One final ride for Cooper

NORTH Queensland backrower Gavin Cooper will walk out in front of his home crowd for the final time on Friday night after calling time on his career at the Cowboys.

The Cowboys life member announced yesterday morning he will finish his playing career with the Cowboys at the end of the 2020 season.

The Murgon product has played 321 NRL games over a 15-year career across three clubs, including 245 at the Cowboys.

Cooper (pictured) made his NRL debut for the Cowboys in 2006 before stints with the Gold Coast Titans and Penrith Panthers. He returned to the Cowboys in 2011, striking up an unbreakable bond with Johnathan Thurston on the North Queensland left edge.

He was a driving force behind the Cowboys seven consecutive finals appearances between 2011-2017 and was a key cog in the club’s maiden premiership in 2015.

The 35-year-old also captained the Cowboys to the club’s first piece of silverware the 2014 NRL Nines title.

“I’ve enjoyed a lot of success here at the Cowboys and I had the chance to leave a couple of times, but I always felt a strong connection to the club and community and North Queensland was where I wanted to raise my young family,” Cooper said.

“The 2015 grand final is the memory which sticks out for obvious reasons, but there were a number of other periods during my time at the club I look back on really fondly.”

Cooper’s final home game for the Cowboys - against Penrith on Friday night - will also be his 246th for the club, tying with Scott Bolton as the fourth-most games for the club.