Quade Cooper free to leave Queensland Reds to put Europe on alert but Premiership move remains unlikely

Quade Cooper has been told he is free to leave the Queensland Reds if he can secure a lucrative contract elsewhere, with a move to France becoming increasingly likely as the new Super Rugby season approaches.

The 29-year-old Australian fly-half has been told by Reds head coach Brad Thorn that he is unlikely to be needed this season, despite having 70 international caps to his name. Having been told this at the end of last year, Cooper has not returned to training even though he is contracted to the club until the end of the 2019 season and Rugby World Cup.

Thorn’s decision alerted clubs in Europe, with a number of clubs in need of a fly-half with Cooper’s experience and talent, but the prospect of him moving to the Premiership now seems unlikely following Lima Sopoaga’s expected arrival at Wasps later this year.

Cooper is unlikely to remain at Queensland given he fell out of the Wallabies squad last season, and as he has more than the required 60-cap minimum to represent the national team while playing his club rugby abroad.

With Wasps no longer on the lookout for a fly-half, options in England are extremely limited given that most clubs have long-term options already in place and tied down to contracts that run beyond the end of this season. One option could well be the Northampton Saints, with Chris Boyd set to arrive for the start of next season from Super Rugby side the Hurricanes, and while they already have Piers Francis and Harry Mallinder available – along with veteran Stephen Myler – neither Francis or Mallinder have looked convincing this season and Boyd may consider a fresh start with a more established option such as Cooper to aid their development.

The favourites to sign Cooper though remains Ulster, with the Irish province on the lookout for a new fly-half after their move for All Blacks international Stephen Donald collapsed when he failed a medical. Ulster are currently without Paddy Jackson too, with the Ireland international unavailable for selection due to his ongoing rape trial.

Cooper also has multiple options in France, with a return to Toulon very much an option after spending the 2015/16 season with them, while La Rochelle are looking to replace 36-year-old stand-off Brock James and add competition for Ryan Lamb as they look to claim the Top 14 title after last season’s near-miss, while Toulouse and Clermont Auvergne are potential destinations.

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However, Thorn – a World Cup winner alongside Donald in 2011 – did not completely shut the door on Cooper remaining with the Reds given his service to the club, but he will not stand in his way should he decide to leave.

"(It's) the least we could do," Thorn said. "He's played over 100 games for this club - he's had success here. He's a guy who's served this club really well. Respect to the guy, but we're just going in a different way."

Thorn did have a word of warning for Cooper though, as he believes the year with Toulon is partly to blame for his drop in form upon returning Down Under. “I thought Quade last year [struggled]...the team struggled, his game management, his attack, his defence," Thorn added.

“I'm in this role - sometimes you've got to make tough decisions."