Always found him a hugely frustrating player. I liked him and wanted him to do well, and just when he looked like he was going to really get to a new level, you'd find in the next game he'd have a stinker. My two contrasting abiding memories of him are the other players patting him on the back and hair to gee him up after he'd knocked on yet again and then that play-off semi against Saints, when he was just brilliant. Best of luck to him

really glad to hear he's made a good, solid start.

Hope he goes really well...good advert for our club and our competition. One day we'll have him back as a better player (fingers crossed)

He's a very good player. Smith thinks a lot of him and really made a point of making him a regular in the 17 last year.

I dont have any doubts he'll go well in the NRL. If you look at his game it suits playing over there down to the ground. He's a quick prop, good footwork at the line and always wins the floor allowing him to get a quick PTB. His defence improved drastically last year too.

You don't need to put superior in quotes, it is superior. Wigan won the double in our inferior competition, but they wouldn't come close to winning the NRL. And I doubt Huddersfield would top their table.

Its a better competition so fair play to Cooper for wanting to go and test himself and take the risk and like Oxford Exile says we might get him back here as a better player for it.

Out of interest does anybody know the last Warrington Academy product that went over to the Aussie league and established himself?

Wish him all the best and hope he comes back a much better player, felt for the lad at times but he was so frustrating to watch when he kept dropping the ball.

Bobby Fulton? Pre academy.

All valid comments and i agree with all you have put down but i also see the point that Shinymcshine is trying to make in that, you don't have to be the absolute elite in our competition to make a go of it in the NRL like some would have you believe.I don't expect Cooper to be a standout but he should go well enough to earn a shirt week to week.I also believe there are many more who could from SL should they have the desire to make a go of it like Cooper clearly has.

How many games did Ian Sibbit play for Melbourne?

I read the player profile for Coops on the St George website and it actually says he is on 2 year development program and will return to warrington after the two years?
Wonder if he is still part of our salary cap in some way, like a retainer??

apparently Twenty

I'd forgotten he was from England until the commentators mentioned it, but he looked very reasonable, albeit against one of the poorer NRL sides.

The NRL is superior to SL, but I have no doubt quite a few forwards could be regulars here. Some of them would actually do better than they do in SL, and some worse - dependent on how they react to playing ina more structured game.

Its unfair to compare to Tomkins though. There's a huge difference between being in a highly exposed defensive position and expected to be a major cog in an attack to being an up-and-down prop. I really don't think many SL playmakers could get more than the odd game in the NRL.

Cooper is a great defender who will get stuck in, his boxing past will mean he is no pushover too, my only concern with Cooper was his iron hands, especially on crash balls. He's a decent player with few flaws that are easy to coach out.

Watched the game, cooper looked okay. He is miles better when he just runs hard and straight instead of doing that little shimmy he does before hitting the line. As for those people who said widdop only looked good in a melbourne side containing smith, slater and cronk, he was immense. Maybe we could tempt him back to england if our half back problem doesn't get sorted this season?

Looks like he topped the tackle count in round 2 v warriors, fair play to him sounds like he's made a good start

Typical try from Tomkins chiming into the line but he looks shaky as hell at the back.

As for Widdop - yes please, whatever the cost.