Wallabies coach Michael Cheika has come out swinging over comments made by the president of French rugby side Toulon-Mourad Boudjellal – who said that Wallaby Quade Cooper’s contract dispute with the club could render him as broke as Greece.
Cooper signed a two-year deal with the French outfit at the start of the year but is thought to be on the verge of backing out of the deal and re-signing with the Australian Rugby Union (ARU) for four years.
He has been called upon to undertake a medical and has been threatened with compensatory action if he doesn’t oblige.
“It could make him alone the second most indebted state after Greece,” French newspaper Midi Olympique quoted Boudjellal as saying.
But the comments weren’t received lightly by Cheika.
“I don’t think it is an issue to be joked about to be honest, there are a lot of people struggling over there,” Cheika said.
“I don’t think it is that funny, that type of stuff. He is entitled to say what he likes, and do what he wants to do. But I don’t know if those analogies are necessary.”