrangements – otherwise the winger could consider a Cooper-type deal elsewhere.

Vatuvei’s case is strong. Heading into last night’s match with Manly, the Warriors had won 12 games out of 21. When he has not been injured, Vatuvei has been involved in 11 of those wins from 15 matches.

Despite missing six games, Vatuvei’s 17 tries is the third highest tally in the competition, proving he’s a nightmare for any defender when the ball is in the air near the line or when he has it in hand.

Coach Ivan Cleary has indicated just how desperately he wants Vatuvei to stay if he continues in the coaching role beyond 2011.

“His impact has been enormous. It started with the intangible stuff this season – just having him there – but now he’s fitter and has had more game time. His play is better, too. In a tough game, he can be the difference. Everybody feeds off that.

“The club is committed to signing him. He is extremely high on the priority list.”

However, Cleary admits to being shocked by the Eels’ deal for Cooper. He believes league is fighting back on the money front but remains unconvinced at the figure.

“They’re obviously taking some steps to fight back but how realistic that is, I’m not sure. Certainly there’s an avenue for those sort of numbers with the marquee player allowance, which I think is a positive move, but that sort of money seems unlikely given players such as Jarryd Hayne and Nathan Hindmarsh are at the Eels as well.”

Vatuvei is signed through to the end of 2011 but his agent Peter Brown is in talks with Warriors management to keep him at the Auckland club, rather than crossing the Tasman or crossing into rugby union.

Vatuvei says: “It is something I will sort out after the season’s finished. I don’t want to go into games with that in my head. It’s not urgent to me.

” I don’t know why people are scared of me leaving because I’m here for now [until the end of 2011]. I leave all the big things for Peter [Brown].”

League’s rules on third-party payments can be confusing, especially after the Melbourne Storm salary cap drama where players were suspected of having illegal payments from third parties.

However, there is no restriction on the amount a player can earn through such third-party agreements – if he is being paid without the need to employ club logos or names.

In other words, the third-party endorsement has to come completely from sources outside the club, its team and sponsors. Club sponsors can not enter into extra ‘third-party’ agreements with players.

Individual NRL players have registered valid third-party agreements totalling more than A$4 million in 2010, with each one needing to be registered and approved by the NRL.

It’s like former New Zealand cricket captain Stephen Fleming who advertises a brand of air conditioners and heat pumps.

To meet NRL regulations, Fleming would not do that as Stephen Fleming, cricketer, but as Stephen Fleming, well-known face around New Zealand. The distinction might seem slim – but it’s legal.

If Vatuvei were to procure such a third-party deal – and glean a Cooper-type offer – it would need to be with an unrelated sponsor of the Warriors and the NRL.

Otherwise he would only be eligible for an extra A$100,000 on top of his contract when that marquee player clause comes into being next season.

Brown knows third-party deals can be difficult to negotiate but is keen to explore an opportunity for his client.

“It is all relative as to who the athlete is and what market he’s got in any code,” Brown said.

“I presume there are only so many third-party deals for rugby union players as well. There is still good money in league but whether there are $1m deals out there … I don’t know.

“The problem you’ve got is that, unless they’re associated with league, there is nothing in it for them [the sponsor]. You’d have to have an athlete whose image is known to a local and international market to give a company the leverage to use him [without hooking it back to his rugby league persona].”

If Brown can convince the Warriors to agree to such a deal, then the Beast will be fed, content and able to digest the fruits of his labour for the rest of life.

Quade Cooper | Quade Can’t Wait For All Blacks Test

Highly valued Wallaby Quade Cooper can’t put a price on how much he is looking forward to tussling with the country of his birth, New Zealand, for the first time on Saturday.

Unlike most of his Australia teammates, Cooper hasn’t had to deal with the stigma of failure against the All Blacks, who have beaten the Wallabies in their past nine encounters.

The stylish five-eighth has played 18 Tests but suspension kept him out of the two earlier Tri-Nations clashes with New Zealand this season.

“You can’t put an amount on how much I’m looking forward to playing them,” Cooper said at Sydney Airport on Monday when the team returned from South Africa.

“I’ve sat on the bench so many times and then I missed two games against them through suspension.”

Buoyed by the dramatic 41-39 win over South Africa in Bloemfontein, Australia will be bidding for their first back-to-back Tri-Nations wins since 2008.

Cooper said he hoped to make a decision about his future soon, though it is widely considered he will remain in rugby union and reject a lucrative offer to join NRL club Parramatta.

Renowned for his attacking flair rather than defence, Cooper joked about the rare “battle wounds” he brought back from South Africa, with bruises around both eyes.

“I’m pretty proud of them actually,” Cooper said.

Since beating South Africa and New Zealand in Robbie Deans’s first two Tri-Nations fixtures as coach, Australia have won only four out of their past 14 matches in the tournament.

Neither Cooper nor Deans took much comfort from the fact New Zealand would be without their own influential five-eighth, Dan Carter, for Saturday’s ANZ Stadium engagement.

“Rugby is the ultimate team game and the All Blacks have shown routinely that they tend to rumble on regardless of personnel,” Deans said.

Bloemfontein match-winner Kurtley Beale, whose last-gasp long-distance penalty goal ended Australia’s 47-year drought at altitude in South Africa, believed recording back-to-back wins would send a message to the rugby world.

“I think it will tell everyone what we are really made of after the performance of last week and hopefully getting a win this weekend will let everyone know that we mean business,” Beale said.