Quade Cooper takes a shot at Brad Thorn on way to Melbourne Rebels

QUADE Cooper gave Reds coach Brad Thorn a farewell snipe before riding off to the Melbourne Rebels in a move that Will Genia believes can re-ignite one of rugby’s special talents.

Wallabies Quade Cooper (L) is tackled All Blacks Brad Thorn during New Zealand v Australia 2011 Rugby World Cup (RWC) semi-final match at Eden Park Stadium in Auckland, 16/10/2011.

QUADE Cooper gave Reds coach Brad Thorn a farewell snipe before riding off to the Melbourne Rebels in a move that Will Genia believes can re-ignite one of rugby’s special talents after a lost season.

Cooper’s storied 119-game run in Queensland was over on Tuesday afternoon when a deed of release was signed even though, in truth, it was dead nearly 12 months ago.

Thorn’s cultural change agenda so stunned Cooper he was told not to even turn up to Reds training and it forced him into limbo in club rugby as a $650,00-a-year player with two years left on his contract.

Sometimes you are forced out of the place you love but thank god there’s more than one place that loves me ❤️ pic.twitter.com/53b5baZnj0

— Quade Cooper (@QuadeCooper) October 22, 2018

The Reds will continue to pay a slice of his new one-year deal in Melbourne but this is a win for everyone with the Rebels finally signing a top No.10, the Queensland Rugby Union clearing salary cap space, Cooper returning to Super Rugby and delighted Wallabies halfback Genia getting the old firm back together.

“I think the best thing for him is to get back to playing at this level just because he has so much to offer...the guy is a special player with some strengths that no other player has in the world,” Genia said.

COMMENT: Quade’s Twitter crack at Thorn timed perfectly

Genia was talking in Japan as the Cooper deal was being finalised in the countdown to Saturday’s Test against the All Blacks in Yokohama where better concentration in defence and Israel Folau’s first start at outside centre are being hatched.

Cooper had always wanted to be a one-club player in Australia and that dripped from his backhander at Thorn in a calculated Monday night post to his 843,000 followers on Twitter and Instagram.

“Sometimes you are forced out of the place you love but thank god there’s more than one place that loves me,” Cooper posted.

Former Wallabies and Reds halves partners Quade Cooper and Will Genia will reunite at the Rebels. Picture: Steve Pohlner

Thorn’s name was never mentioned but the photo posted by Cooper, as a Wallaby, had him fending off Thorn, as an All Black, in an old Bledisloe Cup clash.

Genia was big enough to see both sides of the Cooper-Thorn divide which has polarised fans in Queensland where Cooper’s vision, silky passing and audacity are worshipped but his brain snaps spawned an opposition camp.

Was Genia surprised by Thorn not finding a way to reconcile with the 70-Test playmaker?

“Not at all. He’s come from an All Blacks environment where they believe in certain things,” Genia said.

“Culture is important to him and whether it (the call on Cooper) is right or wrong, that’s his direction and you’ve certainly got to give him credit for being strong and sticking by it.

“Some of the things he (Cooper) brings onto himself, I’m not going to lie, but I think the majority of it is a bit unfair, that bandwagon mentality of people saying ‘I’m going to spray him as well’.

“...he’s going to have a huge impact on the (Rebels) group and he’ll definitely give them an opportunity to win the comp.”

Quade Cooper called the shots for Brisbane City in the NRC. Picture: Getty Images

Reds coach Brad Thorn had no space in his squad for Quade Cooper. Picture: AAP Image

Genia and Cooper were unstoppable as a pairing in the Reds’ run to the 2011 Super Rugby title and Genia joked a little magic might still be left: “We were teenagers starting together at the Reds and now we are 30-31, a bit older and slower, but we’ll see how we go.”

Cooper is 30, has plenty still to offer and his drive to succeed will be super-charged.

“I was really impressed seeing the improvement that Melbourne have made this year. Their professionalism since the first discussion we had about me being a Rebel has been first-class,” Cooper said in a statement.

Cooper pushed his club Souths to the club semi-finals and piloted Brisbane City in the National Rugby Championships but Genia insisted the 70-Test playmaker needed to be back where he belongs.

“As much as he would have enjoyed it with Souths, he deserves to be at this (Super Rugby) level and probably owes it to himself as well,” Genia said.

“He’ll work really well with Dave (Wessels) as coach, who is very firm on what he wants from players and the organisation.”

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Originally published as Quade Cooper takes a shot at Brad Thorn on way to Melbourne Rebels