Exiled Reds rugby trio to make NRC return

Out-of-favour Reds trio Quade Cooper, James Slipper and Karmichael Hunt have a chance to impress after being named in National Rugby Championship squads.

Quade Cooper

Quade Cooper has been playing club rugby in Queensland for Souths. (AAP)

Banished Queensland Reds trio Quade Cooper, James Slipper and Karmichael Hunt will be placed in rugby's shop window after being named to play in the National Rugby Championship starting next month.

Brisbane City pair Cooper and Hunt didn't play a minute of Super Rugby this season.

Cooper was overlooked by coach Brad Thorn and Hunt exiled after his arrest late last year.

Former Reds captain Slipper, suspended in May after a second positive test for cocaine, will turn out for Brisbane Country as he continues to push for a Super Rugby reprieve.

Cooper has captained Brisbane club Souths this season with Hunt a late-season addition to the side after not being sighted on a rugby field since the Wallabies' Spring Tour last year.

The dual-code international was arrested late last year before having a charge of illicit drug possession dropped in February.

He was instead fined $600 for possessing Xanax without a prescription and contravening a police order.

Cooper is keen to remain in Brisbane and has shunned approaches from rival Super Rugby clubs.

Both he and Hunt are contracted at the Reds until the end of 2019 but don't appear to be in Thorn's plans.

Slipper, a veteran of 86-Tests, finished his two-month ban on July 15 and will return via a Super Rugby invitational side trial against the Wallabies on Friday.

All three were added to the tournament at the request of the Reds but with Thorn's zero-tolerance policy on drugs it means Hunt and Slipper may have to continue their Super Rugby careers interstate if they are to revive their Wallabies careers.

The trio will be among a host of current and fringe Wallabies in the two Brisbane NRC outfits with Brandon Paenga-Amosa, Lukhan Tui and Adam Korczyk in coach Mick Heenan's City Squad.

"Quade's had a season away from professional footy, had to do things for himself and I think he's got some growth out of that," Heenan said, adding that he had no doubt the pair were still capable of playing at the highest level.

Taniela Tupou, Izack Rodda and Caleb Timu will all return to Country after using it as a platform for Wallabies selection.

Reds leader and Wallabies centre Samu Kerevi is also expected to make his return from a ruptured bicep for City as he pushes for a Wallabies return.

The eight-club NRC runs from September 1 to October 27.


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Source: AAP


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