Quade Cooper was in fine form during the Rebels 32-13 Super Rugby win over his former Reds’ side as fans turned on their current coach Brad Thorn.
FULL TIME | Rebels sink Reds in the battle of Brisbane!#SuperSeason #WeAreMelbourne pic.twitter.com/h9ofAmuEeY
— Melbourne Rebels (@MelbourneRebels) March 30, 2024
This was Cooper’s first match against the Reds’ since his departure and along with the win he contributed 12 points from the boot and two try assists for Jack Maddocks.
However, with the Reds struggling at the moment some fans took the opportunity to support a former fan favourite and point out Thorn’s flawed decision of not taking Cooper back when he had the chance.
Although there might be some bad blood between the player and coach, Cooper confirmed after the match that he is still a Reds fan and hopes they get out of their poor situation.
“There was a few people that sort of feel that I must have left them. But it wasn’t the boys that didn’t want me. The boys were the ones that we were playing against and I love those boys. For me, I don’t want to see them go down, I want to win when we play against them but I’m always supporting them. I want this franchise to do well. It’s a little bit sad to see when they’re struggling a little bit, on and off the field,” he told Fox Sports post-game.
Thorn was forced to admit that Cooper and Will Genia, another former Red, played well in what must have been a hard game to watch.
“He’s on the winning side and he contributed to a really good win for them. So well done to him and Will,” he said.
Cooper is one of the Reds most decorated players, having won the Super Rugby title with the franchise in 2011 and is now delivering success down south with the Rebels now top of the Australian Conference following the win.
Match Highlights:
