Kintetsu Liners fly-half Quade Cooper has ruled out the chance of seeing his career out in the NRL.
Wallaby Cooper, who turns 36 in April, was speaking in an Instagram Q&A and admitted he’s always been interested in switching codes to play in the National Rugby League.
However, at this stage of his career the 2011 Super Rugby Champion believes a move to the NRL is highly unlikely.
“I think that ship has sailed,” said Cooper who has 80 Test caps for the Wallabies.
“As much as I’ve always wanted to and feel like I would be able to thrive in league especially for one or two seasons it wouldn’t make sense for a club to use a spot on their roster for an experiment.”
The 2011 Tri Nations Champion has played eight times for the Liners this season who once again find themselves in a relegation battle.
Osaka-based Liners, who signed Cooper in 2019 from the Melbourne Rebels fell to the bottom of the table when they lost to relegation rivals Honda Heat earlier this month and were demolished 60-17 by Kobe Steelers last time out.
The Auckland-born veteran saved the Liners’ campaign last term as they won the two-leg relegation play-off with division two side Urayasu D-Rocks to retain their spot in Japan’s top-flight.
The perennial strugglers will need more heroics from Cooper, his countryman and long-time half-back partner Will Genia and fit-again Japan international Semisi Masirewa to preserve their status this season with Wayne Pivac’s NEC Green Rockets and the D-Rocks in pole position to represent the second tier in the two winner-take-all relegation/promotion play-off matches.
Basement outfit Liners travel to Beauden Barrett and Aaron Smith’s underperforming Toyota Verblitz on Saturday 6 April. Picture courtesy of Kintetsu Liners
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