Cooper pushes mates’ barrow
FORMER US president Harry Truman once said “no other position in an organisation carries as much responsibility, burden, triumph, stress or excitement as its leader”.
Looking at Gavin Cooper just days out from Sunday’s NRL grand final, maybe Truman would have had a second look at his now famous quote.
Cooper struck an incredibly grounded figure during this week’s media scrum at Cowboys headquarters, where the Cowboys grand final skipper again dismissed any talk of this being “his” Cowboys team.
The Murgon junior says Johnathon Thurston and Matt Scott are still very much co- captains of North Queensland’s inspirational finals run, but Cooper nonetheless acted the part when asked about his leadership.
“I keep saying that I’m one of a few,” he said.
“I do more media, I get to lead the boys out, but there’s no way in the world I could shoulder the burden myself.
“I probably don’t lead the same way Thumper and JT would and rightly so. I don’t want to be them and they wouldn’t want me to.”
Cooper said the support of experienced players including Michael Morgan and Scott Bolton played a crucial role in North Queensland’s ability to remain a cohesive unit even without their co- captains.
“The boys that I speak of like Morgo, Bolts, even Jase ( Taumalolo) – his voice is being heard a lot more – he doesn’t just lead by his actions, if he says something people listen and rightfully so,” he said.
“It’s no secret. I’ve spoken about it a few times about how our team has evolved without JT and Matty being there.
“It’s been good to see and people kept saying ‘ you’re going to be in good stead next year’.
“I kept saying along the way ‘ yes we will be, but this year is still pretty promising’.
“You have to work hard to put yourself in these situations and we’ve done that, and here we are.”
Cooper took over the team captaincy in Round 14 against Parramatta with Scott going down with his ACL injury in Round 2.
Morgan was skipper in rounds 23 and 24 while Cooper sat out with a calf injury, but since then it’s been Cooper.
He will lead out a team that is bursting with NRL grand final experience, with Shaun Fensom, Coen Hess, Te- Maire Martin and Corey Jensen the only Cowboys’ players to have not played a first grade decider.
“You heard for a long time the saying you have to lose one to win one, but I don’t believe that because we got there and we won,” Cooper said.
“It was a hell of a ride and Ben Hampton lost one ( grand final) just last year as well, so he knows what all about.
“We spend a lot of time away from home, so we know what to expect in Sydney, we’re staying in the same hotels and we’ve been away four nights a week for the last three weeks.
“It’s very much for us.” it’s routine