Ultra-consistent back-rower Gavin Cooper will continue as a North Queensland Toyota Cowboy after agreeing to a two-year extension with the club.
A veteran of 247 National Rugby League games – 171 of them for the Cowboys – the 31-year-old Queenslander will remain at the club until the end of the 2019 season.
“This club has been a huge part of my life and I’m thrilled to be able to continue to take the field with my Cowboys teammates in front of our valued members and fans,” Cooper said.
“I am filled with pride every time I pull on the Cowboys jersey and I look forward to doing so for the next couple of years.”
Cooper first joined the Cowboys as a teenager, making his NRL and club debut in the 2006 season.
After stints at the Gold Coast and Penrith, Cooper returned to the Cowboys in 2011 where he has been a regular fixture in the Cowboys team as they became perennial finalists since that year, culminating in the 2015 NRL Telstra Premiership.
Head coach Paul Green said Cooper led from the front every time he took the field.
“Coops is a marvellous example to our younger forwards coming through of hard work, talent, resilience and consistency,” Green said.
“He’s a pleasure to coach, is a genuine leader among the group and puts his heart and soul into every game.”
Of Cooper, General Manager – Football Peter Parr said: “Since Gavin arrived back in North Queensland, the team has made the finals every year.
“Gavin is a quality player and a quality person who embodies our principles with the way he plays and conducts himself.”
