Dragons centre Matt Cooper ruled out for Country; blasted by officials

[PantherPower83]

Dragons centre Matt Cooper ruled out for Country; blasted by officials
By Barry Toohey May 05, 2010

Officials have called on NSW selectors to ban Matt Cooper from State of Origin after he again withdrew from the annual City-Country clash - only to be named for St George Illawarra.

Cooper has been ruled out of the fixture five times due to injury, but on three occasions he has played for the Dragons the night after the City-Country match. Country officials on Tuesday night labelled Cooper a disgrace and banned him from future Country teams.

They also called for him to be ignored by the NSW selectors after learning he will line up for the Dragons this weekend despite withdrawing from the Country Origin side through injury.

"While ever I'm in charge, he will never play for Country again," Country chairman Jock Colley said.

"As far as I'm concerned, his attitude stinks and if he is in line for NSW selection in a few weeks time, he should be barred from that as well."

It it understood the Country selectors drew a line through Cooper before the team announcement after coach Laurie Daley took a call from Dragons coach Wayne Bennett on Sunday, informing him Cooper had picked up a calf injury against the Sharks and would not pass a medical the next day.

He and injured Dragons teammate Beau Scott had been Country's first-choice centres to meet City Origin on Friday night in Port Macquarie.

Instead of playing in the NSW Blues' selection trial, Cooper will be watching the game on television as he prepares for the Dragons clash with Manly just 24 hours later.

On learning of his club selection, Colley exploded. "A bloke shouldn't be surprised given his history but it really is a disgrace," he said.

"You look at the reaction of guys like young (Jamal) Idris and (Josh) Dugan and even veterans Brett Kimmorley and big Willie, when they came into camp, and you just shake your head at Cooper's.

"He's got plenty of form for it hasn't he."

It is hardly surprising Country's patience with Cooper has run out.

He has a history of thumbing his nose at the annual representative game and, according to officials, too often to be a coincidence.

Since 2005 he has been ruled out of the clash with City five times due to injury.

Three times - in 2005, 2007 and 2009 - he played with the Dragons the next night and scored try doubles in two of those club games.

http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,8659,27078521-23214,00.html?from=public_rss

 

[PantherPower83]

Talk about someone who takes representative duties for granted...

Yes, some agree the City v Country fixture is a waste and irrelevant, but if I were a player, I'd be jumping at every opportunity to play rep football...

Sounds like he's not tough enough to back up like the rest of the players...

 

[BaYry Ward]

He should be rewarded for ignoring that farce of a game.

Brett Kimmorley has been playing first grade for 47 years, played numerous times for NSW, Australia and won a premiership yet they want him to play in this **** game to see if he should be picked for Origin? Give me a break ffs. Everyone knows what players like Kimmorley or Cooper bring to the table, either pick them or go a different direction. Don't pretend that they need to trial.

It would be like asking Al Pacino to audition for a movie. Everyone knows he can act ffs.

 

[FaceBreaker]

Cooper is basically giving them the finger - he knows he has zero chance of making the NSW team, his rep career was done and dusted years ago so why bother with this match when you can just concentrate on the dragons.

 

[B-Train]

He should be rewarded for ignoring that farce of a game.

Brett Kimmorley has been playing first grade for 47 years, played numerous times for NSW, Australia and won a premiership yet they want him to play in this **** game to see if he should be picked for Origin? Give me a break ffs. Everyone knows what players like Kimmorley or Cooper bring to the table, either pick them or go a different direction. Don't pretend that they need to trial.

It would be like asking Al Pacino to audition for a movie. Everyone knows he can act ffs.

Very true and I agree with a lot of that but it isn't fair that other players risk injury in this meaningless game when they're no chance of being selected or get more fatigued etc while a guy (moreso in the past) like Cooper is in frame for Origin selection and basically refuses to play but then plays for Saints the next day?

I said the same exact thing about Cooper last year when he did this and then played for Nth Qld. I already knew that this "fixture" was a complete joke that shouldn't be held but he made an even bigger mockery of it. And since it's so blatant he should be stood down from club games. The NRL have these measures in place but don't have the backbone to use them.

Again, I agree that the game is a farce and I agree that players shouldn't risk injury participating in this farce. But if every other player, even older guys like Noddy, play in it and risk injury and risk not playing for their clubs the next day or day after, then Cooper should have to also. He isn't or shouldn't be above anybody. They can't have it both ways and should scrap the fixture all together. But in the meantime, at least enforce the rules regarding avoiding rep selection and don't let a guy like Cooper so blatantly disrespect the game.

 

[BaYry Ward]

Very true and I agree with a lot of that but it isn't fair that other players risk injury in this meaningless game when they're no chance of being selected or get more fatigued etc while a guy (moreso in the past) like Cooper is in frame for Origin selection and basically refuses to play but then plays for Saints the next day?

I said the same exact thing about Cooper last year when he did this and then played for Nth Qld. I already knew that this "fixture" was a complete joke that shouldn't be held but he made an even bigger mockery of it. And since it's so blatant he should be stood down from club games. The NRL have these measures in place but don't have the backbone to use them.

Again, I agree that the game is a farce and I agree that players shouldn't risk injury participating in this farce. But if every other player, even older guys like Noddy, play in it and risk injury and risk not playing for their clubs the next day or day after, then Cooper should have to also. He isn't or shouldn't be above anybody. They can't have it both ways and should scrap the fixture all together. But in the meantime, at least enforce the rules regarding avoiding rep selection and don't let a guy like Cooper so blatantly disrespect the game.

It would help if the selectors would use some more common sense in picking teams full of 'fringe' rep players. They hint at it from time to time by picking Hodkinson etc but then the go and stuff things by picking representative veterans. It should be an intermediate game to see which young budding rep players can handle a step up in class, and provide them with a stepping stone into SOO.

It's the selectors who create the farce. The game itself could be used to great effect if used properly.

 

[B-Train]

It would help if the selectors would use some more common sense in picking teams full of 'fringe' rep players. They hint at it from time to time by picking Hodkinson etc but then the go and stuff things by picking representative veterans. It should be an intermediate game to see which young budding rep players can handle a step up in class, and provide them with a stepping stone into SOO.

It's the selectors who create the farce. The game itself could be used to great effect if used properly.

Well it's supposed to be an Origin trial. And like I keep saying why NSW have one, or need one, when QLD don't and never have is beyond me. How that's allowed when it's no longer the NSWRL with no teams outside NSW is beyond me.

Anyway, it should be a genuine trial if they have it at all. That means not having it the same night eight or so New South Welshmen are playing for Australia and can't play City/Country, that means not allowing guys like Matt Cooper and Steve Simpson to sh*t all over it and still be selected in Origin. That means picking the 34 players who are either most likely to play for NSW in that years series or in coming series in the not too distant future.

Unless you have this game with that intensity and validity, then don't have it at all and certainly don't have it the way it is now because it's a joke and I'm fuming three Dogs players will risk injury in it.

 

[Moe]

Why should he risk injury for $1500? What a joke.

 

[BaYry Ward]

Well it's supposed to be an Origin trial. And like I keep saying why NSW have one, or need one, when QLD don't and never have is beyond me. How that's allowed when it's no longer the NSWRL with no teams outside NSW is beyond me.

Anyway, it should be a genuine trial if they have it at all. That means not having it the same night eight or so New South Welshmen are playing for Australia and can't play City/Country, that means not allowing guys like Matt Cooper and Steve Simpson to sh*t all over it and still be selected and that means picking the 34 players who are either most likely to play for NSW in that years series or in coming series in the not too distant future.

Unless you have this game with that intensity and validity, then don't have it at all and certainly don't have it the way it is now because it's a joke and I'm fuming three Dogs players will risk injury in it.

I still think it should be up to the player to choose.

If a player chooses not to play he puts at risk the fact that he may not be selected for SOO.

Some players a relatively sure that they won't be picked for SOO regardless so why should they do Laurie Daley a favour and put their bodies on the line so that big nosed f@g can see how his latest flavour of the month matches up against a player of the caliber of a Matt Cooper.

Why should Matt Cooper run out for a SOO trial when he knows he's about 5% chance to get picked?

 

[B-Train]

I still think it should be up to the player to choose.

If a player chooses not to play he puts at risk the fact that he may not be selected for SOO.

Some players a relatively sure that they won't be picked for SOO regardless so why should they do Laurie Daley a favour and put their bodies on the line so that big nosed f@g can see how his latest flavour of the month matches up against a player of the caliber of a Matt Cooper.

Why should Matt Cooper run out for a SOO trial when he knows he's about 5% chance to get picked?

Again, I agree with a lot of that but the fact that the NRL or RFL don't enforce rules they have in place for such scenarios as players avoiding representative duty means that the games that they are staging aren't legit. Now, we all know they aren't legit and can all see the glaringly obvious but my point is don't stage the games unless you make them legit. If you're going to stage a game that shouldn't be held (like City/Country) at least try and make it as valid as possible. To me this just is indicative of even poorer leadership across the board.

I agree that a player like Cooper shouldn't risk injury when he won't be selected and his best days are behind him. Yet to let him do what he's doing without punishment just makes the fixture and league look even more of a joke than it is. And to me, that's a good thing, I wish EVERY player would boycott this farce of a game, but from the leagues view, what the hell are they doing?

 

[BaYry Ward]

Again, I agree with a lot of that but the fact that the NRL or RFL don't enforce rules they have in place for such scenarios as players avoiding representative duty means that the games that they are staging aren't legit. Now, we all know they aren't legit and can all see the glaringly obvious but my point is don't stage the games unless you make them legit. If you're going to stage a game that shouldn't be held (like City/Country) at least try and make it as valid as possible. To me this just is indicative of even poorer leadership across the board.

I agree that a player like Cooper shouldn't risk injury when he won't be selected and his best days are behind him. Yet to let him do what he's doing without punishment just makes the fixture and league look even more of a joke than it is. And to me, that's a good thing, I wish EVERY player would boycott this farce of a game, but from the leagues view, what the hell are they doing?

Totally agree brudda

 

[BaYry Ward]

It does really annoy me that they try and hang Cooper out to dry when he is just highlighting a glaring weakness in the current structure.

 

[BulldogStar]

Again, I agree with a lot of that but the fact that the NRL or RFL don't enforce rules they have in place for such scenarios as players avoiding representative duty means that the games that they are staging aren't legit. Now, we all know they aren't legit and can all see the glaringly obvious but my point is don't stage the games unless you make them legit. If you're going to stage a game that shouldn't be held (like City/Country) at least try and make it as valid as possible. To me this just is indicative of even poorer leadership across the board.

I agree that a player like Cooper shouldn't risk injury when he won't be selected and his best days are behind him. Yet to let him do what he's doing without punishment just makes the fixture and league look even more of a joke than it is. And to me, that's a good thing, I wish EVERY player would boycott this farce of a game, but from the leagues view, what the hell are they doing?

Completely agree.

The game is not actually a legitimate trial for origin. The selectors already know who they want in their team

Btw why are they hanging Cooper out to dry when plenty of players have done it over the years? Isnt Anasta also doing it this year? not playing city/country but playing for the Roosters the same w/e?

 

[Vargster]

Scrap City vs Country, hold Origin off until the end of the season.

Uh-oh, i think I just opened another can of worms there...

 

[FaceBreaker]

There are several perspectives to look at here.

Firstly lets take a look at Dugan and Coote, both have zero chance to be selected in SOO unless there are a ton of injuries but both relishing their selections.

Why ? Cos they are young, talented and wish to test themselves outside of FG for what is supposed to be a "step" up. It also looks good to have a supposed 'rep' game in their CV.

Then you have someone like Cooper.

A guy who last played Origin 4 or so years ago and has been off the radar since. He has nothing left to prove and is around 30 years old. His chances of making Origin are slim as there is a lot of fresher competition in the centers who are more favorable with the selectors.

 

[B-Train]

Completely agree.

The game is not actually a legitimate trial for origin. The selectors already know who they want in their team

Btw why are they hanging Cooper out to dry when plenty of players have done it over the years? Isnt Anasta also doing it this year? not playing city/country but playing for the Roosters the same w/e?

Exactly. And Queensland have won the series 3 years in a row (or is it 4) yet don't have a stupid City/Country fixture that hurts NRL clubs and could disrupt their season through injuries. So why then should this fixture be allowed or is it even needed when Queensland have shown time and time again they do fine without one?

 

[Ahecee]

Good on him, club football should come first............... there shouldn't be any rep games scheduled that conflict with it (including origin)

 

[bahadogg]

cooper is doing the right thing country vs city game is a joke why should players risk injury and play in this stupid game that means nothing. club games are more important but if the player gets picked for soo or australia its different

 

[Costaki10]

Hey NRL here is a solution you might want to use, if you get picked for city/country and ruled out due to injury you shouldnt be able to be picked for your team that weekend.

Simple

 

[S4Sonny]

Hey NRL here is a solution you might want to use, if you get picked for city/country and ruled out due to injury you shouldnt be able to be picked for your team that weekend.

Simple

x2.

Totally agreed.