Controversial legend's brave health battle ends

1 year ago 102

UPDATE: One of the toughest and astir arguable rugby league players of the game's atrocious aged days successful the 1970s has died from crab aged 67.

Western Suburbs hardman Bob Cooper, who holds the grounds for the longest suspension successful the game's history, passed distant past night.

Cooper, was the main taxable of speech astatine the yearly Wests Magpies reunion past Friday, with team-mates sending him messages of encouragement and goodwill.

"It's precise bittersweet - helium was Wests done and through," said erstwhile Magpie Josh White

"He didn't privation his team-mates to travel and spot him successful hospital, helium was successful specified a atrocious way.

"But we held our yearly reunion past week and everyone sent him their champion wishes - helium was 1 of the bully ones."

The gangly second-rower played 76 games for the Magpies from 1977 to 1982 and besides played successful the inaugural State of Origin crippled successful 1980.

But helium volition everlastingly beryllium remembered for 1 infamous day astatine Wollongong Showground successful 1982 erstwhile Wests met Illawarra.

In a fiery brawl, Cooper threw conscionable 3 punches - but each had a telling effect.

The archetypal broke a Steeler's jaw, the 2nd smashed a chemoreceptor and cheekbone, and the 3rd near an hostile heavy concussed connected the ground.

The aged NSW Rugby League was determined to cleanable up what was a brutal crippled astatine the clip and enactment a erstwhile judge, Jim Comans, successful complaint of the judiciary.

Comans decided to marque an illustration retired of Cooper, suspending him for a mammoth 15 months.

"Acts specified arsenic these indispensable beryllium obliterated from the game, and I'll statesman by obliterating you," Comans told Cooper astatine the time.

Cooper played Australian Rules shot during his lengthy suspension and past attempted a little comeback with North Sydney erstwhile helium was yet cleared to play again successful 1984.

But helium was ne'er the aforesaid subordinate and aft conscionable 4 games, helium dislocated his enarthrosis and retired.

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