Matt Cooper (rugby league)
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Full name | Matthew Cooper | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Born | Port Kembla, New South Wales, Australia | 18 April 1979|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Playing information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Height | 186 cm (6 ft 1 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Weight | 98 kg (15 st 6 lb) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Position | Centre, Wing | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Source: [1] |
Matt Cooper (born 18 April 1979) is an Australian former professional
Background
This section of a biography of a living person does not include any references or sources. (May 2023) |
Cooper was born in Port Kembla, New South Wales on 18 April 1979. He originally gained an interest in rugby league football as a supporter of Sydney's Western Suburbs Magpies, the club his father followed. He began playing football at the age of six for his local junior club, the Shellharbour Sharks, while also participating in athletics and surf lifesaving. After moving to Illawarra, Cooper began supporting the Illawarra Steelers. He signed on to the Illawarra Steelers club as a teenager prior to their joint-venture with the St. George at the end of 1998. After the joint-venture of the Dragons and the Steelers clubs prior to the 1999 NRL season, Cooper was signed on with the newly formed St. George Illawarra Dragons team.
Professional playing career
2000s
At the age of twenty-one Cooper made his NRL début for the
The
Cooper held down his spot for the duration of the
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 St. George Illawarra including four tries in a single match against the reigning premiers the
After having an impressive début match in the previous series, Cooper was subsequently re-selected for New South Wales in the 2005 State of Origin series, 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. He finished the NRL season well with thirteen tries from twenty games and was again selected to go on to tour of Great Britain with Australia. He appeared in the first three test matches on the tour, scoring five tries.
Injury yet again hit Cooper early on in the
In August 2008, Cooper was named in the preliminary 46-man Kangaroos squad for the 2008 Rugby League World Cup.[3][4]
He was selected for Country in the City vs Country match on 8 May 2009.[5] However, he did not play in the match after withdrawing with injury.[6]
2010s
In the first round of
The following February Cooper travelled with the St. George Illawarra to England to play the Super League champions, Wigan Warriors in the 2011 World Club Challenge. He scored a try in St. George Illawarra's victory. Cooper ended the 2011 season as St. George Illawarra's leading tryscorer with 14. Cooper scored six tries in 15 games in the 2012 NRL season. He scored two tries in eight games in the 2013 NRL season.
After football
Cooper was a participant in the fourteenth season of Dancing with the Stars.[7] In 2015, Cooper was a contestant in the fourth season of The Celebrity Apprentice Australia.[8] In late 2016, he admitted to an addiction to the drug endone, following pain relief required for a bulging disc in his vertebrae.[3] In August 2021, Cooper was announced as a contestant on the celebrity version of Big Brother Australia.[9]
In October 2022, Cooper launched an attack on his former club St. George Illawarra saying “There’s no pride in the jersey anymore, From 2001-2011 we only missed the finals twice. Since then, we’ve only made them twice. Obviously it changed when Wayne Bennett left. It all starts from the top… that’s where the culture comes from. There’s no pride in the jersey now, no team-first attitude. You can see that when players are asking to be released – and I’m not blaming them. There’s a reason they want to go elsewhere".[10]
References
- ^ RLP
- ^ "NZRL - Anzac Test 2006". www.nzrl.co.nz. Archived from the original on 13 August 2006.
- ^ Liam FitzGibbon (1 August 2008). "Surprises in Kangaroos squad". "Fox Sports News (Australia)". Archived from the original on 8 August 2008. Retrieved 2 August 2008.
- ^ "Veteran Lockyer named in Australian squad". International Herald Tribune. 1 August 2008. Retrieved 2 August 2008.
- ^ Balym, Todd (3 May 2009). "Blues halfback duel in two as Mitchell Pearce misses selection". Fox Sports. Archived from the original on 5 December 2012. Retrieved 3 May 2009.
- ^ "St George Illawarra five-eighth Jamie Soward called up for Country". Fox Sports. 4 May 2009. Archived from the original on 31 July 2012. Retrieved 4 May 2009.
- ^ "Dancing With The Stars 2014 line-up: Which celebrities we'd rather see on Seven's dancing show". news.com.au. 28 August 2014. Retrieved 18 June 2015.
- ^ Hoyer, Melissa (20 July 2015). "Gabi Grecko, Geoffrey Edelsten, Mel Greig sign up for Celebrity Apprentice". news.com.au. Retrieved 21 July 2015.
- ^ "Big Brother VIP cast revealed include Caitlyn Jenner, Thomas Markle Jr and Jessika Power". Seven News. 8 August 2021. Archived from the original on 7 August 2021. Retrieved 8 August 2021.
- ^ "'No pride in the jersey': Dragons legend slams 'disgraceful' state of fallen club". www.foxsports.com.au. 24 October 2022.
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