Reds will again train a kelpie to bring kicking tee on to field, as they did with ‘Bomber’

QUADE Cooper has mastered backflips and flick passes but he has never taken on anything like training a kicking tee-carrying kelpie.

Cooper could have a furry sidekick this time next year.

QUADE Cooper has mastered backflips and flick passes but he has never taken on anything like training a kicking tee-carrying kelpie.

The 10-week-old red heeler puppy that was yesterday unveiled as the mascot for Queensland’s junior programs has an ulterior motive.

Or the Reds do.

If he’s a smart learner you can expect to see the as-yet-unnamed pooch trotting on to Suncorp Stadium with Cooper’s kicking tee in his mouth on big game nights next season.

The Reds are trying to train a successor to Bomber, the kelpie who had a huge fan following when he ran out the tee to Reds goalkicker Nathan Spooner in 1999.

Cooper is enthusiastic and clearly unfazed by the Hollywood adage of never working with kids or animals.

“I’ve got a blue American Staffordshire terrier myself but I know I’d never get a tee out of his mouth if he got hold of one,” Cooper said.

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“I don’t mind a bit of slobber. I’m good with trying the kicking-tee dog idea.

“It would be cool for the kids in the crowd and it’s great to have a junior mascot involved in the rugby community as well.’’

Cooper’s comfort is the biggest hurdle cleared because the Bomber idea was initially foiled by Wallabies great John Eales in 1999.

“You mean you want me to push in scrums, win lineouts, make tackles and then take a tee covered in slobber from a dog and kick goals. No,” was the classic knockback from Eales.

Dog-lover Spooner actually lifted his success rate with Bomber as his sidekick to more than 70 per cent in the Reds’ run to the semi-finals that year.

The dog will be in the care of a Brisbane vet and Justin Jordan, from Jordan Dog Training, who will check on the red heeler’s skill set over the coming months.

Reds fans have the chance to name the puppy mascot by sending suggestions to the Reds’ Facebook page or by emailing [e-mail]