Quade Cooper: Controversy Magnet

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1/9 Quade Cooper has been a magnet for controversy throughout his career in Australian rugby.
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2/9 His first major set of troubles came in 2009, when he was accused of burglary, after allegedly breaking into a property and stealing two laptops. He later settled out of court.
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3/9 He signed in 2011 with agent Khoder Nasser, a man renowned for creating controversy around his high profile clients.
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4/9 This later led to a brief stint in boxing, which led some commentators to question his commitment to rugby.
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5/9 He made headlines in Australia for all the wrong reasons in the 2011 Rugby World Cup semi final, where he had a shocker in a Wallabies loss.
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6/9 The moment that earned him a place in the pantheon of sporting villains among the New Zealand rugby public was when he was accused of deliberately kneeing Richie McCaw in the head. The feud simmered on, with McCaw euphamistically saying players like Cooper often found themselves "sorted out."
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7/9 He also got offside with Cantabrian Robbie Deans, after sending out tweets complaining of a toxic environment in the Australian camp. He was fined $60,000 and suspended by the ARU for three games.
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8/9 Most recently, Cooper hit headlines when he sent expletive laden tweets attacking Herald columnist Chris Rattue.
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9/9 Perhaps most controversial of all for All Blacks fans though is that Cooper remains an immensely talented footballer, capable of turning matches with individual brilliance. The jury remains out as to whether he has ever fully lived up to his potential.
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