Cowboys’ warhorse Gavin Cooper defies test of time to sign contract extension at club
Cowboys stalwart Gavin Cooper has extended his future in the NRL as the Cowboys aim to use his experience to help an exciting crop of edge backrowers.
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COWBOYS stalwart Gavin Cooper has extended his future in the NRL as the club aims to use his experience to help an exciting crop of emerging backrowers.
Cooper will remain with the North Queensland club for another year in 2020, but it is expected his role may change on the field.
The 34-year-old forward has been a warrior on the field for the Cowboys since making his return to the club in 2011.
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Bar a crippling hip injury in 2014, Cooper has barely missed a game over the past nine seasons and brought up his 300th NRL game milestone earlier this season.
In a year where the Cowboys have dealt with a crippling injury toll, Cooper has been the one constant playing every game in 2019.
With the Cowboys losing the experience of Johnathan Thurston in 2018, and Matt Scott and Scott Bolton this season it has seen a combined 836 games experience leave the club.
“We have lost a fair bit of leadership over the last few years and there is no doubt he brings great value in that area,” Cowboys director of football Peter Parr said.
“We have a number of great edge backrowers and they are still learning the demands of NRL football and to be able to play with Coops and be able to learn from him will be beneficial to their development in the game.
“The other thing to point out is this bloke has great durability. He has played every game this year, and the medical staff are confident his body will hold up for another 12 months.
“He is a bloke who has contributed for a long period of time. He is one of the few forwards that have played over 300 games in the NRL, and played 80 minutes week in and week out.”
But that game time might change next season as the Cowboys aim to inject their youthful backrow stocks into the NRL arena more often.
Shane Wright has emerged as an 80-minute second-rower this season, and he will be complemented by the likes of Coen Hess, Peter Hola and Mitch Dunn, who is still in negotiations for next season.
“I think we probably have it in our own mind that it might be a different role to what (Cooper) plays now,” Parr said.
“But given his determination and competitive streak he might have a different view than that. There is no doubt the young backrowers will have to step up to take over his mantle one day.”
They were negotiations that stretched out over most of the season, but Parr said a decision to keep the veteran on and see in the new North Queensland Stadium was not hard to make.
“They are always difficult decisions when players get closer to the back end of their careers, but given the way he leads around the group and given what he does for the club it was relatively straight forward,” he said.
“Everyone at our club is delighted we will have him back on board in 2020. It won’t be just his football that we will benefit from next year, it will be his leadership on and off the field.”
Originally published as Cowboys’ warhorse Gavin Cooper defies test of time to sign contract extension at club
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