Cooper not part of Brad Thorn's plans

Quade Cooper has played his last game for the Queensland Reds after the shock call from coach Brad Thorn that he is no longer rated the top flyhalf option for next season.

The 70-Test playmaker is likely to seek a future in Japan now he is unwanted in the revival plans being hatched by Thorn at the long-struggling Super Rugby club which won just four times this season.

Thorn has had a heart-to-heart with Cooper, 29, who had expected to be part of the full-scale return to training by the remodelled Reds squad on Monday.

“I’ve had an honest conversation with Quade and where he currently sits in our plans,” Thorn said.

“He’s not training with the Reds at the moment and training with his club instead.”

It appears Thorn has made the big call with the idea that youngster Hamish Stewart and Duncan Paia’aua are his preferred No.10 options for next season.

Cooper’s Test career appears over because coach Michael Cheika has not picked the skilful game-manager in any squad since his last Test off the bench against Italy in Brisbane in late June.

Cheika has made the decision to move on from Cooper and it appears the Reds have followed suit.

It is a staggering development considering the efforts the Reds went through to lure Cooper back from French club Toulon in 2015 on a three-year deal.

Cooper has two seasons to run on his Reds deal, the biggest on the books at the cash-strapped Super Rugby club.

Cooper played 12 times for the Reds in 2017. It would be the end of an era for the playmaker behind the Reds’ memorable 2011 Super Rugby title.