One former participant who attended the Dragons’ 2010 premiership reunion admitted it was a “shame” that Matt Cooper was absent amid a sequence of cryptic tweets from the 43-year-old.
Cooper took to social media on the weekend to apologise for not attending the occasion, which noticed a bunch of the membership’s former premiership heroes come collectively at Randwick.
According to The Daily Telegraph, Mark Gasnier, Brett Morris, Beau Scott, Michael Weyman Trent Merrin Ben Creagh, Jason Nightingale, Ben Hornby and Jamie Soward all have been current.
Premiership-winning coach Wayne Bennett, in the meantime, even made the journey down from Queensland as he appears to arrange the NRL’s latest franchise — the Dolphins — for his or her first season within the league.
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Cooper although was nowhere to be seen, having wrote on Twitter on Saturday: “I want to apologise to my 2010 premiership team for not attending the 10-12 year reunion”.
“The reason why I did not attend was I didn’t want to make a scene and ruin a special occasion … knowing former CEO and a player who did not even play in the game were going to be there,” he added.
Cooper later added that he had despatched the tweet as a result of it was “my only way to let the players know why I wasn’t there” however didn’t wish to expose why he was absent.
“With the ‘why’, it has to do with what happened to me when I retired, I’m not ready to share that right now, but the truth will come out next year,” he wrote.
While it’s unclear what precisely Cooper is referring to it does seem to contain former membership CEO Peter Doust.
When instructed by one fan to “be the bigger man and ignore said people”, Cooper replied: “Not if you knew what Doust did to me.”
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The Telegraph spoke to some of the previous gamers in attendance, with one admitting they have been “a bit shocked but more saddened” by his absence.
“It was noticed that ‘Coops’ wasn’t there,” one mentioned.
“He obviously has his issues with Doust. I’m not sure which player he was referring to in his tweet.
“There were a few players there that played with us that season but didn’t play in the grand final.”
Another participant instructed The Telegraph it was “just a shame” that Cooper was not there for the reunion.
Cooper was important of the membership earlier within the season when a report claimed simply three gamers attended the Dragons’ end-of-year awards night time, writing on Twitter: “I can’t believe 3 players went to the #redv awards night!!! Actually I can!”.
“The club has no loyalty and honour anymore. That all stopped when Wayne Bennett left,” he added.
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