Quade Cooper set for Super Rugby return after quitting Toulon

QUADE Cooper is set for a Super Rugby return after quitting Toulon — and the Wallabies star has issued a left-field challenge to the out-of-work Jarryd Hayne.

Toulon’s Quade Cooper warms up prior to a French Top 14 match in Nice.

QUADE Cooper is set for a Super Rugby return after quitting Toulon — and the Wallabies star has issued a left-field challenge to the out-of-work Jarryd Hayne.

Cooper took to social media to bid farewell to the French glamour club, after cutting short his two-year contract after one season.

“Goodbye Thank you for everything .. My brothers and family that I have now in Toulon I will miss you soon,” Cooper wrote in French.

au revoir Merci pour tout.. Mes frères et la famille que j'ai désormais à Toulon vont me manquer.. à bientôt 🔴⚫️ pic.twitter.com/d5WfLeaLZZ

— Quade Cooper (@QuadeCooper) July 12, 2016

The 28-year-old joined Toulon after playing a bit-part role for the Wallabies at the 2015 Rugby World Cup.

The talented playmaker scored 10 points in 15 appearances for the Top 14 heavyweights but struggled to command a regular starting spot.

Star-studded Toulon boast the likes of Matt Giteau, Francois Trinh-Duc, Ma’a Nonu, James O’Connor, Ayumu Goromaru and Leigh Halfpenny on their books.

Flamboyant club owner Mourad Boudjellal expressed his frustration with Cooper’s lack of impact at Toulon, comparing Cooper to Jonny Wilkinson as going from “foie gras to pate.”

Toulon’s Quade Cooper warms up prior to a French Top 14 match in Nice.

Cooper is expected to return to Super Rugby next season, with his former club the Reds the frontrunners to sign him as they eye a rebuild under a yet-to-be appointed coach.

Queensland prop Greg Holmes told reporters on Wednesday he couldn’t see why Cooper wouldn’t choose the Reds.

“He had a great career here and he had a lot of success when he was playing here,” Holmes said.

The Rebels have also expressed interest in signing Cooper, who has 58 caps for the Wallabies.

Both Cooper (Australia) and Hayne (Fiji) played on the world sevens series circuit this season but failed in their bids for Olympic selection.

Hayne, who has no rugby experience, is widely tipped for a return to the NRL but Cooper is doing his bit to recruit the code-hopper as a new teammate.

When I get back to Aus I'm going to whoop @JarrydHayne at Fifa & in return he will join the super rugby franchise I join.. #DealOrNoDeal 😇

— Quade Cooper (@QuadeCooper) July 11, 2016

@quadecooper taste of what's is to come.. Had to go #portugal @cristiano with the magic. https://t.co/aD33qrGdef

— jarryd hayne (@JarrydHayne) July 11, 2016

C'mon bro I'd have jumped the wall and played as the goalie and stopped that eeeeeasy... https://t.co/ZLxptKtkjN

— Quade Cooper (@QuadeCooper) July 11, 2016

Waratahs and Wallabies playmaker Bernard Foley told reporters on Wednesday that he would welcome Cooper’s return.

“It’s great for Australian rugby, isn’t it, to have a player of that calibre back,” Foley said.

“I think competition’s always been great between the two of us or between all the 10s in Australia, it’s great to have and for Australian rugby, it can only be a positive.

“It’s exciting wherever he ends up, he ends up.

“The competition is good for Australian rugby.”

“This year we (the Wallabies) probably lacked a bit of depth in that playmaker role, especially those first couple of games (against England), we were quite limited but for me it didn’t change how I approached the game or my training or anything like that.

“It probably pushed me to try and be across it more and try and be on top of a lot of different areas that I probably hadn’t thought of in the past.”

Originally published as Quade Cooper set for Super Rugby return after quitting Toulon