Force Dumps O'Connor

[tdevil]

Western Force coach Richard Graham believes the Brumbies are in pole position to sign Australia playmaker James O'Connor.

The Forces announced on Wednesday that the 21-year-old would be leaving Perth at the end of the season after failing to agree a new deal.

That appeared to leave Melbourne Rebels as the clear favourites to sign O'Connor, however Graham is backing the Brumbies to hijack the move.

Graham believes the arrival of Jake White as new Brumbies coach and Eddie Jones as consultant could sway O'Connor's thinking.

"I would think Jake and Eddie coming in there would possibly influence him to go to Canberra," Graham said.

Interest
"The Waratahs clearly didn't have any interest from the start, the Reds, given the way they've recruited over the last period of time clearly won't have a place for him, so clearly it's going to be Melbourne or the Brumbies. I would think possibly the Brumbies."

O'Connor has already played his last game for the Force, with suspension ruling him out of the final game of the campaign.

However Graham insists his side have already proved that they can cope without O'Connor.

"We as a team have displayed over the last three or four weeks, with or without James, that we are moving forward as an organisation," he said.

"James has been part of the organisation for the last four years. And has become a Wallaby from the Force. So no doubt there will be some disappointment. But now it's an opportunity for us to move forward.

"I have been active in the market for the past four or five months during this negotiation and will continue to do so."

http://www.skysports.com/story/0,195...991485,00.html

[KenyaQuin]

Same here - after telling my 8-year-old son "sweet, he's staying!" to two days later, "son, I hate to tell you this...".

The best part was his first response was "Traitor!"

After doing the adult thing and saying, "well in professional sport, yadda, yadda", I was secretly proud of the boy.

I think we both learned something today...

On my end, it was tough when my 3 year old asked the simple question, "Why?" with his eyes welling up. The 6 year old took it in better, I suspect she's learnt to deal with that sort of disappointment following Gits departure.

To my son my response was simply that this is what happens in sport..both amateur and more so, professional. The fact is that players are free to chose where they want to play as long as there are team(s) that want them. Yes, we'd love them to stay but players come and go. If you are lucky some stay their entire career, others hop around and come back, and others are gone for good. The most important thing is that the Force are here next year and hopefully many many years after.

Perhaps to abit long-winded for a 3 year old (pretty sure I lost him after "this is what happens in sport", but it made sense to me and put things into perspective. Kids are so good at making you feel better.

Anyhow, good luck to Brand Jimmy Rabbit, all the best in your future endeavours whether in Melbourne, Sydney, Canberra, Toulouse, Toulon, Harlequins or Saracens or indeed whether in rugby union or league or AFL or even soccer.

Finally, where's my membership renewal?

[blueandblack]

...

Anyhow, good luck to Brand Jimmy Rabbit, all the best in your future endeavours whether in Melbourne, Sydney, Canberra, Toulouse, Toulon, Harlequins or Saracens or indeed whether in rugby union or league or AFL or even soccer.
...

or point guard in basketball.

[KenyaQuin]

or point guard in basketball.

Didn't mean to intentially leave out basketball..I hear the Miami Heat are looking for another "star" at point guard and maybe then should be able to win the NBA title..

[todd4]

tdevil, you may have to review your signature...

[animal wa]

I just wondered if the kpi's covered his goal kicking?

[blueandblack]

tdevil, you may have to review your signature...

and robyn< 3, her avatar.

[mudskipper]

You get a lawyer involved and business turns to shit... dick head stuff.. poor negotiations skills... KPIs in a mid table or lower sporting team what crap... I hope JOC doesn't pay his bill... other rugby provinces take note, don't let kids get ahead of themselves... its nonsense…

[Nipper]

RugbyWA withdrew their offer and this was Vern Reid's decision.

Despite all the negative "JOC is not that good", "JOC is a money grabber", "JOC is not better than the team" etc. comments, the fact remains that we have lost one of our best players because Vern failed to address James' concerns. Clearly, James wanted to make ensure he'd be part of a winning team before he signed up - it was not just about money. It is obvious that James wanted to play for the Force but was he let down by RugbyWA Management.

JOC's too good not to do well elsewhere. Pitty he had to be dumped by RugbyWA.

So, you're OK with a player setting the recruitment strategy and KPIs for the team, as long as he's really, really good?

You must be a big LeBron James fan!

[mudskipper]

shit I didn't know I could praise my self WTF... jeez its a bit like marriage…

[WaterBoy]

shit I didn't know I could praise my self WTF... jeez its a bit like marriage…

You can remove it too or get a divorce

[Darren]

Praising oneself sets off TWF's wanker detector ...

[James]

I thought that was just white noise.

[beige]

shit I didn't know I could praise my self WTF... jeez its a bit like marriage…

Also, if you type your TWF password in a post, the website automatically blanks it out...

*********

See, it works!

[mudskipper]

Praising oneself sets off TWF's wanker detector ...

An enlighten thought...