Wallaby star not switching to NRL | Thebigtip

By Reuters from abc.net.au

Australia Rugby Union boss John O'Neill has scoffed at reports Quade Cooper may be set for a code switch, after the Wallabies fly half met with the Parramatta Eels last week amid tortuous contract negotiations.

An official from the NRL club confirmed local media reports that Cooper and his manager had met to discuss the player's future, but O'Neill said the timing was suspicious given their ongoing negotiations with the ARU.

"We woke up this morning to read the news and I'm not sure how accurate the reporting has been," O'Neill said in Sydney.

"We already had a meeting with his agent scheduled today. It may just be a coincidence that we wake up to a headline.

"Quade's a rising star... a young man at the start of his career - why would he go to rugby league?"

Cooper was quoted in News Limited as saying that he would not rule out a career in the NRL, but avoided direct comment on his meeting with Parramatta.

Read more