Three Super League clubs who could sign Mike Cooper for 2025

He would also compliment the likes of Jesse Sue, Jai Whitbread and Sam Luckley well in the pack and could help with some defensive frailties that have been exposed at times this year.

KR seem to be aiming to be in the top teams of the Super League and they have already come to look like an outstanding team.

They have already beaten Wigan Warriors and St Helens this season.

Signing a player from one of the most experienced and successful teams in England could help them cement themselves in the sport’s elite.

Castleford Tigers

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Could it be a return to the jungle for Cooper?

The former Warrington man made six appearances for Ford in 2010, but bringing him to the club permanently next season could be a fantastic deal.

Castleford are in desperate need of another forward next season and if Cooper can prepare properly, he could easily become an important player for Craig Lingard’s side.

Their kit is devastatingly light, just like last season, and we’ve seen them exposed too many times this season, including in an embarrassing defeat to St Helens, which gave us one of the worst halves of rugby league ever seen.

So it seems like a no-brainer that this is exactly the kind of signing the Tigers will be looking for this season.

If reports suggesting there is money for three “shell signings” turn out to be true, this could be one of them.

Cooper would also be a good mentor for props who are now being blooded at Super League level such as Sammy Kibula.

Honorable Mention: Warrington Wolves

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Cooper has had two spells on the Wire in his career and it could be a fitting way to end his career at the club where he started.

Having already made over 270 appearances in the Primrose and Blue, could he pull on the famous shirt again next season?

Sam Burgess is building an exciting young squad at the Halliwell Jones Stadium, so it doesn’t exactly fit his mold to bring Cooper back given his aging years.

However, the option of a final year playing in a part-time role combined with an off-field coaching position could be an attractive proposition.

Cooper is a model professional, he will set the right culture in the dressing room as a player and coach, with his experience at the highest level set to stand in good stead for the young Wire squad.

It’s a deal that could happen, it just depends on what Cooper plans to do once he retires. There is no doubt that if he had a choice of club to be involved with post-retirement, Warrington would be at the top, if not the top of that list.