Every day since the Lions game on Saturday there has been a new story attacking James OβConnorβs character or attitude. Two people have come out in support of James: Buddy Franklin and James King. Sadly James King deleted his single supportive tweet this morning. While King is a member of the Rebels squad he has not seen a great deal of game time nor has he travelled extensively with the team; neither are his regular teammates at the Rebels or Wallabies.
Kingβs tweet indicated that the ARU were going to lose OβConnor overseas, while Buddy Franklin blames the Rebels organisation for hanging his mate out as a βscapegoatβ (for what I have no idea β I think he meant something else). Franklinβs tweets have since gained mainstream media traction, and here is where I have a problem.
On June 3 2013, news outlets were confirming that the VRU were to become majority shareholders of the Melbourne Rebels. On June 6 2013, OβConnor, who has never played a club game, signed with the West Harbour Pirates in the New South Wales competition for three years. In the press release the Pirates said that OβConnor was βkeen to support the Pirates wherever and whenever possibleβ.
It has been (until now) widely believed that OβConnorβs signing with the Pirates was a symbolic move that would never see him actually take the field for the Pirates. So at the time of signing, or any time in the year prior, OβConnor couldβve easily chosen a struggling Victorian club to align with, and done his bit for grassroots rugby in Victoria.
While Buddy pointed out how much his mate had done for βrugby and grass rootsβ OβConnor has committed to work on the roots of grass on rugby fields in a different state, in a move which I described at the time as a deliberate and direct f**k you to his employer.
Does Franklin believe that in very publicly signing with the Pirates (and the Sydney/New South Wales Rugby Union) for three years, James OβConnor treated his employer well? And aside from unfortunate timing of the announcement, what poor treatment is Franklin referring to?
What does Franklin mean by βhands cleanβ? After all, the Rebels were under no obligation to attempt to re-signΒ OβConnor. There can be no cleaner βoutβ of a contract than finishing one and choosing not to negotiate another one.
I believe the timing of the announcement by the Rebels was unfortunate. But I donβt believe that the actions by, or on behalf of, the Rebels or the ARU have constituted βpoor treatmentβ of OβConnor. I think that the media has taken this opportunity to take their revenge on OβConnor and his perceived attitude problem (some of us chose to do it a year agoβ¦), but blasting the ARU or the Rebels in this instance is not called for.