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'Sometimes you're forced out' - unwanted Quade Cooper fires shots at Brad Thorn

October 23, 2018
Wallabies fly half Quade Cooper is tackled by All Blacks forward Brad Thorn in their Rugby World Cup semi-final in Auckland.

Quade Cooper appears to have thrown a verbal jab at his former coach Brad Thorn after posting a series of identical posts to his social media platforms seemingly directed at the former All Black.

Cooper shared a picture of him fending off Thorn during the Wallabies' 2011 Rugby World Cup semi-final against the All Blacks.

He also added the caption: "Sometimes you are forced out of the place you love but thank god there’s more than one place that loves me."

Cooper was effectively axed from the Queensland Reds by Thorn for this year's Super Rugby competition, exiling the 30-year-old to ply his trade for Brisbane club Souths in the Queensland Premier Rugby competition.

Despite being shown the door, the 70-Test Wallaby still earned his reported AU$650,000 (NZ$702,730) annual salary by playing club rugby.

Thorn was questioned by reporters multiple times throughout his first season in charge of the Reds, which finished with a sub-par record of six wins and 10 losses, but the former All Black was staunch on his decision.

"Quade's been playing club rugby. He's been playing well, but we've just been working with the guys we've got there," Thorn said in April.

"We're going in a different direction, so that's all I've got for ya."

Since his Reds debut in 2006, Cooper has earned 119 caps for the Queensland club and was part of their triumphant 2011 season when they captured the Super Rugby title.

The Tokoroa-born star is reportedly linked to a deal with the Melbourne Rebels for the 2019 Super Rugby season.

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