James O'Connor eyeing Test comeback after inking Reds Super Rugby deal

The hypocrisy of the coach is my issue. Cooper, Hunt and Slipper were lesser or comparable Richard Cranium's and aren't in QLD because of the cultural fit or whichever rubbish term Thorn used.

Lucas seems a fairly down to earth sort of a guy and has been in the Reds system long enough now....I think he is ready for around 10 starts next year and a rest or 2 to get his body used to SR . There is certainly a lack of 10s coming thru in Aus franchises so next year will be a development year for more than 1 franchise

Let's hope so Jacko, I just don't want to see a young talented player crushed by weight of expectation and poor tactics too early in his career. The Reds no. 10 Jersey has been a poisoned chalice for a long time now, partly because the piggies have been erratic a d the outside back similar.

Adsa do you think that maybe Lucas is the answer to that stuttering attack? If he is good enough then he is old enough and he proved this season that he added something when he came on as a sub....Rest him from the physical toll it will take by all means but the best thing for him and the Reds and probably Aus would be for him to be on the field and gaining experience next year.....

70+ test and you call this cheapening the jersey.

If JOC plays for the Reds next season I'll be bloody surprised. After the World Cup he's hoping his market value will increase, and undoubtedly he'll have to leave the Reds & go to Europe or Japan on compassionate grounds (aka more money).

He can but I doubt Tim Horan would have been as good at 12 in 2019.

i still am a fan of stewart. not sure why mckay's role will be more influential this year coming than the current one. did samu call the plays and the attacking strategy otherwise? mckay was my big disappointment of the qld squad this year. alred obviously did well with hegarty's kicking. crappers is class. let's see what mckay can do in his second year. or will it be another one of those whose rep is built up while not at the coal face.

most definitely he can. it is all about the stuff above the shoulders for joc.

in my eyes jim williams was a massively under-rated player . finegan got way too credit as well. funny how the game is observed.

when is younger? 16 or 26?

It's a very big man's game now. He's already bulked himself way up from his old days and he's still dwarfed by naturally bigger players. Does a player lose their natural athleticism when they bulk up by so much? Either way, good luck to the lad.

Well actually no ,I have not been pissed out of my brains and tried to board an aircraft or been arrested in Paris buying cocaine.

I would like to see Lucas play from the bench next year. Too young to be thrown in at 10 with a stuttered attack. McGahan should be starting 10 next year.

I often wondered if he could play 12 in the mould of Tim Horan.

JOC is a very talented player but my feeling is he wont help make Wallabies a much better unit than wallabies 2018,if it was him together with Naiyaravoro,Skelton,White,McMahon,Fardy,Morahan and Speight that's about 8 top players it could have made this Wallaby team capable of beating anyone,but alone JOC cant improve wallaby fortunes. It's a fantastic signing for the Reds but the question remains can there attack fire in 2020. Having watched the Reds this year I noted how slow Mcdermott delivers from the base but in his defence it's because of Thorns style of bash rugby tacking it through the forwards when trusting your backline more is needed. Thorns style could have worked but because the forwards didnt run good lines and Salakai and AYS was slow attack stutted,people will say they too young but Wilsen and Mcreight could go a long way in improving Reds attack,they run good lines at pace it's just what McDermott needs. Wilsen and Mcreight can provide for McDermott what Finegan and Jim William's did for Gregan quick attack. Salakai and AYS are just too slow for me and there running lines are poor.

This is a chance for redemption for O'Connor. Let anyone who has n't acted like a Richard Cranium, when they were younger, cast the fast stone,

Wishing this talented player all the best and hope he can produce for the Reds and Wallabies. Interesting to see him admit in the C-M that his body was broken during his last ill fated and disappointing stint for the Reds in 2015. Of course at the time this wasn't admitted or referred to by either the player or Reds management and is yet another on the long list of dud signings and inept player management that has been the main cause for the Reds bottom quarter of SR for the last 6 or so years (I've lost count). Post the South African training camp, I would like to see him play club rugby and in the NRC before being handed a national jersey again. Otherwise we have once again cheapened earning a Wallaby jersey, and once again shown to JOC and the like that they CAN actually dictate to Australian rugby.

No room for Feaui-Sautia? Does Stewart make your bench or miss out to McGahan?

It will be interesting to see the way that Thorn assimilates JOC into the team. Obviously the 'bash and barge' Thornball style will need to change without Kerevi. Hopefully Jim McKay can have a greater influence in attack and introduce more subtlety and finesse into their game. Still a backline of 9 McDermott, 10 Lucas, 12 JOC, 13 Petaia, 11 Campbell, 14 Speight and 15 Hegarty, is looking pretty good.