The Khoder Nasser Effect

There's a big stink brewing in Australian rugby circles at the moment, and it surrounds Wallaby first five-eights Quade Cooper. Georgina Robinson from the Sydney Morning Herald reports:

IF QUADE COOPER'S intention was to stir the thick and soupy rugby pot during delicate contract negotiations he well and truly hit his mark.
The injured Wallabies five-eighth's calls have been received with wide-eyed intrigue by the rugby community, members of which are waiting for the frustrated talent to fire the next missive in his as-yet one-sided war with the most powerful figures in Australian rugby.
Whether or not his comments about the ''toxic'' state of the sport are motivated by a desire to get the upper hand in negotiations with the Australian Rugby Union is unclear.
The ARU and the Wallabies are keeping quiet in the face of their former golden boy's sustained attacks while, beyond the briefest of ''not happy'' comments from Reds chief executive Jim Carmichael, Queensland have also shut up shop.

But the world, or at least the ever-dwindling pool of Australian rugby fans, coaches, players and officials, is watching. And a surprising number of them are on Cooper's side.

Interestingly, this has all blown up at a time when Cooper is in negotiations with the ARU; at least his manager, Khoder Nasser is. Nasser, of course, is the media-shy (year right) manager of a chap by the name of Williams; SB Williams.

The rumour doing the rounds at the moment is that Nasser has offered Cooper and Williams to the Sydney Roosters NRL side as a package deal; to get Williams, the Roosters have to take Cooper as well. Whether the Roosters can afford both Williams and Cooper and stay under the salary cap is anyone's guess, but we reckon that Cooper has little future in league, because his defence is - how can we say this kindly? - lacking.

It's odd that Cooper is so publicly biting the hand that currently feeds him; the ARU. But that's what the Khoder Nasser Effect does to people; it inflates their sense of self-importance. Just take a look at former Nasser client, Anthony "The Man" Mundine.

And of course Nasser's earning potential will have taken a knock with Mundine having split from his former manager a couple of months ago. But if Khoder Nasser thinks that the combination of Quade Cooper and the NRL is the key to his future prosperity, we'd suggest that he have another think. Perhaps he;'s suffering from a bout of the Khoder Nasser Effect himself.