MICHELLE COOK: Are you looking forward to the day with Orange City?

QUADE COOPER: It’s good to come out to smaller regional towns because all the kids love to see rugby players. Hopefully we can give them a little bit of inspiration to keep playing and trying in rugby and do the best they can.

It’s also good to help out Rocky (Mileto) with the fundraising dinner.

MC: What sort of things do you do when you run junior skills clinics?

QC: It’s a bit hard today with my knee. I can’t run around or anything. I usually like to get out there and play touch footy with them, hit the ball and do a few drills but it’s going to be a little it harder today so we might have to try and modify it.

It’s good to see them all running around with rugby jerseys on. I’ve seen a few with Waratahs jerseys on. The boys can’t be wearing those during the sessions (he smiles).

MC: What stage are you at in your recovery from a knee injury?

QC: The knee is going well. It feels really good. I’ve started doing running and side-stepping. It’s all coming along well but in the same respect I’m not going to rush it. The doctor has said it’s ahead of schedule but I’m still not going to rush things. I want to be in the game for a long time and, also, I don’t want to come back and have small, niggly injuries plaguing me for the rest of the season. Hopefully when I get back I’ll be 110 per cent.

MC: You must be looking forward to playing again?

QC: Yeah, I can’t wait. I love playing footy. Sitting on the sidelines is never too much fun, so I’ve got to try and make it as positive as possible and enjoy my time. I spend time with family and friends and I’m getting out into the community as well, doing my part while I have some spare time on my hands.

MC: What role are you playing with the team at the moment?

QC: I go to pretty much all the training sessions. I try and help out the boys where possible. At games my role is to support the team and give a bit of moral support and give any pointers in areas of the game we can improve on. It’s more about encouragement. You don’t want to sit on the sidelines and be a negative influence. You want to sit there give as much positive support as possible and basically get behind the boys.

MC: Has your time on the sideline given you a new perspective on the game?

QC: It definitely gives you a different outlook on things because you make sure the time you spend on the field you don’t take for granted. I was getting to the point, after playing since I was 18 and not missing very many games, you look forward to holidays. To have an injury is basically a forced holiday and I just can’t wait to get back out on the field. It’s just given me a greater respect for the game and making sure every bit of time I get to train and play, I make the most of it.

MC: Was making Rexona Australia’s Greatest Athlete as fun as it looked?

QC: It was a great week. I spent a full week with everyone and we just had so much fun on camera and off camera. They were such amazing people in their respective sports. I have so much more respect for swimmers, triathletes, race car drivers. Sometimes you look at sports like that and think, ‘I could do that’.

When you’re put into that environment you see how hard it is and how much effort and time and skill they put into their chosen field.

MC: Would you like to do it again?

QC: Yeah for sure. I’d definitely like to do it again. I think they’re filming it soon. We’ll see how we go. It would be good to go up against Billy (Slater) because he dominated the first two years and then he was out when I had my turn. It was a good opportunity and I really had a good time. So if the opportunity comes up again, we’ll see how we go. I don’t want to lose my crown.

I got a year’s supply of Rexona. I was supplying the boys (Queensland Reds) for a while. When you’re training in a footy team, the boys need it ... especially the Faingaa twins (Anthony and Saia).

MC: So, the Queensland Reds would be the best smelling team in the Super 15?

QC: