If the National Football League is in need of a safe pair of hands now that Tom Brady is retiring, teams could do worse than considering Quade Cooper as a quarterback convert.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are one such franchise in need of a new shot-caller after Brady announced his American football exit at the end of their 2021 season.
It seems only too coincidental that Cooper chose Super Bowl weekend of all times to showcase this particular skill, with the Los Angeles Rams taking on the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday.
And in an apparent homage to the fixture, Cooper took the road less travelled to ensure his pass reached its intended recipient in the quickest possible time.
The Hanazono Kintetsu Liners fly-half found himself under pressure in the first minute of Saturday's visit to Hino Red Dolphins when he uncorked a champagne pass worthy of celebrating on its own.
Stranded in the middle of the field with the opposition cutting off his immediate options, Australia 's No. 10 found winger Ryosuke Kataoka some 40 yards away with remarkable ease.
Nothing came of the move as Kataoka was swiftly swarmed upon by Hino players, though it served as the latest example of the rare skills Cooper possesses that most others could only dream of replicating.
Not only is the pass mesmerising for the fact it found its destination with pinpoint accuracy, but Cooper ensured it didn't travel forward all the while.
The Liners went on to win 67-22, with Cooper converting three of their 11 tries to keep his side within touching distance of Mitsubishi Dynaboars, who lead the second division of Japan's Rugby League One.
It begs the question as to what kind of career Cooper might have enjoyed had he taken his wares to the United States, having already proved himself as one of the best rugby players of his generation.
The playmaker has delved into professional boxing and been linked with a switch to the NRL on numerous occasions over the years, boasting the kind of athletic ability that could have made him a star in multiple fields.
Cooper completed a heroic return to the Wallabies set-up in 2021 following four years in the wilderness, bagging back-to-back wins over world champions South Africa immediately after his comeback.
The veteran missed their autumn tour of the northern hemisphere in order to prepare for the Japanese club rugby campaign, but he remains Dave Rennie's best option at fly-half.
Just when the rugby community thought it had seen Cooper's full arsenal, he unloads a pass like that witnessed on Saturday to suggest he has plenty still hidden up his sleeve.
It bodes well for the Wallabies and their Rugby World Cup chances in France next year as this old dog in particular continues to prove he's more than capable of picking up new tricks.
