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Matt Cooper (rugby league footballer)
Encyclopedia
Matt Cooper is an Australian professional rugby league
footballer who plays for the St George Illawarra Dragons
of the National Rugby League
. A New South Wales State of Origin
and Australian international representative centre, he has played his entire career to date at the Dragons, with whom he won the 2010 NRL Premiership.
, the club his father supported. He began playing rugby league at the age of six for his local junior side, the Shellharbour Sharks, while also enjoying athletics and being actively involved with his local surf club with his close cousin Corey.
After moving to Illawarra
, Cooper began supporting the Illawarra Steelers
. Cooper was originally signed on to the Illawarra Steelers
club as a teenager prior to their merger with the St. George Dragons
at the end of 1998. He made his debut for the merged St George Illawarra club in 2000 at the age of twenty-one.
After making his debut Cooper was replaced in the Dragons line-up for the second game of the season and was not re-called until round seven in which he crossed the line for his first try against the New Zealand Warriors
, Cooper in total scored two tries in limited appearances in the 2000 season.
The 2001 season
was not a successful one for Cooper, with minor injuries causing him to miss many games. He returned just before the finals, scoring two tries in the semi-final victory over the Bulldogs.
In 2002
, Cooper was able to retain his position in the team for the majority of the season and finished the year with a total of seven tries from nineteen games.
A new season in 2003 saw a new more try-hungry Matt Cooper emerge on the NRL playing fields. He began the season holding down his spot for the duration of the season with good defense and attack. In total, Cooper scored eleven tries including three doubles during the regular season, he then tasted his first representative honour being selected to play for Country in the annual City and Country Origin. Although the season eventually finished on a low note both for the Dragons and Cooper with another injury yet again forcing him out of the side. Though all was not lost for Matt as he was nominated for the Dragons player of the year, eventually losing out to Ben Hornby
while he picked up the Geoff Selby Memorial NRL Coaches Award.
The 2004 season yet again was one of improvement and new opportunity, Cooper began the season well scoring a total of eight tries in six matches for the Dragons including four tries in a single match against the reigning premiers the Penrith Panthers
. At the conclusion of the season he had scored a total of seventeen tries and subsequently impressing the international selectors so much that he gained a spot in the Australian side for the 2004 tour of Great Britain, France and the United States, though he did not play a competitive match on the tour.
His form continued well into the season and he was yet again selected in the New South Wales State of Origin side playing in all three matches of the series and scoring his first try for his state. He finished the season well with thirteen tries from twenty games and yet again was selected to go on the Australian tour of Great Britain.
Injury yet again hit Cooper early on in the 2006 season in the form of a damaged hamstring while playing in the season opening fixture against the Wests Tigers
. Cooper was forced to miss several fixtures for the Dragons and the opening game of the State of Origin series.
Cooper scored the only try in the Dragons' 8–1 win over the Parramatta Eels
on a rainy Friday night, the first night game hosted at Oki Jubilee Stadium
since 1999. The games was scoreless for seventy minutes.
In Round 26 of the 2010 NRL season
Cooper scored his 100th try for the St. George Illawarra Dragons becoming only the second player to achieve this feat for the club behind Nathan Blacklock
.
In the first round of the 2010 finals, St George Illawarra Dragons
defeated the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles
28-0, with Cooper scoring two tries, surpassing Nathan Blacklock
's record of 100 tries to become the Dragons highest try scorer, with 102 tries.
On 3 October 2010, Cooper was a part of the Dragons side that beat the Sydney Roosters
32-8 in the 2010 NRL Grand Final
, helping the joint venture club claim its first premiership. This was also Cooper's 100th career win out of a possible 199 NRL games.
The following February Cooper travelled with the Dragons to England to play the Super League
champions, Wigan in the 2011 World Club Challenge
. He scored a try in St George Illawarra's victory.
match of the series for New South Wales replacing Luke Lewis
to partner his clubmate Mark Gasnier
in the centres after the side had lost the second match.
After having an impressive debut match in the 2004 series, Cooper was subsequently re-selected for New South Wales in the 2005 State of Origin, playing in all three matches of the series helping New South Wales to another series win scoring one try along the way in game two.
Cooper was selected in the starting line-up for the 2006 State of Origin series
but after failing to recover from a hamstring injury sustained during the round one NRL fixture he was forced to withdraw from the squad being replaced by winger Eric Grothe, Jr.
from the Parramatta Eels
.
After missing the first game of Origin for New South Wales, Cooper failed to be called up for game two with Grothe retaining his position after a solid performance in game one. On 11 June it was announced that Cooper had been called up as 18th man on stand by for the game.
In 2010 he got a recall to the Origin side. He played Games 1 and 2 but sustained an injury which kept him out of Game 3.
With the conclusion of the 2004 season and some impressive performances with both the Dragons and the New South Wales State of Origin side Cooper was selected in the Australian squad for the Tri-Nations
tour of Great Britain, France and the United States but did not make an appearance for the duration of the tour.
At the conclusion of the 2005 season, Cooper was again selected to go on to tour of Great Britain with the Australian national side. He appeared in the first three test matches on the tour scoring five tries.
Cooper was once again selected to play for Australia in the mid-season test match on 5 May 2006, he scored once during a dominating 50 to 12 win over New Zealand. This was the last time Cooper has represented Australia.
In August 2008, Cooper was named in the preliminary 46-man Kangaroos squad for the 2008 Rugby League World Cup
.
He was selected for Country in the City vs Country
match on 8 May 2009. However, he did not play in the match after withdrawing with injury.
who was second with 17%. More recently, Cooper has opened a fashion store in has native Wollongong, focussing on male fashion. Stylists include Huffer, Elusive, Nobody, Wesc, Gas and upcoming designer pieces from Matty Abs and his brand 30roc. The store featured in a NRL Footy Show segment hosted by Beau Ryan.
He is rumoured to be nicknamed "Crabpot" for his ability to score women.
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
footballer who plays for the St George Illawarra Dragons
St George Illawarra Dragons
The St George Illawarra Dragons is an Australian professional rugby league football club, representing the St. George and Illawarra regions. They have competed in the National Rugby League since 1999 as a joint venture between Sydney's historic St. George Dragons club and 1982 expansion club, the...
of the National Rugby League
National Rugby League
The National Rugby League is the top league of professional rugby league football clubs in Australasia. The NRL's main competition, called the Telstra Premiership , is contested by sixteen teams, fifteen of which are based in Australia with one based in New Zealand...
. A New South Wales State of Origin
New South Wales rugby league team
The New South Wales rugby league team has represented the Australian state of New South Wales in rugby league football since the sport's beginnings there in 1907. Administered by the New South Wales Rugby League, the team competes in the annual State of Origin series against arch-rivals, the...
and Australian international representative centre, he has played his entire career to date at the Dragons, with whom he won the 2010 NRL Premiership.
Childhood and early career
Cooper originally gained an interest in rugby league while watching and supporting the Western Suburbs MagpiesWestern Suburbs Magpies
The Western Suburbs Magpies are an Australian rugby league football club based in the western suburbs of Sydney, New South Wales. Formed in 1908, Wests, as they are commonly referred to, were one of the nine foundation clubs of the first New South Wales Rugby League competition in Australia...
, the club his father supported. He began playing rugby league at the age of six for his local junior side, the Shellharbour Sharks, while also enjoying athletics and being actively involved with his local surf club with his close cousin Corey.
After moving to Illawarra
Illawarra
Illawarra is a region in the Australian state of New South Wales. It is a coastal region situated immediately south of Sydney and north of the Shoalhaven or South Coast region. It encompasses the cities of Wollongong, Shellharbour, Shoalhaven and the town of Kiama. The central region contains Lake...
, Cooper began supporting the Illawarra Steelers
Illawarra Steelers
The Illawarra Steelers are an Australian rugby league football club based in the city of Wollongong, New South Wales. The club competed in Australia's top-level Rugby League competition from 1982, when they, along with the Canberra Raiders, were admitted into the then New South Wales Rugby Football...
. Cooper was originally signed on to the Illawarra Steelers
Illawarra Steelers
The Illawarra Steelers are an Australian rugby league football club based in the city of Wollongong, New South Wales. The club competed in Australia's top-level Rugby League competition from 1982, when they, along with the Canberra Raiders, were admitted into the then New South Wales Rugby Football...
club as a teenager prior to their merger with the St. George Dragons
St. George Dragons
The St George Dragons was an Australian Rugby league football club in St George, Sydney, New South Wales that played in Australia's top-level Rugby league competition from New South Wales Rugby Football League in 1921 until 1998; in 1999 they formed a joint venture with the Illawarra Steelers,...
at the end of 1998. He made his debut for the merged St George Illawarra club in 2000 at the age of twenty-one.
St George Illawarra Dragons
After the merger of the St George Dragons and the Illawarra Steelers clubs in 1999, Cooper was signed onto the new club, quickly impressing club officials and was awarded his first grade debut in the opening round of the 2000 season against local rivals the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks, he had an uneventful debut game without managing to score.After making his debut Cooper was replaced in the Dragons line-up for the second game of the season and was not re-called until round seven in which he crossed the line for his first try against the New Zealand Warriors
New Zealand Warriors
The New Zealand Warriors are a professional rugby league football club based in Auckland, New Zealand. They compete in the National Rugby League premiership and are the League's only team from outside Australia...
, Cooper in total scored two tries in limited appearances in the 2000 season.
The 2001 season
National Rugby League season 2001
The 2001 NRL season was the 94th season of professional rugby league football in Australia and the fourth run by the National Rugby League. The Newcastle Knights claimed their second premiership in five seasons, defeating minor premiers Parramatta Eels in the first ever night-time grand...
was not a successful one for Cooper, with minor injuries causing him to miss many games. He returned just before the finals, scoring two tries in the semi-final victory over the Bulldogs.
In 2002
National Rugby League season 2002
The 2002 NRL season was the 95th season of professional rugby league football in Australia and the fifth to be run by the National Rugby League...
, Cooper was able to retain his position in the team for the majority of the season and finished the year with a total of seven tries from nineteen games.
A new season in 2003 saw a new more try-hungry Matt Cooper emerge on the NRL playing fields. He began the season holding down his spot for the duration of the season with good defense and attack. In total, Cooper scored eleven tries including three doubles during the regular season, he then tasted his first representative honour being selected to play for Country in the annual City and Country Origin. Although the season eventually finished on a low note both for the Dragons and Cooper with another injury yet again forcing him out of the side. Though all was not lost for Matt as he was nominated for the Dragons player of the year, eventually losing out to Ben Hornby
Ben Hornby
Ben Hornby is an Australian Naruto loving professional rugby league footballer who currently captains the St George Illawarra Dragons of the National Rugby League...
while he picked up the Geoff Selby Memorial NRL Coaches Award.
The 2004 season yet again was one of improvement and new opportunity, Cooper began the season well scoring a total of eight tries in six matches for the Dragons including four tries in a single match against the reigning premiers the Penrith Panthers
Penrith Panthers
The Penrith Panthers are an Australian professional rugby league football team based in the western Sydney suburb of Penrith. They compete in the National Rugby League premiership, the top rugby league football competition in Australasia. For the 2012 NRL season they will be coached by Ivan...
. At the conclusion of the season he had scored a total of seventeen tries and subsequently impressing the international selectors so much that he gained a spot in the Australian side for the 2004 tour of Great Britain, France and the United States, though he did not play a competitive match on the tour.
His form continued well into the season and he was yet again selected in the New South Wales State of Origin side playing in all three matches of the series and scoring his first try for his state. He finished the season well with thirteen tries from twenty games and yet again was selected to go on the Australian tour of Great Britain.
Injury yet again hit Cooper early on in the 2006 season in the form of a damaged hamstring while playing in the season opening fixture against the Wests Tigers
Wests Tigers
The Wests Tigers are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Sydney's mid-western suburbs. They have competed in the National Rugby League since they were formed at the end of the 1999 season as a joint-venture club between the Balmain Tigers and the Western Suburbs...
. Cooper was forced to miss several fixtures for the Dragons and the opening game of the State of Origin series.
Cooper scored the only try in the Dragons' 8–1 win over the Parramatta Eels
Parramatta Eels
The Parramatta Eels are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the Sydney suburb of Parramatta. The Parramatta District Rugby League Football Club was formed in 1947, with their First Grade side playing their first season in the New South Wales Rugby Football League...
on a rainy Friday night, the first night game hosted at Oki Jubilee Stadium
Oki Jubilee Stadium
Jubilee Oval is one of two home stadiums used by the St. George Illawarra Dragons team, a rugby league club that plays in Australasia's National Rugby League. The R2K entity was instrumental in ensuring that NRL matches were played at Kogarah from 2003 onwards...
since 1999. The games was scoreless for seventy minutes.
In Round 26 of the 2010 NRL season
2010 NRL season
The 2010 NRL season was the 103rd season of professional rugby league football club competition in Australia, and the thirteenth run by the National Rugby League. The season commenced on 12 March and ended with the Grand Final, played on 3 October at ANZ Stadium...
Cooper scored his 100th try for the St. George Illawarra Dragons becoming only the second player to achieve this feat for the club behind Nathan Blacklock
Nathan Blacklock
Nathan Blacklock is an Australian former rugby league and rugby union player who primarily played as a winger.-Playing career:...
.
In the first round of the 2010 finals, St George Illawarra Dragons
St George Illawarra Dragons
The St George Illawarra Dragons is an Australian professional rugby league football club, representing the St. George and Illawarra regions. They have competed in the National Rugby League since 1999 as a joint venture between Sydney's historic St. George Dragons club and 1982 expansion club, the...
defeated the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles
Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles
The Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles are an Australian professional rugby league club based on the Northern Beaches of Sydney. They compete in the National Rugby League's Telstra Premiership, the premier rugby league competition of Australasia...
28-0, with Cooper scoring two tries, surpassing Nathan Blacklock
Nathan Blacklock
Nathan Blacklock is an Australian former rugby league and rugby union player who primarily played as a winger.-Playing career:...
's record of 100 tries to become the Dragons highest try scorer, with 102 tries.
On 3 October 2010, Cooper was a part of the Dragons side that beat the Sydney Roosters
Sydney Roosters
The Sydney Roosters are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney. The club competes in the National Rugby League and is one of the oldest and most successful clubs in Australian rugby league history, having won twelve New South Wales Rugby League...
32-8 in the 2010 NRL Grand Final
2010 NRL Grand Final
The 2010 NRL Grand Final was the conclusive and premiership-deciding game of the 2010 NRL season. Played on Sunday, 3 October at Sydney's ANZ Stadium, the match was contested by the St. George Illawarra Dragons and the Sydney Roosters. It was the first time the two sides met in a grand final. They...
, helping the joint venture club claim its first premiership. This was also Cooper's 100th career win out of a possible 199 NRL games.
The following February Cooper travelled with the Dragons to England to play the Super League
Super League
Super League is the top-level professional rugby league football club competition in Europe. As a result of sponsorship from engage Mutual Assurance the competition is currently officially known as the engage Super League. The League features fourteen teams: thirteen from England and one from...
champions, Wigan in the 2011 World Club Challenge
2011 World Club Challenge
The 2011 World Club Challenge was contested by Super League XV champions, Wigan Warriors, and 2010 NRL Premiers, the St. George Illawarra Dragons...
. He scored a try in St George Illawarra's victory.
New South Wales
During the 2004 season after several solid performances for his club side, Matt was called up for the third and deciding State of Origin2004 Rugby League State of Origin series
The 2004 State of Origin series was the 23rd year that the annual best-of-three series of interstate rugby league football matches contested between the Queensland and New South Wales representative teams was played under 'State of Origin' selection rules...
match of the series for New South Wales replacing Luke Lewis
Luke Lewis
Luke Lewis is an Australian professional rugby league footballer who currently plays for the Penrith Panthers in the National Rugby League. An Australian international and New South Wales State of Origin representative utility player, he has spent his entire professional career with the Panthers,...
to partner his clubmate Mark Gasnier
Mark Gasnier
Mark Gasnier is an Australian former rugby league player, a state and national representative centre three-quarter. He played eleven top-grade seasons with the St. George Illawarra Dragons in the NRL, interrupted by two seasons of rugby union played with the French club Stade Français. He was a...
in the centres after the side had lost the second match.
After having an impressive debut match in the 2004 series, Cooper was subsequently re-selected for New South Wales in the 2005 State of Origin, playing in all three matches of the series helping New South Wales to another series win scoring one try along the way in game two.
Cooper was selected in the starting line-up for the 2006 State of Origin series
2006 Rugby League State of Origin series
The 2006 State of Origin series was the 25th year that the annual best-of-three series of interstate rugby league football matches contested between the Queensland and New South Wales representative teams was played under 'State of Origin' selection rules. It was decided in three matches which drew...
but after failing to recover from a hamstring injury sustained during the round one NRL fixture he was forced to withdraw from the squad being replaced by winger Eric Grothe, Jr.
Eric Grothe, Jr.
Eric Raymond Grothe is an Australian retired professional rugby league footballer of the 2000s. A New South Wales State of Origin and Australian international representative three-quarter for the Parramatta Eels of the National Rugby League...
from the Parramatta Eels
Parramatta Eels
The Parramatta Eels are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the Sydney suburb of Parramatta. The Parramatta District Rugby League Football Club was formed in 1947, with their First Grade side playing their first season in the New South Wales Rugby Football League...
.
After missing the first game of Origin for New South Wales, Cooper failed to be called up for game two with Grothe retaining his position after a solid performance in game one. On 11 June it was announced that Cooper had been called up as 18th man on stand by for the game.
In 2010 he got a recall to the Origin side. He played Games 1 and 2 but sustained an injury which kept him out of Game 3.
Australia
After some impressive performances in the 2004 season for the St George side, coach Nathan Brown recommended that he should be selected for the Australian rugby league side to coach Wayne Bennett, though he eventually opted for the usual more experienced international representatives.With the conclusion of the 2004 season and some impressive performances with both the Dragons and the New South Wales State of Origin side Cooper was selected in the Australian squad for the Tri-Nations
Rugby League Tri-Nations
The Rugby League Tri-Nations was a rugby league tournament involving the top three nations in the sport: Australia, Great Britain and New Zealand...
tour of Great Britain, France and the United States but did not make an appearance for the duration of the tour.
At the conclusion of the 2005 season, Cooper was again selected to go on to tour of Great Britain with the Australian national side. He appeared in the first three test matches on the tour scoring five tries.
Cooper was once again selected to play for Australia in the mid-season test match on 5 May 2006, he scored once during a dominating 50 to 12 win over New Zealand. This was the last time Cooper has represented Australia.
In August 2008, Cooper was named in the preliminary 46-man Kangaroos squad for the 2008 Rugby League World Cup
2008 Rugby League World Cup
The 2008 Rugby League World Cup was the thirteenth staging of the Rugby League World Cup since the inauguration of the tournament in 1954, and the first since the 2000 event...
.
He was selected for Country in the City vs Country
City vs Country Origin
City vs Country is an annual Australian rugby league football match that takes place in New South Wales between City and Country representative sides. The City side represents the Sydney metropolitan area...
match on 8 May 2009. However, he did not play in the match after withdrawing with injury.
Career outside rugby league
Outside of the game of rugby league, Cooper has taken up a career in modelling , becoming one of the several pin-up boys of the NRL and rugby league in general, often posing for women's and sporting magazines as well as the annual League of Their Own rugby league calendar. Cooper has also been a regular finalist in the Sexiest Man in League contest, which he won in 2001 and again in 2006, where he garnered 21% of the public vote to narrowly defeat Benji MarshallBenji Marshall
Benji Marshall is a professional rugby league footballer with the Wests Tigers of the National Rugby League . A goal-kicking five-eighth, he is the current captain of the New Zealand national team, with whom he won the 2008 World Cup and 2010 Four Nations tournaments...
who was second with 17%. More recently, Cooper has opened a fashion store in has native Wollongong, focussing on male fashion. Stylists include Huffer, Elusive, Nobody, Wesc, Gas and upcoming designer pieces from Matty Abs and his brand 30roc. The store featured in a NRL Footy Show segment hosted by Beau Ryan.
He is rumoured to be nicknamed "Crabpot" for his ability to score women.
Footnotes
- "Dragons players since 1921, Player profiles", Showroom, retrieved 13 June 2006
- "World of Rugby League Matt Cooper News & Statistics", World of Rugby League, retrieved 13 June 2006
- "Blues call up Cooper", Foxsports, retrieved 13 June 2006
- "Cooper's crossings drive Dragons" by Brad Walter 19 April 2004, Sydney Morning Herald, retrieved 13 June 2006