Questions for James O'Connor

[Moondog]

Always a shame to see someone unable to handle life and I think quite soon his life will become much harder when his talent no longer provides the income he needs.

Happens in all walks of life some people's make up is such that they finish up in heaps of trouble. I am reminded years ago I was working in NZ and there was this gun welder, was paid an insane amount of money and lost it within hours betting each week.

Saw him many years latter lying in a gutter life in disarray brought him a meal and a pot of tea.

I don't think O'Conner is spoilt I think more he just can't control himself and never will.

I think he is easily led, tries to fit in, be part of the gang etc and he hasn't had the proper guidance from a very young age when he first started out, like most sportsmen / women who have good family support around them.
He has been on his own travelling all the time from a very young age, mixing in with all types of people etc. He has been Ill advised and I would be getting rid of the Manager for a start, he is there for the $$$$ only and start fresh. Get some family support around him. I would love to see him back playing here, he has too much talent to see wasted. But after some counselling and getting his life in order

 

[amirite]

I actually don't think James is especially troubled or even mentally ill.

He's just your standard lazy but talented guy, there's people like that in all industries.

He just happens to be at the top of a profession that probably rewards talent (and youth) more than most, and has a lot of media attention.

I mean what has JOC (James O'Connor) actually done that's bad in his career?

1. Be narcissistic ('the brand' and some of his photos/interviews)
2. Sleep through an alarm on an important day (Wallabies WC presser)
3. Go to Maccas late at night on an important week (Lions)
4. Get drunk and cause a scene at an airport
5. Get caught buying/doing coke

He's probably also done other stuff I don't remember or wasn't reported.

Getting drunk/high, being up himself, and fucking up his priorities are something a lot of people do. Everyone knows people like this, whether they're failing uni students, middling sales employees, or crappy tradies.

Let's not play armchair psychologist on him. He's just a talented guy with a garden variety attitude.

 

[No4918]

I actually don't think James is especially troubled or even mentally ill.

He's just your standard lazy but talented guy, there's people like that in all industries.

He just happens to be at the top of a profession that probably rewards talent (and youth) more than most, and has a lot of media attention.

I mean what has JOC (James O'Connor) actually done that's bad in his career?

1. Be narcissistic ('the brand' and some of his photos/interviews)
2. Sleep through an alarm on an important day (Wallabies WC presser)
3. Go to Maccas late at night on an important week (Lions)
4. Get drunk and cause a scene at an airport
5. Get caught buying/doing coke

He's probably also done other stuff I don't remember or wasn't reported.


Getting drunk/high, being up himself, and fucking up his priorities are something a lot of people do. Everyone knows people like this, whether they're failing uni students, middling sales employees, or crappy tradies.

Let's not play armchair psychologist on him. He's just a talented guy with a garden variety attitude.

Yes they all sound normal for the average person. I don't think he fits that category. You have continually in this thread been of the view that the same standards fit everybody. While that sounds fair and idealistic it is quite removed from reality. In his world of professional sport, and that can be broken down further into even the Aus rugby microcosm, that behaviour is not accepted. He should not be compared to you or I, but his peers, that manage to not do that sort of stuff. See what I'm saying? I have no issue with people in some areas taking coke, but professional sports it's absolutely a dumb decision.

Anyway, now being reported Toulon will not re-sign him.

 

[amirite]

I think for the sake of their contracts professional athletes should be held to a different standard. Anyone at the top of their field should be. I'm not saying the ARU or Toulon should laugh it off and throw more money his direction.

I just think saying he has a mental illness or even that he is a special kind of fucked up is incorrect.

 

[Tex]

You misread my post which is funny in itself.

How else are you going to change the law in a conservative nation such as this unless you or anybody else becomes a dictator.

I said the word "for" not was.

But your view of the world and what's in it particularly when it comes to illegal drugs is interesting.

Your trite posts about dictatorships and Australia being an inherently conservative nation viz. its drug laws are 100% at-odds with reality.

Amends the Narcotic Drugs Act 1967 to: give effect to certain of Australia’s obligations under the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, 1961 (the Single Convention); establish licensing and permit schemes for the cultivation and production of cannabis and cannabis resin for medicinal and scientific purposes, and for the manufacture of narcotic drugs covered by the Single Convention; provide for monitoring, inspection and enforcement powers for authorised inspectors and for the secretary to give directions to licence holders and former licence holders; and enable the secretary to authorise a state or territory government agency to undertake cultivation and production of cannabis and manufacture of medicinal cannabis products; and the Therapeutic Goods Act 1989 to make a consequential amendment.
http://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Bills_Legislation/Bills_Search_Results/Result?bId=r5609
http://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Bills_Legislation/Bills_Search_Results/Result?bId=r5609

 

[Tex]

Anyway - can't wait for JOC (James O'Connor) to spill the beans and repent like a defendant in a Balinese court room.

I'll offer 2-1 odds we're told it's to do with the unfair spotlight placed on him from a young age, that he was never given a balanced mentor and that it's him what's been failed, your honour!

Edit: woop there it is!

"No one taught me how to cope, how to act in this environment. I came straight out of school, I wasn't the best student, just wanting to play rugby. I wasn't planning to be anyone's role model."

 

[I like to watch]

Anyway, now being reported Toulon will not re-sign him.

Hmm,where to next?

He was very impressive in his previous short stint with West Harbour, maybe they'll have him back?

 

[Rebels3]

I actually don't think James is especially troubled or even mentally ill.

He's just your standard lazy but talented guy, there's people like that in all industries.

He just happens to be at the top of a profession that probably rewards talent (and youth) more than most, and has a lot of media attention.

I mean what has JOC (James O'Connor) actually done that's bad in his career?

1. Be narcissistic ('the brand' and some of his photos/interviews)
2. Sleep through an alarm on an important day (Wallabies WC presser)
3. Go to Maccas late at night on an important week (Lions)
4. Get drunk and cause a scene at an airport
5. Get caught buying/doing coke

He's probably also done other stuff I don't remember or wasn't reported.


Getting drunk/high, being up himself, and fucking up his priorities are something a lot of people do. Everyone knows people like this, whether they're failing uni students, middling sales employees, or crappy tradies.

Let's not play armchair psychologist on him. He's just a talented guy with a garden variety attitude.

Agreed. He's not a bad person, he's just immature and makes stupid decisions. On saying that the best thing for him to do would be, return to Australia get a 'normal' job for a year play Premier Rugby and then make himself available for a contract come 2019 or even an injury fill in 2018. He needs to show a willingness to take a few steps back to eventually go forward. Otherwise he will just end up being a mercenary in Japanese rugby etc.

I actually wouldn't be against him at the rebels again, but like i said, if that was the case would like him to come down here play Dewar shield, work on a worksite for a year and maybe get involved in the coach of a junior or womens team to get some perspective on life. Maybe the Rebels owner promise him a deal if he waits on some tables at TGI's for a year. haha

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

Edit: woop there it is!

"No one taught me how to cope, how to act in this environment. I came straight out of school, I wasn't the best student, just wanting to play rugby. I wasn't planning to be anyone's role model."

Bingo. It's everyone else's fault, not mine. The thing is, James, there are plenty of your peers who have worked all of this out. You didn't and now you're paying for it.

 

[liquor box]

There is something not right mentally with O'Connor. He needs help. I would hate to see something seriously happen to his welfare. I think that could happen. Its very sad and such a waste
With the injuries etc that doesn't help, leads to depression and with spare time on his hands
Whats his family doing, his old man ?? He needs to get out from over there and get back home for a while with the family and sort things out.
Get rid of the hanger ons, his manager, some of the people he hangs around etc.. If he was playing for the Broncos in NRL he would have the old man Wayne Bennett putting him under his wing like a son and supporting him , just like he has done with Darius Boyd a former problem child. No one has done this for him from an early age and guided him through

Why do we always feel like sportsmen need help, maybe he is just a dickhead drug user? Nothing more nothing less.

Same thing happened with Grant Hackett, everyone was saying he needs help and isn't it a shame what happened to him. If he was John Doe he would be portrayed as the DV merchant drug user that he is and calls would be made for him to go to prison, not therapy.

We need to treat all persons the same, putting sportsmen on a pedestal stops them looking after them self, it is not a manager/partner/parents job to fix the problem, firstly the person needs to have some consequences for their actions.

 

[Twoilms]

To be fair to the guy, if even half of the things i've done since leaving school got out and i was a professional sports person i'd be unemployable. Willing to bet a few of us passing judgment in here are the same.

 

[Moondog]

Why do we always feel like sportsmen need help, maybe he is just a dickhead drug user? Nothing more nothing less.

Same thing happened with Grant Hackett, everyone was saying he needs help and isn't it a shame what happened to him. If he was John Doe he would be portrayed as the DV merchant drug user that he is and calls would be made for him to go to prison, not therapy.

We need to treat all persons the same, putting sportsmen on a pedestal stops them looking after them self, it is not a manager/partner/parents job to fix the problem, firstly the person needs to have some consequences for their actions.

Everyone is different. Personalities are different. Some can handle fame / stress and others can't.
Some do suffer from depression and other forms of mental illness where they don't think clearly make wrong decisions and they do need some guidance.
Your elite sportsmen are brought to light with the media because people know about them and it sells newspapers. He needs to get some counselling and sort out his problems

 

[Scrubber2050]

James has always had an "attitude" problem that has remained since he a young kid to Wallaby and beyond.

His many indiscretions have been publicised. He has been "remorseful" AFTER being caught as many are.

The drugs issue is a new one, well publicly now. He has been caught. The real question for me that will never be answered (certainly by James) is how long he has been on the gear.

I'm sure that in his mitigation of the charges he will allege that was the first and only time as he just wanted to experiment the effects and that he can't believe he was so stupid. That works in the Queensland courts.

 

[Micheal]

James has always had an "attitude" problem that has remained since he a young kid to Wallaby and beyond.

His many indiscretions have been publicised. He has been "remorseful" AFTER being caught as many are.

The drugs issue is a new one, well publicly now. He has been caught. The real question for me that will never be answered (certainly by James) is how long he has been on the gear.

I'm sure that in his mitigation of the charges he will allege that was the first and only time as he just wanted to experiment the effects and that he can't believe he was so stupid. That works in the Queensland courts.

He would have been doing coke for years haha.

They're all on it (anecdotal BS).

As a point of reference:

http://www.betootaadvocate.com/head...nnor-got-pinched-with-a-bag-of-rack-in-paris/

Has got over 3,600 likes on Facebook and 462 comments essentially agreeing with the jist of it.

 

[Scrubber2050]

^^^^^
Shit and I thought it was a secret

 

[mudskipper]

He will deal with it, way too much focus on a small drug charge at a Paris night club... may cost him signing a better future contract with Toluon... they'll just offer him less but sign him...

 

[Twoilms]

J
The drugs issue is a new one, well publicly now. He has been caught. The real question for me that will never be answered (certainly by James) is how long he has been on the gear.

I mean, lets be real-life, it's probably not the first time. It's also a bit harsh to say he's 'on the gear'. Occasionally banging a line is a little different to having a substance abuse problem.

 

[Scrubber2050]

You can't be a half virgin

You either are or are not

 

[No4918]

This is about right for a summary of events.
Ali: Hey James, want to get on the toothpaste this weekend?

 

[amirite]

You can't be a half virgin

You either are or are not