Barba to face off-field tests: Cooper

Quade Cooper says Ben Barba's biggest tests in French rugby will come off the field.

Barba has quit rugby league, taking a multi-million dollar deal with glamour French rugby club Toulon.

Cooper, who has returned to the Queensland Reds after an ill-fated year with Toulon, believes Barba has the athletic skills to thrive in France.

But he warns Barba could find life in France tough.

"He's an amazing athlete and I think he will go really well," Cooper said on Thursday.

"But the difficult thing is when you are playing a different sport and you go over to a different country, there's so many factors that are different like the language, the culture, being so far away from your family.

"Those will be the real tests for him because, as an athlete, I'm sure he'll be more than capable."

And Cooper believed Barba was worth his reported $1 million a year wage in Toulon.

"I think all athletes are worth whatever they get paid," he said.

"We put ourselves through a heck of a lot to put the entertainment value our there for the fans, for the owners of these clubs.

"And a guy like Ben Barba, the entertainment factor that he will bring to rugby, that will pay for itself."