Career
A state and international representative winger, he played in Sydney for the Eastern Suburbs club and in England for Huddersfield. After being spotted playing Australian Rules Football in a services team in Darwin by Ray Stehr in 1941 Cooper joined the Eastern Suburbs club Stehr invited Cooper to trial with the Roosters following World World War World War II A powerful winger, Cooper played in just 6 matches before gaining selection for New South Wales.
In 1946 Cooper represented for Sydney, New South Wales and Australia, he played in all three tests against the Great Britain Lions that year at home.
The Gregory"s reference describes him as a bullocking, bruising winger who was a great finisher of back-line movements. His hard-running style incorporated a hip-bumping technique to brush off defenders.
In 1947 he joined English club Huddersfield where he had 9 successful seasons - scoring 420 tries, including 71 in the 1951-1952 season, in one match that year, against Keighley, he scored a record 10 tries. Lionel Cooper continued to play Test rugby league whilst at Huddersfield, playing for 14 matches for the Other Nationalities in the International Championship between 1949 and 1953.
He played for the British Empire XIII versus New Zealand on Wednesday 23/1/1952 at Stamford Bridge.
He was in the Huddersfield team that beat Saint Helens 15 - 10 in the 1953 Challenge Cup Final at Wembley Stadium, London kicking at least one goal after the regular goal kicker was injured. Lionel Cooper played Left-wing, id est (that is) number 5, in Huddersfield"s 4-11 defeat by Bradford Northern in the 1949 Yorkshire Cup final during the 1949-1950 season at Headingley Stadium, Leeds on Saturday 29 October 1949, and played Left-wing, and scored 3-tries in the 18-8 victory over Batley in the 1952 Yorkshire Cup final during the 1952-1953 season at Headingley Stadium, Leeds on Saturday 15 November 1952. Lionel Cooper played Left-wing, id est (that is) number 5 in Huddersfield"s 2-20 defeat by Wigan in the Championship final during the 1949-1950 season at Maine Road, Manchester on Saturday 13 May 1950.
Lionel Cooper played Left-wing, id est (that is) number 5 (Following a leg injury to Pat Devery, Lionel Cooper moved to centre, ie number 4, and Pat Devery moved to Left-wing, ie number 5.
Lionel Cooper also took over the kicking duties from Pat Devery) and scored two conversions in Huddersfield"s 15-10 victory over Saint Helens in the 1952-1953 Challenge Cup final at Wembley Stadium, London on Saturday 25 April 1953. Cooper"s Testimonial match at Huddersfield took place in 1955.
