He could have turned off the alarm and gone back to bed, or taken the dog for a walk in one of the parks near his riverside home in Brisbane’s eastern suburbs. Instead, he found himself at a gym, ready to work ... but for what? And how? “It happened on a Friday and then on Monday, I knew I should be training. What do I do? The first day, I went into a gym and was like ‘what do I do?’ I’ve been doing this for more than 12 years but normally your program is handed to you,” Cooper says over coffee at a Bulimba cafe, before heading off to plan his move to Melbourne where he joins the Rebels on a one-year deal. I don’t have any ill judgment. That’s not me. I can only go with the situation I’m in. Quade Cooper “For me, it wasn’t just about the Reds. I was still training to be the best player I could be, whether that was for Super Rugby or (club side) Souths. No matter what, I wasn’t going to be stopped from improving myself. If I got back into Team A or Team B, so be it. My focus was on me and how much I was able to learn.” In anyone’s language, Cooper’s sudden exile was the strangest turn of events. Regardless of form, he had always been a crowd favourite at Suncorp Stadium, the last member of the Genia-Horwill-Cooper triumvirate that was the face of their improbable 2011 Super Rugby title.

He has played his cards close to his chest ever since, stoutly refusing to criticise Thorn aside from a social media post that pictured him fending off the All Blacks great when both were in their national colours. The closest he has come would be to suggest that in his view, the best coaches find a way to combine all of the characters and personalities in their squad, rather than dismiss those that don’t fit the precise template. Actions speak louder: Quade Cooper refused to criticise now Reds coach Brad Thorn (right) but did post a similar image to social media. Credit:PA “Of course, it hurts. I played more than 100 games for them. But I’m not going to judge anyone. That’s up to them and how they feel about that. I’m very fortunate to play for Melbourne now, same with club rugby and the NRC,” Cooper says. “I don’t wish anything bad on anyone. If anything, it says more about coaching styles, to be able to get the best out of every player. For any coach, in any sport ... look at the Chicago Bulls with someone like Dennis Rodman and Michael Jordan. All those players, someone found a way to get the best out of them. That’s a testament to them as coaches.

“For me, I don’t have any ill judgment. That’s not me. I can only go with the situation I’m in. For me, that’s Souths, Brisbane City and now Melbourne.” Cooper, now 30, has long been close with All Blacks star Sonny Bill Williams but being cut so clinically by the Reds saw their friendship go to a new level. Soon after the cull was made, Cooper would travel to New Zealand, where Williams stopped his holidays to go into motivational mode. Loading “I went to the Corporate Box (gym) every day, went back into training. And a big help for me has been Sonny. (Manager) Khoder (Nasser) and (trainer) Shannon King, as well. But Sonny, straight away, was ‘come spend a week with me’. I went and spent a week there and we started training. He was on holidays but still was there to do that. “We just got to spend time together and had our own mini pre-season. We had a different voice, spent time together but had to do things for ourselves. I didn’t have to be anywhere ... so it was our choice.

“I’m used to being there training every day because I have to ... I love training anyway but if you feel a bit tired, you have to go to work. That wasn’t my situation. I could have done nothing. Just being able to get up, think for myself and find ways to get better. “That was the best thing I got out of all of this; doing things for yourself and not relying on other people. Situations like these show your true friends and supporters.” King of the kids: few Wallabies have polarised fans as much as Quade Cooper. Credit:Harrison Saragossi The word ‘polarising’ goes hand-in-hand with Cooper, although he’s never quite understood why he tends to evoke such emotional responses from all sections of the code. For every fan that derides his style of play, there’s another that say he’s the reason they watch. For every Kiwi that paints him as a pantomime villain, there’s a family that saw him make sure every waiting kid got their photo. “To be honest, I’ve never been sure (why he divides opinion),’’ Cooper says. ‘‘What I do know is I’ve had a hell of a ride so far and I feel like I’ve still got so much to give. This year, it’s been a blessing to be a small part of this year for a lot of people.

‘‘A lot of people that didn’t know got to know me. I was able to be a small part of a lot of people’s lives. When you are playing as a professional, people feel you are out of reach. But even if I’m playing Test match football, I’m still down here having a coffee, doing normal things. “Because I was playing at club level, I was able to interact in a closer way. But I’ve never really known why people are so fascinated by me.” The assumption was that Cooper was playing the long game with the Reds, that they would eventually see the light and restore him to active duty. Cooper says he was simply ... playing. For him, 2018 turned into a semi-sabbatical in his own town. When he turned up to his first session at Souths, the former Wallaby playmaker was just as nervous as they were. Soon, it would become one of the most rewarding seasons of his rollercoaster of a career. “When I walked in there, I think we were feeling each other out,’’ he said. ‘‘They were wondering if I was really there to play, I was wondering how they would take me. But I just got stuck in with them and made some friends for life.

“There are people there I’ve known since I was a young kid. Seeing some of those raw players, teaching them about the game, it unlocked so much in my head. “For the past five or six years, you do what you are told. When I went back to club football, I was starting again and you start thinking ‘what can we do?’ Your perspective changes. “Every single one of them is there through choice. A lot of them are coming from work to get to the training but they are there for the right reasons. Every game I played felt like a grand final because the opposition wanted to come and win, get a shot on me, to get one over on me or show me up. It was tough but I loved it.” Together again: Will Genia and Quade Cooper helped Queensland to the 2011 Super Rugby title and will reunite next year in Melbourne. Credit:AP Outwardly, Cooper seemed determined to get back on the field for the Reds. Then Rebels coach Dave Wessels reached out and spoke at length with Cooper. The result was a deal for 2019 that will see Cooper link once again with old friend Will Genia, the halfback outside whom he has always played his best rugby.

“I was very intrigued by his visions of the game, how he saw the game. And how he took the time to get to know me as a person. That meant a lot. I have a lot of respect for him and am looking forward to playing in Melbourne. “Anybody who takes the time to get to know you, you know they are investing in you. I have the utmost respect for him.” I’ll just do the best I can. If I’m ever picked to play, I’m picked to play. If not, that’s up to the coach. Quade Cooper on his Wallabies dreams Wessels was another that found that Cooper in the flesh doesn’t always match the perceptions of him as a public figure. But while he was intrigued enough to pick up the phone, Cooper hasn’t heard from Wallaby coach Michael Cheika, who admittedly has his hands full with the wobbles of the national side. “He hasn’t been in touch at all,’’ Cooper said. ‘‘Again, that’s all out of my control. I’ll just do the best I can. If I’m ever picked to play, I’m picked to play. If not, that’s up to the coach. I don’t lose too much sleep over that. The guys that he picks, he lives with that and the results they get.”