QUADE Cooper will be unveiled as a Melbourne Rebel as early as this week and expect a contract clause so he can fight on the Anthony Mundine-Jeff Horn undercard.

The former Wallaby’s time in Queensland rugby is up after his Brisbane City side bowed out of the National Rugby Championship 13-10 in the slush at Bottomley Park on Sunday.

Nothing is official yet there is enough spark to all the rumours and insider chatter to start a small brushfire.

“Quade has been really positive for us with his leadership but everything I’m hearing is that it’s the Rebels from here,” City coach Mick Heenan said.

Contract paperwork with Cooper always varies from the norm and expect him to request a training break to get in the ring on November 30 at Suncorp Stadium.

His three pro bouts since 2013 have all been on the undercard to Mundine fights and boxing at the venue he has graced for 11 years as a rugby player is just too good a fit.

On Sunday, the 70-Test five-eighth scored an alert quick tap try, made a strong ball-and-all tackle on opposite Wharenui Hawera and tried his best in dire conditions.

As always there was a magic moment. He went into a full 7m slide into a puddle to catch one ball, deftly laid it back infield before he crossed the sideline, retrieved it and then flicked a pass to get City moving downfield.

The plucky Canberra Vikings will still head into next weekend’s NRC semi-final against Fijian Drua in Fiji while Queensland Country will host the Western Force at Bond University.

The City boys had their chances especially because the Reds front-row of Brandon Paenga-Amosa and the Smith twins, Ruan and JP, buckled the Vikings scrum.

The dominance forced a yellow card on Vikings prop Vunipola Fifita but City still played too laterally.

Centre Matt Gordon and one-time Easts junior Sam Wallis, at No.8, played strongly while Vikings centre Len Ikitau was a standout.