Today @LadiesWhoLeague, I was saddened
to hear the news that one of my favourite St George Illawarra Dragons, Matt
Cooper, has announced his retirement today after a remarkable 243 matches for
the Dragons. Injury has unfortunately robbed the veteran of the on-field send
off which he deserves.
Cooper is no stranger to injury, having had a variety of injuries
in his final few years. However, it was the Saturday night clash between the
South Sydney Rabbitohs and the St George Illawarra Dragons where Cooper injured
his pectoral muscle trying to diffuse a bomb that led him to make this
decision.
While I am a Parramatta fan through and through, I do have soft
spots for other teams. I feel a particular fondness for both the Dragons and
the Roosters. One of my favourite Dragons over the years has been Matt Cooper.
I also have a particular fondness for 'nice guys' and have tremendous respect
for players who have played out their career for the one club.
Matt Cooper ticks so many of these boxes. He has been a
tremendous representative for the Dragons, with the 243 games he has played
being the third highest number of appearances for the club ever, behind Ben
Hornby (273 games) and Norm Provan (256). He played his first game in red and
white in 2000, which was the first year of the St George Illawarra Dragons merger.
Throughout his career he has played alongside many Dragons which have made the
team so lovable over the years. These have included Trent Barrett, Mark Gasnier
and Shaun Timmins. He has also played for Australia, wearing the green and gold
seven times and been a Blue, representing New South Wales 13 times in State of
Origin.
Not only has Matt Cooper excelled on the field, but he has
been an excellent ambassador for the game of rugby league. He has been heavily
involved in local junior development programs and has had significant
involvement with the next generation of rugby league players in his region.
At the press conference today at St. George Illawarra
Leagues Club, we all saw a very emotional Cooper, supported by his coach Steve
Price, chief executive Peter Doust and his wife and two children. In what must
have been a tremendously difficult decision, he handled himself extremely well.
The love and loyalty he has had for his club is something
which is now rare amongst footballers. Today Cooper called the Dragons, 'the
greatest club in the world', and stated that would not have wanted to play for
any other club. What a wonderful sentiment. This sort of loyalty is refreshing
in an era where contracts do not seem to be legally binding anymore and in an
era where careers can be short, so players often have to make the most
financially responsible decision while they are still playing football. Cooper is
one of the 'good guys' and the rugby league world has lost a tremendous athlete
today.
I wish Matt Cooper all the very best in his retirement. I
will miss seeing him in the red and white.
Love,
@LadiesWhoLeague
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