James O'Connor suspended

The ARU have given James O'Connor a 1 match suspension and a suspended $AU10,000 fine for not showing up to the Wallabies RWC squad announcement last week. O'Connor was seen at a number of Sydney pubs the night before. As a result he will miss the final 3N test vs NZ this weekend. Injuries to other wingers in the RWC squad may force Deans to play Adam Ashley-Cooper on the wing.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/international/5488385/Wallaby-O-Connor-dumped-for-Tri-Nations

Stupid boy.

Why would he be in a bar? he wouldn't get served would he?

Elaborate ruse to wrap him in cotton wool?... Honestly, i'm turning into some tin foil hat wearing conspiracy theorist during the lead up to this world cup!

While it will hurt our chances on Saturday, it's a good decision for the long term health of the team culture. I'm glad they have taken that view.

Agree boomerange, good player that he is the team needs a feeling of togetherness and discipline.

and no, don't think he needs wrapping, he's been playing a few years now and so far not shown he needed protection.

Just wonder who's going to be the kicker, Beale's 50 yards specials??? Oh no, it's got to be Quade then!!!! LOL!

Oh dear. He'll kick them from the sideline, and miss from in front. Maybe for the easy shots we should share it between the front row and watch our % actually go up.

What will they do for a wing now Oz? AAC or McCabe to the wing and Ant to start? There isn't another fit wing specialist in the RWC squad.

Why not just fine him then bench him?

Seems a bit ott to drop him completely. I know they have to think of the whole squad but really it's not a big deal to anyone except some PR guys.

To be honest Boomeranga,when Robbie Deans was with the Crusaders he did something similar to Andrew Merthens",Merths" went on to be one of the best 10`s EVER.
Know what you mean though seems EVERY team in the world is saving players for the RWC.

Not sure this is going to do much for his 'brand' but hopefully he'll learn that rugby's a team sport. Maybe the Swiss vitamins ads he does on TV should now show him nursing a hangover rather than kicking penalties, which incidentally, is something he often fails to do on the field.

The upshot is that Faainga might get a start this weekend and show some defensive urgency to get off the line quickly which was sadly lacking at Eden Park.

I like AAC, felt maybe this season he'll come back in, though he is more a centre than wing. McCabe wil be lost on the wing. And Rad Davis is in the squad isn't he?? Least he's got pace. Not inthe RWC squad but coudl stil lmake the 3Ns game

Obviously Drew's in the RWC squad so we know who is planned to be on the wing then. The wings we're doing ok in I reckon, Mark Gerrard can also cover.

Who's your vote then?

It might be cotton-wooling Alan, but why him inparticular? If they should protect any one individual, I would have expected Will Genia. It makes me think it is a genuine kick in the tail to teach him a lesson, ala Merthens.

Full Credit wrote:Not sure this is going to do much for his 'brand' but hopefully he'll learn that rugby's a team sport. Maybe the Swiss vitamins ads he does on TV should now show him nursing a hangover rather than kicking penalties, which incidentally, is something he often fails to do on the field.

The upshot is that Faainga might get a start this weekend and show some defensive urgency to get off the line quickly which was sadly lacking at Eden Park.

Is there anything more k.nobbish than referring to yourself as a brand? That should be enough to unsuspend the suspended fine.

Seems a bit ott to drop him completely. I know they have to think of the whole squad but really it's not a big deal to anyone except some PR guys..

A team should pull together and no player should be allowed to get away with shirking team responsabilities. Nothing wrong with reminding him that he is not going to get special treatment and that he is a professional rugby player.

boomeranga wrote:It might be cotton-wooling Alan, but why him inparticular? If they should protect any one individual, I would have expected Will Genia.

For sure, him and QC makes the back line tick, and we all know QC is not really out for the hard stuff!

Probably AAC I guess Oz. McCabe won our S14 rookie of the year last year playing wing for the brumbies, but I doubt they see him as a Wallaby wing. Turner and Rocket are playing for the B's on Friday, but I guess no reason they couldn't move them to Saturday, although I'm sure they already knew what they had planned for JOC when they announced the seconds. In which case, why pick them for Friday.

I think this is definitely a kick up the backside from the ARU which he obviously needs, the kid's still only 21 after all. Maybe the ARU are taking a leaf out of the NRL's book of having a low tolerance for alcohol related mishaps, although they do have a history of suspending players in the past eg Elton Flatley.

Agree Boomeranga, any person found guilty of referring to themselves as a 'brand' should cop an instant, incontestable 1 year ban.

Unless your The Hask obviously. That guy is global.

Hask?? Or Hoff???

Seems like dear James has been taking lesseons from Mr Cipriani...

I don;t think there is any cotton woolling going on. Deans would have wanted his best tem on the park this weekend as it is the first time in 10 years they might win the 3N.

Faingaa (A) is training as an outside centre and AAC is running on the wing so that is the likely outcome. I would say Cooper will be taking over the goal kicking backed up by Beale. They are weakened not only in goal kicking but also O'Connor's ability to roam inside and create something as he did against SA. In terms of timing for this to happen I would say a lot of his team mates are v. peed off with him.

Rob B wrote: In terms of timing for this to happen I would say a lot of his team mates are v. peed off with him.

...and the Australian rugby public!

Nothing surprising considering his 'popularity' when playing for The Force. Apparently they couldn't wait to see him get onto the plane back east.

Then the hotel room in Canberra... and now at one of my old drinking holes.

At least Kurtley managed to drag himself to the parked aircraft just on time... a little worse for wear!

Where was he drinking at linebreaker? The report didn't say....

The Golden Sheaf in Double Bay and later on at The Eastern Hotel at Bondi Junction.

O'Connor & Beale's Pubs

tch tch tch Eastern suburbs..... Standards has dropped, least when Pointing kicked off in the early days of his career he was up the Cross!!! LOL!

Yeah, The Bourbon & Beefsteak. I think it burned down... or the Swans Club next door?

Was the Bourbon, and yip did burn, but may have been rebuilt since?

Though always surprised me at the time how the regulars would have taken his big headed rant, they were not usually a forgiving lot, and a test cricketer, as he was then just, would not have impressed the regulars much, specially after a few bundys!

Yes, there was a fire in the kitchen and the roof collapsed. I think they've rebuilt it now.

Anyway, O'Connor was not so popular with the rest of the squad... even more so now.

Shame, always seems a like nice enough guy.
Still very young, and obviously a stupid thing to do.

Poor young guy is out enjoying himself trying to take off the immense pressure that's on him and possibly over did it on a night out. I'm sure we've all been there.

IronMike wrote:Poor young guy is out enjoying himself trying to take off the immense pressure that's on him and possibly over did it on a night out. I'm sure we've all been there.

True. But I've never missed the plane to a work conference. And if I did I'd expect to get in trouble with my boss.

Yes we have IronMike, even worse some of us older heads are still doing it!! LOL!

but I think the punishment suits in this case. This could be a slap that makes him realize that he is part of a team, not above it. He is young enough to learn that and get back for the RWC, chastened but no harm done to the Wallaby's RWC hopes.

Will it affect our chance to win this 3Ns? Yes I think it will. But also I think it will really help to pull his morals up.. (not morole this time!!)

I really do think he will get back to the squad, say sorry mates, and the side will be behind him and all will be good.

The plot is thickening apparently... more news to come about brawling in Paris.

Well apparently not now. He has been forgiven due to lack of sober witnesses.

My theory is that Giteau leaked this information......

You know guys, he is just a kid. And through his teens he has been lionised and regaled as the next coming. No wonder he has a somewhat big opinion of himself and feels like he can get away with things. Its a lot for a kid, and especially if the kid is not really emotionally prepared or mature enough to deal with it. As I said, just a kid. Probably the best thing for him. A kick in the backside when there is little at stake for the team. He handles the on field stuff very well. Hopefully for him this is a big lesson learned and afterward he gets on with things.

[quote="doctor_grey"A kick in the backside when there is little at stake for the team. [/quote]


Oh I dunno about that, could be our first chance to win some silverware for about 8 years of any note!!!

But yes do agree with all that he is just young and maybe needs just a little slap and am sure he'l buckle down now.

The issue is whether the suspension serves the team as well as for JOC. You can just tell by his demeanour he doesn't really care - he pretty much said he's happy to cop any punishment dished out and move on . But I get the sense that things just don't sink in. He is a massive drinker and there all sorts of issues while he was at the Western Force. Without him being there on Saturday, the people who are punished are the rest of the team who are now weakened by his ommission and when the game is probably the best chance of W winning the 3N for 10 years. It is a MASSIVE game.

I would have thought they could say you are playing so the team is not disadvantaged but you will be playing for free for the next 4 games ($13,000x4= $52,000). A 50 grand whack over the ear might sort him. One game off and a suspened fine of 10k - i mean he couldn't care less IMO.

I don't know if that would do it either Rob, the bloke's probably on millions a year with endorsements etc. That's still just a drop in the ocean. Some sort of community service each night for the next few weeks might have some effect if he can't get on the juice for a while.

I thought what Penrith did to Jennings the other day was smart. Fined him $20 grand, spent it on tickets for the next game, and then told him to walk around the ground giving the tickets to kids who kept asking him what he'd done wrong.

Yeah I thought that was good too. Gus might have a face like a dropped pie but he does make the occasional bit of sense.

boomeranga,
I hadn't heard that before. Absolutely brilliant idea.

It's nonsense. Utter nonsense. All of it.

He missed a pointless media appearance. Who gives a rats bum? It's not like he got peed and missed a match day or a training session.

They're young guys, who work hard and achieve at a high level. They're not robots. They're not objects owned by the national union.

It's quite exploitative in a way to make these guys parade around like show ponies.

They're sportsmen, let them get on with it and drop all the crap.

It's good isn't it. Obviously kids don't go to the footy by themselves, so there were adults around either laughing at him, or giving grief for letting the club down.

A million bucks to buy all the hair product i could ever need V's the right to a nap on my own terms? Hmmm tough one.

TheGreyGhost wrote:It's nonsense. Utter nonsense. All of it.

He missed a pointless media appearance. Who gives a rats bum? It's not like he got peed and missed a match day or a training session.

They're young guys, who work hard and achieve at a high level. They're not robots. They're not objects owned by the national union.

It's quite exploitative in a way to make these guys parade around like show ponies.

They're sportsmen, let them get on with it and drop all the crap.

It's called the professional era. In the amateur days yes, plenty of boozy sessions especially on tour and often on the night before a big game. They weren't paid - it was all about footy and having a blast at the same time.

But if these kiddies want the big bucks then they have to fulfil their contracts on and off the field - money don't grow on trees - it comes from sponsors and sponsors demand players turn up at their functions.

If he was doing a personal product endorsement and he failed to show, pretty sure they would tear up his contract. Same deal for team events. Pretty simple.

Hear hear Rob! It's a problem and there's no excuses.

If I live the rest of my life without seeing a bunch of players parading around in some new sponsors kit, or feining interest at a team naming they've already heard, I'm not going to feel like my life is lacking in some way.

Honestly. What's wrong with you guys?

It was the official public naming though GG. What's so difficult about fronting up to that? The guy is getting paid to represent his country and strut around in some new sponsors' kit.