Gavin Cooper

Gavin Cooper was one of those players who got better with age. He grew up playing footy for the Murgon Mustangs, before joining the Redcliffe Dolphins, where he won an under 20 premiership in 2003.

The following year, Cooper played 13 games for Redcliffe in the Queensland Cup, before being signed by the North Queensland Cowboys. He played for the NRL side's feeder club, the North Queensland Young Guns and was in the centres for 2005 Queensland Cup grand final, in which the Young Guns beat the Burleigh Bears 36-6, at Suncorp Stadium.

That side also included future Queensland State of Origin team mate, Matt Scott.

Cooper made his NRL debut for the Cowboys in 2006, against Manly-Warringah in Round 2, and played 18 games in his rookie season, before becoming a foundation player with the Gold Coast Titans, in 2007.

He played two seasons with the Titans, featuring with the Ipswich Jets when not required for NRL duty.

Cooper signed with Penrith in 2009, but found his 'home', back in Townsville, in 2011, when he signed for a second stint with the Cowboys.

He won the Clubman of the Year Award in 2011 and by the time he retired at the end of the 2020 season, had played 323 NRL games, 247 with the Cowboys.

He also scored 79 tries, 72 for the Cowboys. He played second row in the 17-16 win over the Broncos in the 2015 NRL grand final, and then captained the Cowboys from the second row in the 2017 decider, when Johnathan Thurston and Matt Scott were unavailable through injury.

The heart and soul of the Cowboys' pack, Cooper made his long-awaited debut for Queensland in Game III of the 2016 Origin series, as an interchange player.

With the 2017 series on the line, after Queensland lost the first match in Brisbane, Cooper was given a start in the second row in Game II in Sydney, running for 108 metres and making 47 tackles. Queensland won 18-16, and Cooper retained his spot for the decider, back at Suncorp Stadium, with Queensland winning 22-6.

Cooper played all three Origin games in 2018, all in the second row.

It was a tough team to crack. To get a crack as late as I did.....I wouldn't change any of it.

Gavin Cooper FOG # 185 on his debut selection

At 196cm, his height made him a dangerous proposition, when he challenged opponents, under the high ball. His combination with Thurston was one of the most feared in the NRL, with Cooper always in the right spot to take Thurston's sweetly timed passes.

In retirement, Cooper has worked with the Cowboys in community engagement, and more recently, as business development manager. The former meatworker from Murgon, studied accountancy, while he was playing at Penrith.