Force move in on red-hot Cooper

[travelling_gerry]

Force move in on red-hot Cooper

NICK TAYLOR AUCKLAND, The West Australian April 19, 2010, 7:02 am



REUTERS / JASON O'BRIEN ©




The Western Force have made an official move for Queensland Reds star Quade Cooper.
But they have denied allegations that they are involved in disguised third-party deals to lure the young playmaker across the country.
Media reports claimed that two Super 14 franchises have complained to the Australian Rugby Union about the Force brokering third-party approaches.
Force chief executive Vern Reid said an official offer had been made but dismissed the third-party claims.
"The situation is that we have made an offer to Quade Cooper, to his manager and a copy has gone to the ARU," Reid said.
"We are waiting to hear the outcome of that offer. We have not been involved in any third-party dealings."
Queensland, who are desperate to keep Cooper, have made him an offer and big money is available in France, but no decision is likely before he faces court on burglary charges in July.
In other moves at the Force:
�Former Brumbies inside back Gene Fairbanks will begin training with the team this week.
�Prop Kieran Longbottom has re-signed for two more years.
�The Force expect terms will soon be agreed between David Pocock and the ARU.
�Offers have been made to at least six other players both from within their ranks and other clubs.
Fairbanks, 28, was on a one-year contract with the Honda club in Japan. He left the Brumbies last year after 39 Super 14 games and was in the Wallabies 2006 squad.
Fairbanks, who has a desire to return to Australia, has spoken to his former club about returning and has not ruled out the Melbourne Rebels.
"Gene's out of contract and he's looking for a 2011 contract. We've spoken with Gene and his manager on the basis that the best thing is to come and have a look," Reid said.
"If we like the look of him and he likes the feel of the place, we'll sit down and have a chat."
Reid was pleased that Longbottom, 24, had decided to stay.
"Kieran has trained the house down," he said. "When he's had the opportunity to come off the bench he's played very well.
"He's a first-class young man. He's getting good experience with the older hands and we're very pleased that's he's agreed to sign."


http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/spo...ed-hot-cooper/

[Sheikh]

I love this. A media report claiming that media reports claimed two franchises have complained about the Force.

[shasta]

A reliable sauce said sauces close to 2 franchises claimed...............

[The InnFORCEr]

So the real money is in France which means if he signs because of

Money = France
Loyalty = Reds
Personal preferance = Force

[James]

A reliable sauce said sauces close to 2 franchises claimed...............

It's true. Two franchises have complained to the Force: KFC and Jesters in Subiaco. Dunning is scaring off all the other customers.

Did anyone else notice on Fox Sports that when Dunning came off against the Blues the screen came up with 'Gravy Bin'.

[PerthGirl]

Even if the offer from the Force is above board all the other team are going to scream blue-murder about it

[shasta]

Even if the offer from the Force is above board all the other team are going to scream blue-murder about it

I'm not 100% sure but weren't 3rd party deals openly credited with getting Elsom to Canberra when the Reds couldn't match them? Also getting Giteau back there as well?? Don't remember any cries of outrage then.

The ARU should either rule these deals out and appoint a salary auditor, like Ian Schubert at the NRL, or cut the stupid pretense and make it open slather.

In any event they should cut the crap and bow out of all player contracting. Hand out that portion of money equally among the franchises and let the market decide who plays where. Either with or without a salary cap and auditor. An allowed quota of internationals could still operate outside the cap - paid for by third party sponsors.

[Burgs]

I think it is the definition of "3rd Party" that is the problem, in that the respective Club is meant to play no party in negotiations outside of their own wage capacity.
They can't even point prospective players in "the right direction" kind of thing.

[shasta]

I think it is the definition of "3rd Party" that is the problem, in that the respective Club is meant to play no party in negotiations outside of their own wage capacity.
They can't even point prospective players in "the right direction" kind of thing.

Exactly. It's so to unrealistic that it's laughable.

[Burgs]

I wonder what happens at the start of the season when say the Sunday Times goes to the Force and asks if they can have access to a player for a weekly column. If there is any pay for copy then by rights the Club shouldn't be able to put any names forward and by extension wouldn't be able to say no access to any individual either...

[zimeric]

Personally i'd prefer if he didnt take the deal.. i admire his good form but really think we are opening up a big can of worms with him coming here...

1) if he comes and then decides to leave (like Giteau did with Valo) he will drag Pocock and OConnor with him
2) he comes with a lot of Baggage... ( a couple of extra laptops i hear)
3) tongues will be wagging and just when the Force have finally got rid of all the negative media focus, he will bring it back in spades.
4) if there has been ANY back room wrangling... eventually it will come to light and the Force will be in the Sh!t all over again.

if he comes for the right reasons (he wants to play here & likes what he sees) then thats great, ill have no issue... but as someone not in the know, i remain sceptical of the motives..

[KenyaQuin]

Quade Cooper must look at big picture before selling out
Wayne Smith
The Australian April 19, 2010 1:23AM


QUADE Cooper needs his head read if he thinks mere money will compensate him for what he would lose if he walked out on Queensland.

Something extraordinary has been building at the Reds but it was not until Saturday night -- when the scariest of teams, the Bulls, not only were beaten by the very best of the Australian game but at their own power game as well -- that the full breathtaking sweep of Queensland's rugby renaissance became evident.

For the first time since the Brumbies were at their peak, Australia now boasts a team with a real chance of winning a Super rugby title.

That might read as airily dismissive of the two Waratahs sides that Ewen McKenzie took to the finals in 2005 and 2008, but did even the bluest-eyed of NSW supporter ever really give the Tahs a chance of beating the Crusaders in either of those title deciders?

But these Reds have the game to rip anyone apart. That's not to say they are even certainties to reach the play-offs. For all but reserve hooker Sean Hardman they are now entering unexplored territory, this being the first time since 2001 Queensland has been in the top four at this stage of the season.

The Reds, after all, have an average age of 24. Take out Van Humphries -- and tragically that is precisely what an ankle injury threatens to do before Friday's blockbuster against the Stormers -- and it drops to 23. So this is a very young team, prone to the silly mistakes young teams can make.

Still, the mistakes are becoming rarer. Of itself that would be an impressive development, but what is truly exciting is that the Reds are making ever fewer blunders while also playing a brand of rugby that makes "audacious" seem a somehow conservative descriptor.

They dominated possession 61 per cent to 39 on Saturday and it was only the late flood of ball that brought any semblance of respectability to the Bulls' score.

At one period in the second half, the Reds virtually monopolised possession, the stats reaching an unheard-of 85 per cent -- this against a side that won two Super 14 titles by grinding its opponents into submission.

Cooper was the main beneficiary of all of this. Not only did the no-name Reds forwards win a mountain of ball but it was just about all quick and clean, delivered with such speed and precision by Will Genia that Cooper was given the ride of his life.

Money, at least in the obscene amounts the Western Force reputedly is prepared to offer Cooper, can buy all sorts of things in life, but it can't buy him the almost mystical high he now is experiencing as a key member of a team that is, quite simply, revolutionising rugby.

It won't buy him the sort of service that Genia is providing either. And if he doesn't think that's overly important, perhaps he should study a tape of Friday night's Brumbies-Hurricanes match, in particular the pained expression on Matt Giteau's face every time he was forced to break stride to haul in a high, wide pass.

Genia and Cooper potentially could become the best halves pairing in Australian rugby history. Individually, they are arguably already the most dangerous players in the world in their positions, although Cooper would need to regularly replicate at Test level what he has been doing in the Super 14 before it could be said he has unseated Dan Carter as the game's premier number 10.

Genia, however, might already be there.

Certainly, he took full advantage of his dominant pack to completely outplay the Bulls legend long regarded as the best number nine in the business, Fourie du Preez.

Whatever, it's going to be hellishly difficult for them to refine and improve their combination next year if Genia is in Brisbane and Cooper in Perth, somewhat outside the range of even Genia's longest pass.

But what Cooper surely would miss most of all would be the sheer fun the Reds are having. Every young boy who falls asleep thinking of rugby, dreams of the stuff the Reds are playing, except that they're doing it for real.

And the good news is that the Reds should only get better, even if they have blown the last of their cover and from now on will be subjected to the most detailed pre-match analysis.

It may be that 13th to first in one season is a leap too far, but whatever happens, they've already established a high-altitude base camp for 2011. If they don't reach the summit this year, there is always next.

Who knows what Berrick Barnes has been making of the Reds' revival this year? For all his new allegiance to the Tahs, he wouldn't be human if he wasn't looking on wistfully, wondering what he has walked out on.

Surely, Cooper won't be doing the very same thing next year.

[shasta]

Personally i'd prefer if he didnt take the deal..

Me too. I've said that all along.

[zimeric]

another one-eyed opinion piece.... spouting all the reasons why cooper should stay.... He really should be looking at why the Force should not take him as i have done

[Burgs]

Quade Cooper must look at big picture before selling out
Wayne Smith
The Australian April 19, 2010 1:23AM


QUADE Cooper needs his head read if he thinks mere money will compensate him for what he would lose if he walked out on Queensland. Money, at least in the obscene amounts the Western Force reputedly is prepared to offer Cooper, can buy all sorts of things in life, but it can't buy him the almost mystical high he now is experiencing as a key member of a team that is, quite simply, revolutionising rugby.
.....
It won't buy him the sort of service that Genia is providing either.
......
Surely, Cooper won't be doing the very same thing next year.

I just love the open contempt and disregard, if not disdain, these pillocks have for the future of the Force.
I am quite prepared to go on record and say the Force have by far the best junior depth and now, after the season from hell, junior experience of all the Australian clubs.
The Force are set for an amazing ride up the ladder in the next couple of years and are doing so from a far healthier position than the Reds did this year.
Keep the derision coming you twats and see it bite you on the arse in the next couple of seasons.