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O'Young passes over the Force's half-back curse
Chris O'Young, the Western Force's last number nine standing ahead of tonight's first game of the new Super 14 season, has insisted the position is not cursed - despite a litany of woes for those who have gone before him in the club's colours.
Despite suffering hamstring soreness himself this week, O'Young will have to start behind the Force scrum against the Blues, with both half-back rivals Josh Valentine and Justin Turner ruled out with injury.
With Valentine also suffering a hamstring strain, Turner's problem was more serious, with the teenager's back soreness following the trial game in Queensland diagnosed as stress fractures which could sideline him for weeks.
That latest blow to John Mitchell's half-back stocks is nothing new for the Force coach, who has had little luck in the position in the four years of the competition.
But O'Young insisted this week the position was not cursed - and that he was confident of lasting the distance against the Auckland raiders.
"Not at all, not at all. I have been here for every season so far - I am not worried at all. I would not be starting if I wasn't (confident) and my hammy is good to go," O'Young said.
O'Young was rushed back to WA from Glasgow last season after the infamous foul-up by a Force half-back by Matt Henjak.
The former Wallaby was sacked by the club after breaking the jaw of team-mate Haig Sare in a drunken brawl at Fremantle's Left Bank bar, prompting the hasty recall of O'Young after he had been let go the previous season.
The 27-year-old said a full pre-season with the club was in stark contrast to last year's return.
"My first game last year was against the Crusaders when I flew straight over from minus one over there to play in 35 degrees over here," O'Young said.
"Having a pre-season here will make a big difference."
Unfortunately, preparation made little difference to the careers of other number nines, notably the fleeting stays of James Stannard, who is now at the Brumbies, and Jon McGrath who has given up full-time rugby altogether.
The most fleeting and unfortunate career at half-back for the Force belongs to Kiwi Adam Clarke, whose Super 14 dream was stripped rom him before it even began after a neck injury suffered during a grappling session with NRL club Melbourne Storm.
Constant pins and needles in his legs during the weeks after the incident, prompted an MRI scan which revealed a popped disc in his neck which was pressing on his spine and the possibility of any sudden impact restricting him to a wheelchair for the rest of his life.
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