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I will admit it. When the Reds announced they signed James O’Connor for the 2015 Super Rugby season, I was less than impressed.
It annoyed me, on what appeared to be the whim, O’Connor reclaimed his place as the prodigal son and looked to have an opportunity to prance straight into Australia’s World Cup squad.
Less enticing was the idea of pairing him with Quade Cooper, the second of the infamous Three Amigos at the Reds. Should O’Connor and Cooper make the cut for Wallaby selection, they would find themselves re-united with Kurtley Beale and the band would be back together.
Australian rugby would make the front page, rather than the back, within a week!
O’Connor’s success, or lack thereof, at the Reds was neither of particular concern nor surprise. Talented though he may be – and make no mistake he is supremely talented – as a fan of the Wallabies I just couldn’t see him having the right stuff off the field to be an asset on it.
At the peak of my arrogance, forming an opinion on a man I’ve never met indeed a man I know as nothing more than a headline, I even took pleasure watching “that kick”. You know the one I mean, where O’Connor botched a clearance to gift the Sharks a 21-14 win over the Reds in Round 15 of Super Rugby.
Having carefully considered all of the information available, I came to the conclusion O’Connor was a bit of a knob.
When his release from 2016 obligations with the Reds for “personal reasons” to return to le club d’glamor Toulon, it honestly didn’t worry me. “Let the lad go enjoy being a star in the South of France” I thought, with all that entails.
He’s happy. We’re happy. Everyone wins.
It follows then, that after the news of O’Connor’s departure, former Wallaby fullback Greg Martin labeling him as an “immature twat” and “the Justin Bieber of Australian rugby” was well received on my part. It left me with a good chuckle after a long day at work.
However, as he tends to do, Andrew Logan then threw a spanner in the works with a thought provoking and pragmatic piece of journalism which pointed out O’Connor’s crimes amount to a series of misdemeanors and may not be entirely of his own making.
Whatever your beliefs, there is no argument that the engine of professional and corporatised rugby has at times prioritised success over player wellbeing, in the true sense.
And having read that article once more, as well as another written in a similar spirit, I found myself for the first time wondering if perhaps the loss of O’Connor to overseas money again was more tragedy than comedy.
Media outlets, as they tend to do, blew the war between Martin and O’Connor entirely out of proportion and as I tend to do when sports journalism turns tabloid, I tuned out and looked for something more interesting to read.
However, I found myself getting dragged back in courtesy of a video of Greg Martin’s “warning” to O’Connor from his morning radio show. For those of you who haven’t heard it:
“Now James, I’ll warn you with these words; I know where a lot of the skeletons are buried mate. I know what’s going on in the world, I know what you’ve done and we could tell a lot more so let’s finish this right here and right now. And don’t forget, I know a lot more about what goes on in Brisbane and what you’ve been up to this year that hasn’t hit the [sic] if you want to keep going James, let keep bubbling along.”
I know nothing of Martin other than his public persona; however, his words, his tone and the threat of dragging Skeletons out of O’Connor’s closet are at the absolute least, pretty poor form.
Had O’Connor committed any serious violation, no doubt the Reds would have disciplined them himself. My guess is that he probably had a few too many and missed another training session, or had an argument with a teammate, maybe he even went for a little stumble around Brisbane Airport at 5am but he’s no Todd Carney.
What did O’Connor say to Martin to attract such vitriol? Martin has, in essence blackmailed O’Connor under threat of a social assassination that would have implications far beyond the impact to the player himself. What had he done to earn it?
O’Connor took to Facebook to refute Martin’s allegations of Bieberdom and twatishness, with a 1500-word essay directed at the Fox Sports commentator. If there is an explanation for Martin’s reaction surely I would find it there.
I was surprised to find an inoffensive, considered and reasonably well written piece from a young bloke who appears to acknowledge the error in his ways, be working to mend them and has the utmost respect for the honor of playing for his country. “I have [n]ever left the field thinking I could have done more for the gold jersey” stuck with me after I read O’Connor’s comments.
And having looked at both sides I ask myself, of O’Connor and Martin, who is it that is really acting like a knob?
O’Connor, who when this all began was making a misguided but seemingly well intentioned attempt to tell commentators, Martin among them, to soften their criticisms of players?
Or Greg Martin? A supposed elder statesman of rugby and great of the game who has responded to criticism by issuing a self-serving and thuggish threat? A threat that by its very nature would suggest he is willing to drag not only O’Connor but also state, national and international rugby through the mud to serve his purpose?
Martin’s words stink of ego. They stink of hunger for publicity. And worse still the way he spatters his statement with O’Connor’s first name imply he has as little respect for the 25 year old as he would a disobedient child.
For all true men and women of rugby out there, I want to ask you this – when a young player at your local club is troubled is that how we, the rugby community, would treat them?
Do we ridicule them? Belittle them? Threaten to expose their shortcomings in front of the world should they put a foot wrong?
Or, do we support them? Encourage them? Treat them with respect? And tolerate them until, invariably, the our game by natures breaks them down and so as a team and a community we can build them back up, accept them, and release them into the world better than we found them?
At the age of 21 I was lucky to find the Bathurst Bulldogs, by no means a perfect club but a proper and proud rugby club.
At that age I was also a knob. One who made any number of stupid decisions that could have seen cast into exile. Instead the elder statesmen of the club, the role that Greg Martin should be fulfilling as an ex-Wallaby, dealt with me in-house, guided me through my stupidity and accepted me despite it. I would like to think this allowed me to leave as a more complete person, but that’s not my place to say. However, I would like to thank the Bulldogs for the few great years they gave me.
Better men make better rugby players. But rugby players, with time, will also make better men.
Neither O’Connor nor Martin is without guilt in this exchange; however, it seems to me that O’Connor has behaved like a misguided twenty-something year old. Martin on the other hand, a 52-year-old professional who often talks to the qualities we demand of our players has also behaved like a misguided twenty-something year old.
And with that, I’ll admit it. All things considered perhaps I, like many, was too quick to write off James O’Connor.
Bieber-esqe as he may be, and make no mistake he is supremely Bieber-esqe, O’Connor’s talent is undeniable. He rarely if ever played a bad test and so I find myself wondering is we have failed to support a truly rare talent and let him slip through our fingers just as maturity as player is caught up, by his maturity as a man.
Alex is an ex-player with 10 seasons under his belt, almost exclusively with the brains trust up in the front row. Despite passion for the game, his best work was usually seen at the pub post-match where he mastered the dark art of talking bollocks about rugby.
You can follow Alex on Instagram @whiskyandiron and Twitter @alexwood_1
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.