Nick KOUPARITSAS [
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Wed October 13, 2010
Source: www.league.quins.co.ukSydney Roosters star Nick Kouparitsas has agreed to terms with Harlequins RL on a one year deal that will see the former Rooster move to England for the 2011 season, subject to a medical and visa.
The 26 year old, Greek international, started his NRL career at the Canterbury Bulldogs in 2006. During that time Kouparitsas took part in the historic first Rugby League match to take place in Greece, which was played in Athens on the 28 October, 2006 when Greece beat Serbia 44?26. The ball playing forward subsequently moved to the Roosters in 2009, playing 23 games for them in 2010 leading up to the NRL Grand Final.
Kouparitsas spoke of his delight on his move from the Roosters, he said: "This is a superb opportunity for me to play Super League in England while I am still young and can show once again that I have the ability to produce at the highest level in a very strong competition. I'm looking forward to the new challenge ahead and look forward to linking with Harlequins Acting Head Coach, Rob Powell, and the rest of the squad.
"To play for a club like Harlequins RL is something I am looking forward to and the challenges that lie ahead. I'm delighted to have signed with Harlequins RL and I am confident of getting back to rediscovering my best form at the club," he concluded.
Rob Powell, Acting Head Coach for Harlequins RL, is looking forward to welcoming Nick into the London team. "This is an exciting signing for the club. Nick has played 23 games for a team who Brian Smith coached to the Grand Final this year. Nick is a very versatile ball playing forward, giving him a niche in the game. He spent most of this year at hooker, however, in the past he has played back row and loose forward.
"I've been very impressed when speaking with Nick and he comes highly recommended from the Roosters' coaching staff. Along with his ability as a ball player, he is a good runner on the edge with the potential to offload and make breaks and also has strong defensive qualities. I am confident he is a great all-round signing for Harlequins RL," confirmed Powell.
Fri May 29, 2009
by Matthew O'Neill
Everyday this week there has been a fresh Roosters drama with the rumour mill rife that Coach Brad Fittler and several key players have fallen out.
Fittler's late changes against Penrith last week was one of panic and desperation with five eight Braith Anasta being moved into the fullback position. It was clear from the outset that Anasta was lost in the custodian role, but Fittler persevered with him for the duration of the match instead of moving Sam Perrett or Jordan Tansey to the back.
It's been reported that Fittler and Anasta has fallen out in sensational circumstances with Fittler also believed to have fallen out with experienced forwards Willie Mason, Craig Fitzgibbon and Mark O'Meley.
Fittler removed Fitzgibbon as captain in controversial circumstances towards the end of last season and appointed Anasta in his place. The decision to give Anasta the captaincy did at the time and more so now lacked any real sense with the Roosters well placed in the top four. Anasta on his day can be a fine player, but he has struggled to command respect from his team-mates and is prone to be a sook at the best of times whereas Fitzgibbon has earned the right to be the Roosters leader and elder statesman.
O'Meley was playing park football the same week he was one of the stars for City in their thumping win against Country and Mason has barely raised an on-field sweat this season where he has saved his best work jumping from party to party.
The Roosters form at the end of last season fell by the wayside with a knee injury to Mason the final tip of the iceberg. The Roosters managed to play well in the first half, but their second half performances cost them dearly and an exit in week two of the finals beckoned them.
The big problem at the Roosters is the type of players they have purchased over the last 3-4 years and there doesn't appear to be any serious strategic plan behind it all. To snare Mason and O'Meley with their best days firmly in the times they had at the Bulldogs the Roosters were forced to give up forwards David Shillington and Anthony Tupou, both players developed by the Roosters and Ashley Harrison, who is now in career best form with the Titans.
Roosters director Mark Bouris in 2006 made the statement that the Roosters wanted to emulate the Bulldogs culture, but the closest they have come to that is snaring Chris Anderson in an ill-fated stay as coach. Anderson's time as a head coach had passed him, but his views on Rugby League are much different to that of Roosters Chairman Nick Politis and the Roosters board of directors, with Anderson firmly believing in development and loyalty.
In recent seasons the Roosters have signed Anasta, Charles Tonga, Nate Myles, O'Meley, Mason and just recently Nick Kouparitsas from the Bulldogs. But aside from Myles have the other players delivered the on and off field goods that the Roosters have needed?
Are the players from the ex-Bulldogs contingent from the right breed and culture to influence a change of long-term success at the Roosters? Even though Chris Mortimer and Peter Kelly didn't play in Penrith's 1991 premiership victory, it was the recruitment of those two players in 1988 that hardened up the culture at Penrith and had a lasting legacy on many players including a young Fittler.
Mason sensationally walked out on the Bulldogs at the end of the 2007 season and Paul Kent in his excellent
Daily Telegraph article on Thursday 28 May, 2009, said,
"At the time there were rumours, certainly believed by those at the Bulldogs, that the Roosters were privately supporting his continual agitation.
"They knew the best way to acquire Mason was for the Dogs to grow tired and release him, at a time when other clubs had finished recruiting, which is exactly what happened. He left and went to the Roosters, who gladly tolerated his boxing interests. Mason since had his fight. You might not know, because it was an extremely forgettable encounter that, if you were being mischievous, seemed to have served its purpose.
"Yet the Roosters are now learning the hard lessons the Dogs could have told them; when Mason's agendas don't follow the club's agendas, trouble follows."Mason signed a four-year deal with the Roosters and after a good start to the 2008 his form slipped dramatically before being ended with a knee injury. Mason returned in round 2 this year, but has been a shadow of his peak playing days and the knock-on after the much smaller Lachlan Coote tackled him to the ground has summed up his season and attitude.
Fittler enjoyed a honeymoon period into the coaching ranks after Anderson quit mid-season due to the pressures of the job and the game passing him by. Fittler was like a breath of fresh air and the players enjoyed themselves. That type of coaching only has a short shelf life and stacked up with a star-studded roster the Roosters finished in the top four last season.
However, the reality of the grind that is coaching is now telling on Fittler, who has had no previous appointments in any grade prior to taking on the Roosters job. The Roosters style of players doesn't suit the current game under the two referee system and Fittler has struggled to adapt to that.
Politis is reluctant to sack Fittler due to his achievements as a player, but Politis is a man that doesn't like failure or rebuilding. The Roosters have been about getting instant success the quickest way they can and if that means sacking coaches or players to get the latest fad on the market - the Roosters will do that. Some Roosters officials are privately hoping that Fittler stands down whereas Politis will probably be looking at boosting the coaching staff to give Fittler more support.
There are problems due to Fittler's laid back nature, the fact football as a player came easy to him and he has done no coaching apprenticeship over time. However, the biggest problem at the Roosters stems from the quick fix mentality, sign the latest fads on the market and the party mentality. The place needs the complete clean out in culture and playing personnel with people brought in from a hardened and tough mentality and that ethic to spread right across the Roosters. A quick look at the Roosters 1987 side under the leadership of Hugh McGahan would be a good model to work from.
Bringing across Mason, Anasta, O'Meley and now Kouparitsas has been a mistake and an even more ill-fated mistake is the signing of Todd Carney for next year which is not exactly going to clean up the party boy image at the Roosters. Carney is an outstanding player, but the City life will get to him before he puts one step onto the football field.
The Roosters can bounce back and can be a long-term success as they have a lot of financial strength, but the mentality of signing whatever is on the market and having a quick fix has to stop and they should look at bringing in players with the right character and would be a good fit to change the party culture of their club.
The one person who traditionally doesn't smile, but would no doubt be having the biggest smile today about all the on and off field dramas at the Roosters would be none other than Steve Folkes.
Related Article: Anoter nail in Fittler's coffin
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 2012 Stobart Super League
London Broncos
1 games; [View] Round 4 [26 Feb 12] L 16-30 v Huddersfield (H). [BE]
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2011 engage English Super League
London Broncos
15 games; 1 tries, 4 points.
[View] Round 1 [12 Feb 11] W 11-4 v Catalans. [BE]
[View] Round 2 [20 Feb 11] W 20-18 v Crusaders (H). [BE]
[View] Round 3 [25 Feb 11] W 36-26 v Leeds (A). [BE]
[View] Round 4 [04 Mar 11] L 10-18 v Huddersfield (H). [BE]
[View] Round 5 [11 Mar 11] W 27-16 v St Helens (A). [BE] 4 Pts; 1t
[View] Round 6 [20 Mar 11] L 6-82 v Warrington (A). [BE]
[View] Round 7 [27 Mar 11] L 30-40 v Hull FC (H). [BE]
[View] Round 8 [03 Apr 11] L 22-24 v Bradford (A). [SR]
[View] Round 9 [10 Apr 11] L 32-52 v Wakefield (A). [BE]
[View] Round 11 [22 Apr 11] L 30-37 v Catalans (H). [BE]
[View] Round 12 [25 Apr 11] L 24-37 v Hull KR (A). [BE]
[View] Round 13 [30 Apr 11] L 16-34 v Salford City (H). [BE]
[View] Round 14 [13 May 11] L 6-54 v Wigan (A). [SR]
[View] Round 15 [29 May 11] L 24-56 v Castleford (A). [BE]
[View] Round 16 [04 Jun 11] L 16-30 v Bradford (H). [BE]
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2010 NRL Telstra Premiership
Sydney Roosters
23 games; 2 tries, 8 points.
[View] Round 1 [14 Mar 10] W 36-10 v Rabbitohs (A). [DH]
[View] Round 2 [21 Mar 10] W 44-32 v Tigers (H). [DH]
[View] Round 3 [28 Mar 10] L 14-60 v Bulldogs (A). [DH]
[View] Round 4 [02 Apr 10] W 25-6 v Broncos (H). [BE]
[View] Round 5 [11 Apr 10] L 6-28 v Panthers (A). [BE]
[View] Round 6 [17 Apr 10] W 36-6 v Raiders (H). [DH] 4 Pts; 1t
[View] Round 7 [25 Apr 10] L 6-28 v Dragons (A). [DH]
[View] Round 8 [02 May 10] W 12-8 v Tigers (A). [BE]
[View] Round 9 [10 May 10] L 14-32 v Cowboys (H). [LK] 4 Pts; 1t
[View] Round 12 [31 May 10] W 30-16 v Titans (A). [BE]
[View] Round 13 [05 Jun 10] L 18-42 v Sharks (H). [BE]
[View] Round 14 [14 Jun 10] W 38-6 v Storm (A). [BE]
[View] Round 16 [27 Jun 10] L 18-20 v Warriors (H). [BE]
[View] Round 17 [04 Jul 10] W 22-12 v Raiders (A). [BE]
[View] Round 18 [09 Jul 10] W 18-14 v Rabbitohs (H). [BE]
[View] Round 19 [18 Jul 10] W 36-32 v Bulldogs (H). [BE]
[View] Round 20 [26 Jul 10] W 34-30 v Broncos (A). [BE]
[View] Round 21 [31 Jul 10] W 48-12 v Eels (A). [BE]
[View] Round 22 [08 Aug 10] L 12-19 v Dragons (H). [BE]
[View] Round 23 [13 Aug 10] L 12-18 v Sharks (A). [BE]
[View] Round 24 [23 Aug 10] L 14-23 v Titans (H). [BE]
[View] Round 25 [29 Aug 10] W 30-14 v Sea Eagles (H). [DH]
[View] Round 26 [04 Sep 10] W 18-8 v Cowboys (A). [DH]
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2009 NRL Telstra Premiership
Sydney Roosters
8 games; [View] Round 9 [11 May 09] L 12-28 v Storm (H). [BE]
[View] Round 10 [16 May 09] L 6-38 v Knights (H). [BE]
[View] Round 11 [23 May 09] L 6-48 v Panthers (A). [BE]
[View] Round 16 [27 Jun 09] W 19-12 v Sharks (H). [BE]
[View] Round 17 [03 Jul 09] L 12-34 v Dragons (A). [BE]
[View] Round 19 [19 Jul 09] L 24-30 v Warriors (H). [BE]
[View] Round 20 [27 Jul 09] L 20-40 v Rabbitohs (A). [BE]
[View] Round 21 [01 Aug 09] W 30-18 v Knights (A). [BE]
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2008 NRL Telstra Premiership
Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs
13 games; [View] Round 9 [10 May 08] L 4-30 v Panthers (H). [SR]
[View] Round 10 [16 May 08] L 20-24 v Gold Coast (A). [BE]
[View] Round 11 [26 May 08] W 30-22 v Sharks (H). [BE]
[View] Round 12 [31 May 08] L 0-46 v Storm (A). [SR]
[View] Round 13 [07 Jun 08] L 12-22 v Knights (H). [SR]
[View] Round 15 [21 Jun 08] L 18-58 v Raiders (H). [SR]
[View] Round 19 [19 Jul 08] L 22-40 v Warriors (H). [BE]
[View] Round 20 [28 Jul 08] L 0-30 v Dragons (A). [SR]
[View] Round 21 [03 Aug 08] L 4-56 v Tigers (A). [SR]
[View] Round 22 [09 Aug 08] L 12-36 v Cowboys (H). [SR]
[View] Round 23 [16 Aug 08] L 16-52 v Panthers (A). [BE]
[View] Round 24 [23 Aug 08] L 12-26 v Eels (H). [BE]
[View] Round 25 [31 Aug 08] L 22-36 v Broncos (H). [BE]
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2007 NRL Telstra Premiership
Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs
17 games; 3 tries, 12 points.
[View] Round 2 [23 Mar 07] L 10-40 v Panthers (A). [BE]
[View] Round 3 [01 Apr 07] W 22-6 v Gold Coast (H). [SR]
[View] Round 4 [06 Apr 07] W 34-10 v Rabbitohs (A). [BE]
[View] Round 5 [14 Apr 07] L 14-16 v Sea Eagles (H). [BE]
[View] Round 14 [15 Jun 07] L 12-19 v Broncos (H). [BE]
[View] Round 15 [22 Jun 07] W 27-8 v Sea Eagles (A). [BE] 4 Pts; 1t
[View] Round 16 [02 Jul 07] W 38-6 v Roosters (H). [SR]
[View] Round 17 [08 Jul 07] W 14-12 v Sharks (A). [BE]
[View] Round 18 [14 Jul 07] L 20-30 v Panthers (H). [SR] 4 Pts; 1t
[View] Round 19 [20 Jul 07] W 36-12 v Gold Coast (A). [BE]
[View] Round 20 [28 Jul 07] W 28-24 v Dragons (A). [BE] 4 Pts; 1t
[View] Round 21 [03 Aug 07] L 22-34 v Eels (H). [BE]
[View] Round 22 [12 Aug 07] W 52-4 v Raiders (H). [BE]
[View] Round 23 [17 Aug 07] W 25-24 v Broncos (A). [BE]
[View] Round 24 [24 Aug 07] L 6-38 v Storm (H). [BE]
[View] Round 25 [31 Aug 07] L 32-38 v Cowboys (A). [BE]
[View] Finals Week 2 [15 Sep 07] L 6-25 v Eels. [BE]
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2006 VB NSWRL Premier League
Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs
3 tries, 11 goals, 34 points.
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2006 NRL Telstra Premiership
Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs
3 games; [View] Round 14 [12 Jun 06] L 26-28 v Raiders (H). [BE]
[View] Round 26 [03 Sep 06] W 30-22 v Panthers (A). [BE]
[View] Finals Week One [09 Sep 06] W 30-12 v Raiders (H). [BE]
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Kouparitsas, Nick
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