GPS curtain-raiser: Will Quade Cooper join brother on big stage?
At least one member of Quade Cooper’s family is guaranteed of running onto Suncorp Stadium on the night of the Australia-Argentina Test next month.
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At least one member of Quade Cooper’s family is guaranteed of running onto Suncorp Stadium on the night of the Australia-Argentina Test next month.
Cooper’s kid brother Moses Jones, 16, is delighted with the decision to schedule a big GPS schools clash as the curtain-raiser at Suncorp Stadium on July 27.
His Brisbane State High side will aim at upsetting back-to-back champions Nudgee College when the best of schoolboy rugby is given a grand stage.
The overdue move to more actively connect with rugby’s great talent nursery in Queensland is a positive call from Rugby Australia.
It would be a special family moment if Cooper were now to convert his strong season with the Melbourne Rebels into a Wallabies comeback on the same bill.
No schoolboy on the night will feel more at home than Jones because the ground was a regular weekend home for years when he was supporting his brother as Reds flyhalf.
Jones was a wide-eyed kid in the dressing rooms at times or among cheering voices in the stands.
“I think I was seven-years-old back in 2011 and I still remember the crazy atmosphere at Suncorp Stadium when the Reds were winning that Super Rugby title,” Jones said.
“I was really happy for my brother.
“It’s good to have someone who’s done it before me and is close to me.
“I’ve definitely always looked up to him and I’m grateful to have such a good role model.
“He has been through a lot but his resilience and ability to get back to where he is now, in rugby and as a person, is quite inspiring.”
Jones said his style as a Year 12 flyhalf was built more around passing and kicking than the “God-given flair” of his brother.
Jones’s opposite number at Nudgee is Reesjan Pasitoa, already a two-time premiership winner and rated so highly the Brumbies have already signed him.
Injured Reds centre Jordan Petaia, aiming at a club comeback for Wests next month, is a recent State High graduate to the elite level.
Reds hooker Alex Mafi is a Nudgee College old boy who remembers the thrill of playing trial games for his school before Reds matches at the stadium.
“I was taken aback by the bright lights, it didn’t feel like playing back at Ross Oval at Nudgee,” Mafi said with a laugh.
“Playing at night was that bit different for a schoolboy so there were little things to learn along the way.
“I’m sure a lot of kids will use this as a motivator for where they want to be in a few years and I think it will help their journey.”
Mafi’s form has stayed strong since he was called up to the potential Wallabies camp in Brisbane last month.
A strong final hitout against Wallabies hooker-elect Folau Faingaa would be valuable when the Reds close their season against the Brumbies in Canberra on Saturday night.
Originally published as GPS curtain-raiser: Will Quade Cooper join brother on big stage?
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