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Quade Cooper, Karmichael Hunt praised for handling of Reds snub

Former Queensland Reds star Quade Cooper has been praised for his professionalism after being axed by rookie coach Brad Thorn.

The 70-Test Wallaby is one of four international-caliber talents who have been left wanting by Thorn this season, alongside Karmichael Hunt, James Slipper and Nick Frisby. Frisby this week announced his signing with the Glasgow Warriors.

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Cooper, who is signed to the Reds through 2019 on a reported $800,000 per year contract, has spent the year playing for his childhood club Souths. Hunt also suited up for the club last weekend.

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Rugby Union Players’ Association boss Ross Xenos told Fox Rugby Podcast Cooper could hold his head high in the handling of his exclusion from the Reds.

“These guys have committed to playing their rugby in Queensland,” Xenos said.

“The opportunity to play for the Reds has been closed on them.

“They’re playing the cards they’ve been dealt.

“It’s not only the on-field behaviour, but actually, some of the reports coming out of Souths and some of the work that Quade’s done off the field, the impact that Quade playing for Souths is having on other clubs in the competition — when they can build their games against Souths as ‘Quade Cooper Day’ — there’s interestingly been other flow-on benefits I think for premier rugby in Queensland off the back of the position the players have taken.”

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Cooper and Hunt both remain intent on returning for the Reds, though it seems unlikely while Thorn is in charge. Slipper’s future with the club also remains uncertain, despite reports he has re-signed until 2020. The prop was handed a two-month ban and fined $27,500 after testing positive for cocaine twice.

“I think that there’s probably a lot of people out there who were surprised how respectfully these players have handled these situations, and that they haven’t thrown their toys out of the cot, and that they haven’t gone and stepped outside the lines of respectful conduct and the like, and they’ve gone back and they’ve accepted, again, the cards that they’ve been dealt,” said Xenos.

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“And they’ve been as good role models for the game as they can be.

“They’re doing their best to accept responsibility for what they’ve done and get on with things.”

In other news:

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J
JW 1 hour ago
'Passionate reunion of France and New Zealand shows Fabien Galthie is wrong to rest his stars'

Where? I remember saying "unders"? The LNR was formed by the FFR, if I said that in a way that meant the 'pro' side of the game didn't have an equal representation/say as the 'amateur' side (FFR remit) that was not my intent.


But also, as it is the governing body, it also has more responsibility. As long as WR looks at FFR as the running body for rugby in France, that 'power' will remain. If the LNR refuses to govern their clubs use of players to enable a request by FFR (from WR) to ensure it's players are able to compete in International rugby takes place they will simply remove their participation. If the players complain to the France's body, either of their health and safety concerns (through playing too many 'minutes' etc) or that they are not allowed to be part in matches of national interest, my understanding is action can be taken against the LNR like it could be any other body/business. I see where you're coming from now re EPCR and the shake up they gave it, yes, that wasn't meant to be a separate statement to say that FFR can threaten them with EPCR expulsion by itself, simply that it would be a strong repercussion for those teams to be removed (no one would want them after the above).


You keep bringing up these other things I cannot understand why. Again, do you think if the LNR were not acting responsibly they would be able to get away with whatever they want (the attitude of these posters saying "they pay the players")? You may deem what theyre doing currently as being irresponsible but most do not. Countries like New Zealand have not even complained about it because they've never had it different, never got things like windfall TV contracts from France, so they can't complain because theyre not missing out on anything. Sure, if the French kept doing things like withholding million dollar game payments, or causing millions of dollars of devaluation in rights, they these things I'm outlining would be taking place. That's not the case currently however, no one here really cares what the French do. It's upto them to sort themselves out if they're not happy. Now, that said, if they did make it obvious to World Rugby that they were never going to send the French side away (like they possibly did stating their intent to exclude 20 targeted players) in July, well then they would simply be given XV fixtures against tier 2 sides during that window and the FFR would need to do things like the 50/50 revenue split to get big teams visiting in Nov.

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