Quade to fly the coop?

Will he or wont he? The rumours are coming thick and fast that Wallaby number 10, Quade Cooper, is actively entertaining the idea of switching to rugby league with the Parramatta Eels allegedly leading the charge.

If Cooper does switch it would be a devastating blow to Robbie Deans' plans this close to next years Rugby World Cup in New Zealand. In Cooper's recent absence due to his suspension for a spear tackle the Wallabies looked rudderless - Matt Giteau regularly overplayed his hand whilst Berrick Barnes had the confidence of a Lemming.  It is therefore clear that Cooper is an essential ingredient to the Wallabies success now and in the future. He is the milk to the cheese, the fuel to the car, and the spark to the fire.

In response to the rumours, ARU CEO John O'Neil has come out saying that the ARU would like to keep Cooper but wont pay ridiculous money to do so. On the basis that the Wallabies would undoubtedly suffer without him,  O'Neil may have to re-think his stance. This is important not only because of the Wallabies immediate success but also because Rugby Union in Australia is regularly loosing younger participants to other sports such as football/soccer and AFL. As such the future of the sport itself depends on having entertaining and successful players of which Cooper is clearly both. Look at how he turned around the fortunes of the Queensland Reds last year.

For the conspiracy theorists out there, are the rumours coming from Cooper's management in an attempt to drive up his contract price? It is a method rugby league players have used ever since Rugby Union became professional so it is not in the realms of unbelievability.

Alternatively, is Cooper bored with Rugby Union and trying to be re-inspired by a new challenge ala Israel Folau? This is not an outrageous suggestion. Rugby Union still allows a player to travel the world unlike many other codes, but because of the professional pressures just how much enjoyment these players have when travelling is debatable. Furthermore, sportsmen of any code are so well paid these days that if they want to travel and see the world they can do it during their off season, at their own pace and on their own itinerary. Also, for all of Robbie Deans' Super 14 success, he has struggled to transfer that form to the Wallabies set up and as such Cooper may be disenchanted with the Wallabies inconsistency.

Perhaps O'Neil is relying on the support the ARU gave Cooper during his recent troubles with the law to persuade Cooper to stay with the Wallabies. Whilst that may have been comforting to Cooper at that time, if he is not being paid for his ability and crowd pulling power, it may be an underlying cause of disenchantment leading to these rumours.

What is clear is that the ARU need to deal with this issue quickly otherwise the rumours will get louder and Cooper could be joining the NRL quicker than you can read 'Wallabies world cup preparations in tatters.'