Bob Cooper Obituary, Funeral

Bob Cooper, an Australian professional footballer has died. Cooper was born on 31 August 1955 and he died on 9 December 2022. He was 67 years.

Cooper is best known for his time in the New South Wales Rugby League.

Cooper played rugby league for Western Suburbs Magpies and North Sydney Bears.

In 1982, Cooper was suspended for the equal-longest period in rugby league history, of fifteen months.

This was after he willfully joined a brawl which left three Illawarra Steelers players flattened during a match at Wollongong showground.

During the imposition of the sanction, the NSW Rugby League judiciary chairman, Jim Comans famously said:

“Acts such as these must be obliterated from the game, and I’ll begin by obliterating you.”

In 1983, Cooper played Australian rules football with St George in the Sydney Football League and won the reserve competition’s best and fairest award.

A year later, Cooper returned to the NSW Rugby League with North Sydney but, after only four games, he dislocated his shoulder and retired from football.

Details regarding his funeral will be made public in due course.