
Australia fly-half Quade Cooper will make a decision on his future after the conclusion of the Tri-Nations.
The Reds playmaker pulled the strings as the Wallabies secured a historic 41-39 victory over South Africa in Bloemfontein on Saturday, just weeks after being linked with a record cross-code move to the Parramatta Eels NRL franchise.
Cooper, 22, admitted that victory over the Springboks could impact on his decision but also that his focus was squarely on next weekend's clash with the All Blacks in Sydney, his first.
"I'm just enjoying playing footy," he told AAP. "Just getting two games in a row and one more left, once we knock that over I'm sure I'll be able to come up with a decision and hopefully it's a good one.
"Coming up against the All Blacks for my first time is going to be great but as a group we're really looking forward to it. It gives you confidence when the team is going so well and the team comes out on top in such a tight performance like this."
While Cooper is happy to wait and see, Eels chief executive Paul Osborne believes that his target will remain in the 15-man-code given his lack of contact in recent weeks.
"I think he'll stay in rugby, I haven't heard from him for a few weeks," Osborne said. "I always thought he'd stay in rugby."
Replies
I guess we just have to wait and see what his decision will be.
Should he not sign with us, it'll be tough to find another halfback to play for us.
I reckon the best bet if he wasn't to come to us would be to make a play for Knights half Jarrod Mullen.
The optimist in me says that he's coming, but we're seeing more and more reports saying that he is staying in Union, although nothing has been confirmed publicly by QC as of yet.
I guess until we hear it straight from his mouth, we can still maintain some for of hope that he will come.
At least I will.
Although it was a penalty goal that won the game for the Wallabies.
I mean, the pinnacle of any players career, would have to be , to play for your country, and the offer to play for your country at a world cup, against the best of the best, c'mon lets get serious, Quade Cooper was never going to come to a district side , in another code, for less money, when the ARU was able to dangle that carrot in front of him!
For a no-named manager, Richard Colreavy has backed a winner in Quade, and definitely wont be letting the Mr Cooper money pit sign with the cheapest bidder!
What would the managers fee be 5%, 10%? whatever it is, the manager is not going to accept an offer for $600,000/season on his clients behalf to come to league, when he can leverage a price in excess of $1,000,000/season from the ARU, by imaginarily putting his client up for offer to rival codes!