Mundine wasn't disruptive to a team. He never got into trouble off the field and his teammates loved him, so did David Waite who was his coach at the Dragons. The reason Mundine got a reputation as a controversial character was because he was outspoken to the media on a lot of issues:
- where most players leave contract negotiations to their agents, Mundine came up front to the media during the Super League war when he was asked about his future and said he was going where he got the best offer. Having said this, when the British media hinted English clubs were interested in him, he didn't try to use that to bid him up, he said Australia was the land of his people and nobody would drive him out of it
- he was super self confident in his own ability and when he didn't make the Aussie squad he told the media he was better than Daley/Fittler and insinuated racism. This did not endear him to the ARL or a lot of Aussie fans.
- when September 11 happened (he had already left league by this point) he made some comments about US bringing enemies on themselves through their foreign policy.
- he annoys a lot of Aussies today by saying he's Australias greatest ever athlete, ahead of Rod Laver and Don Bradman

Mundine got a lot of peoples backs up but it was people in the media and fans of opposing teams, the Dragons fans still hero worship him. Saying he was disruptive is like saying Roy Keane was disruptive at United.

And in fairness to Mundine, when he was playing RL he could back up his mouth. He put a lot of pressure on himself by saying he was better than Daley and Fittler but it wasn't a ludicrous claim.

he wasn't very good at putting contact lenses in though

that sums him up...should have stayed at fc, NOT just saying that as an fc fan, but the guy shat on his own doorstep and its back-fired BIG TIME

hopefully he made that comment before he got spanked by the winner of a reality boxing show competiton.

And I'm not sure of the timing of his comment that he was the best boxer in the world too, including Floyd Mayweather...!!

a decent living bloke put an absolute top nob end

Nathan Wood's brother.......

Never liked him, average player

I've never heard any bitterness from Wayne Bennett towards Mundine and before the last Grand Final I saw an interview with Mundine (who had played under Brian Smith and Bennett) talking about his time working with the respective coaches and he was full of praise for both of them. Come to think of it I don't think I've heard of a former teammate or coach of Mundine ever dissing him, the teammates always said he was ultra professional in his dedication and a good example to others for his drive.

I think you are looking for some pretty loose reasons to compare Mundine to Paul Cooke, I don't see any likeness.

A better Aussie comparison with Cooke is Craig Gower, or Julian O'Neill. Great RL talent and a smart bloke who talks well when interviewed. But prone to acting like a complete tool when he's had a few drinks and has burned his bridges too many times.

I thought it was a dolphin costume.

It must be something in the air over in Hull, Paul Cooke, Ben Cockayne, Gareth Raynor and now Jordan Tansey is at it again. www.skysports.com/story/0,19528, ... 90,00.html

It must be something in the air over in Hull, Paul Cooke, Ben Cockayne, Gareth Raynor and now Jordan Tansey is at it again. www.skysports.com/story/0,19528, ... 90,00.html

Basically, a very talented man, who has lots of good attributes, but (and it's a big but), the fella's just a psychiatarist's dream come true. I've seen him DESTROY us on more than one occasion. Anyone remember the HKR home game '08 (Lowes in charge....shakes head) when we were cruising the game by 16 points(iirc) with less than 10 mins to go, and Cooke finally woke up......he single handedly bewildered us. We simply couldn't deal with him.
John Kear (who's had him twice as coach) can't control him, likewise others. More issues than Gazza, or just a total kn0b?...the jury's out

You can't compare him to Gazza, who is a nightmare on legs still surrounded by a little group of bloodsucking hangers on. I can't see Cooke coming back at a decent level, a full year out at 29 years of age will just about finish him. It's a shame because he really is very talented when he puts his mind to it, but it would appear that no-one (not even Barrow) will take a chance on him.