This is my first post here, so I hope I get it right.
I am a former rugby player, and an outrageously talented back at that, and everything about O'Connor stinks.(BTW My brother and I call him O'Beiber because of his hairstyle & looks. He also plays with his hair regularly before taking shots at goal).
Where to start is difficult. For me O'Beiber should have been marked "never to play for Australia again" after missing the team unveiling at Qantas for the 2011 WC. This was unforgiveable in my book, and many others. If it was the AB's, I am positive they would not tolerate such ill discipline, why should they, they have 3-4 good players that can come into every position.
Also, I almost choked on my Weetbix when I saw a couple of years ago that this 21 year old was setting KPI's for his Western Force team mates to achieve otherwise he would not sign! What 21 year old in history, apart from me in 1987, is so good he can try and dictate to his team how they should perform. Even if I had tried such a stunt in '87 with my team mates I would have expected to get beaten up after training.
Then, there's the whole "brand O'Connor" thing, give me a break.
The problem is these days is that commentators in rugby, and rugby league, are too quick to label players as great at a young age with disastrous consequences(BTW I think Bieber is far drom great). But, Bieber has no doubt be told from a young age how great he is and he believes it. Up here in Qld when he was named at fly half we had three former players, one a leaguie, all saying how great Beiber would be at fly half.
I nearly choked on my Weetbix again. Anyone with a little bit of rugby talent, and brain, can see that Beiber cannot read a game, which means he's not so bright. His behaviour is also not so bright, so I think I am right when I say he's no intellectual giant(for confirmation just watch any TV interview with him).
Even on the wing, which is easy, he regularly will follow a ball carrying centre into touch, or get squeezed. It's not rocket science to come infield. Back to not reading the play, remember that long break Adam Ashley-Cooper made against the AB's? Where was Beiber? I'll tell you, probably back on his own 22 putting his hair into place and signing autographs to mis-guided kids who think he can play.
As an international mega star of the game I can tell you he cannot play and is massively over rated. I do not doubt his goal kicking ability but even then he sometimes take long shots which he cannor make(BTW where's the coach in all this. It's about time someone told him he does not have a long boot, both in general play and goal kicking!).
So, as far as I am concerned, the ARU(who by the way is losing money hand over fist, losing $19m the past two years) has messed up again.
O'Beiber should be marked never to play for Australia again, it's pretty simple. There's been too much ill discipline for too long from him, and others, and someone needs to be made the scapegoat to set the precedent. Beale, Cooper & Ioane have all mucked up, but at least none of them missed the 2011 WC team unveiling, so Beiber should go.
And in defence, he's atrocious, cannot read the play to save his life. Everyone's got him worked out.
