Kevin Rudd isn’t the only Queenslander in campaign mode, with Wallabies playmaker Quade Cooper also on the re-election trail after an unwanted stint on the back bench.
Favoured to win Australia’s five-eighth hot seat after earning a recall in new coach Ewen McKenzie’s 40-man Wallabies training squad, Cooper is making all the right pitches to voters, winning over lost teammates and spruiking renewed interest in the code.
Claiming to be a new man after 11 months in Test exile, Cooper says the only thing more agonising than losing his Wallabies No.10 jumper after falling out with former coach Robbie Deans is seeing his former teammates fall to the British and Irish Lions.
“It’s always painful and missing out and watching from the sidelines, but the most painful thing was seeing the boys go down,” Cooper said ahead of the Wallabies’ Rugby Championship opener against the All Blacks on Saturday week in Sydney.
“You never want to see your team lose. It was a great opportunity for us as a country and a rugby nation and it did put rugby back on the map.
“If you take positives out of it, the amount of people that were watching the games, who tuned in, who bought tickets to go and be a part of each game – and not only the Test matches but the games against the country sides, the club teams, everything.
“It was a great few weeks for Australia and now we’ve got a few big games ahead with the Rugby Championship and starting off with the world’s best in the All Blacks.
“So rugby is in a good spot and everybody is excited about the next few weeks and looking forward to the future.”
Cooper said he went to the movies during Australia’s series-deciding Test with the Lions last month, but dashed home to catch the second half as the Wallabies narrowed the deficit to three points before collapsing to a 41-16 defeat.
“It was just so tough to watch,” he said.
“Even when you’re out injured, watching training is one of the hardest things to do, seeing everything going on. You just want to be a part of it.
“I was disappointed we couldn’t get the win and hopefully we can rectify that by moving forward this year.
“There’s a lot to win this year, a lot of opportunity with the next few months and that’s something all the boys are buying into.”
Cooper is back in the Wallabies fold for the first time since infamously branding the culture under Deans as “toxic”, and the 38-Test hero turned villain says entering the new regime is refreshing.
The 25-year-old was like a kid on Christmas day when he received his team kit on Monday.
“You get your little bag of gear, go to your room, try it all on, see if it all fits and then go out to training,” Cooper said.
“It was just a great feeling being back in the team environment and getting on the bus, going to your seat – just getting on the bus to go to training, going through small little things I haven’t done in quite a long time.
“It’s been 11 months or close to a year anyway. I’m just very excited about the next few weeks.”