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I wanted to stay, says departing Force star James O'Connor

Dale GrangerNews Corp Australia


JAMES O'Connor speaks with Dale Granger about the real story behind his move from the Western Force to the Melbourne Rebels.

DALE GRANGER: All of a sudden the Force announced that you would be released from your contract, but the fans thought you would be staying. What happened?

JAMES O'CONNOR: Before negotiations started I told the Force I wanted to stay and continue my career in Perth. The Force presented me with an original offer that was a reduction on my last contract. I had been with the club from the age of 18 and believe I had delivered as a player and leader on and off the field.

Although I wanted to speak to other franchises to see what was available to develop my rugby career and financial security, I had indicated to the Force my preference would be to stay another year and reviewing second year options after five months to make sure my rugby was developing. They had agreed to these terms, but then I found out on Saturday they were changing these terms that had been agreed. To try and find a solution we proposed other options, but the Force gave me a deadline to make a decision. The deadline changed three times by the Force and in the end they gave me an hour to make a decision before they publically announced they were withdrawing their offer.

Q: The Force virtually implied that you had been a mercenary in negotiations and set outrageous conditions, while they were extremely generous. But at one stage they had agreed to your conditions?

A: Exactly true. They gave me a verbal commitment and I was not aware that they were about to change their position. The terms we agreed were financially a good offer and I had been given reassurance I would develop my rugby with the club. Then suddenly they were not in a position to commit to their promises, therefore, other options were more attractive from a rugby point of view despite not being as financially rewarding.

Q: One condition they said you wanted was the club signing two international backline quality players. What was the motivation for that?

A: To commit to the franchise and feel secure about my rugby development, it was important that the Force remained competitive and retained key players to ensure they can win Super Rugby titles. Throughout the negotiation process this was discussed as the Force sought opinions on the understanding that there are top international players they wanted to sign. I never demanded these signings, but to me it's a no brainer. If you retain key players and attract world class players it makes for an exciting team that the fans want to see and it puts you in a position you want, which is to win a Super title. The better players you have around you, the more you develop and learn about the game.

Q: They also said you wanted David Pocock, your close friend in the Wallabies, to be given a contract extension after next season.

A: Exactly. There is no doubt he is a fantastic player and a leader you would pick as a future captain of the Western Force. Again, the motivation was to give ourselves a club that could win matches and push for the finals and beyond. David's self-worth is evident and I wanted him to stay on because you want to retain the best players. But these were not demands I was making in negotiations as opposed to seeking assurances on the promises made to me, which at one stage the club seemed happy to sign off on. Like I said, I don't know why they changed their position.

Q: Did the Western Force deal honourably with you in negotiations?

A: I would not say they were dishonourable. Just that their position changed on numerous occasions and ultimately a complicated process was most disappointing, particularly in the last few days.

Q: At one stage you had made a decision to stay with the Force. On what basis did you decide to do so?

A: I felt the club and I had a lot to offer each other in rugby development. It was where I started my professional career as an 18-year-old and I felt a sense of loyalty to the club and the fans. I loved my time with the Force, where I have developed as a player, and the fans give huge support to the club. My main concern was my development as a player and the Force were able to commit, providing assurances in this regard. Once these assurances could not be committed to, despite lower financial rewards elsewhere, I felt alternative offers represented the best opportunities to me.

Q: What does Perth and the Force fans mean to you?

A: Like I said, the Force gave me the chance to play professional rugby and for those reasons I will always be affectionate to the club, sponsors and fans, who are second to none week in and out. Win, lose or draw, they are always out there cheering you on and you would be hard pressed to find a better group of supporters. I made lifelong friends in Perth and will always be grateful to the club for developing me as a player and a person.

Q: What were your best memories, moments and matches with the Force?

A: I think beating the Stormers last year at home. That was big for us and we reacted like soccer players chasing the guy who scored the winning goal running around the field celebrating after David Hill had dropped the field goal at the end. The stadium was full and it was awesome as they stuck around to celebrate. It felt like old school rugby.

Q: And the toughest?

A: I guess the Waratahs at home this year. We were primed for a big game, but fell flat, which felt so out of character. It was not a good performance, we let our organisation and supporters down and the boys were not happy. Then against the Reds last weekend, they were at the top of the table and we at the bottom. But we stuck together and dominated the contest only to lose in the last five minutes. That was tough, because we had the upper hand. The home draw against the Blues didnt go down too well either, because we had the ball and were on the attack.

Q: Will you still keep ties with Perth?

A: I loved Perth the whole time, the city, the people, everything. It feels like home to me and I have been fortunate to make lifelong friends, not only at the Force among coaches, fans and support staff. There are a lot of people I will enjoy coming back to see.

Q: How tough was it staying focussed on rugby while negotiations dragged on for almost five months?

A: In all honesty it was not difficult. I merely wanted to look at all options and make the best decision for my rugby development. It was an important decision and I wanted to get it right. In terms of rugby passion, once you hit the training field leading up to a game, you think no further than rugby, which is all about the boys and winning the game. I love rugby and it did not affect me at all. I had good people all around me dealing with that stuff.

Q: Vern Reid and Richard Graham have had a lot to say about you in the media, but until now you have kept quiet. Would you like to set the record straight on how the Force have justified their actions?

A: Richard had a lot to do with my development on and off the field and I have enjoyed some good times and been through some tough times with the side. The worst thing is the disappointment hearing some comments from the fans. But I'm not sure the Fans at the Force knew all the facts. They've been fantastic to me and I want them to understand a bit of the background to the situation, which I don't think was correctly communicated. I know I made the right decisions and hope they can understand that.

Q: Looking ahead its a big year with your first World Cup looming and everything to play for. How will you approach the coming months?

A: These are exciting times and it will be great getting together and having a four-week period leading into the Test season. The World Cup is going to be massive and I am looking forward to getting an opportunity to be involved. It will be a surreal experience you want to enjoy with teammates. It was exciting times finishing the Test season last year and I cant wait to take the field against other nations.

Q: The Melbourne Rebels, the Reds and Brumbies were all chasing you. What were the merits of their offers?

A: The Brumbies were definitely a viable option. They have good support structures and have brought in some awesome management.

When you talk about the Reds and the Rebels they have a culture looking to have fun with an emphasis of rugby development. That featured high in discussions as well as the importance on creating a new rugby dynamic that will set them apart from other teams, with an onus of not just being competitive, but how to win the competition and take that step up. Ewen McKenzie has done wonders for the Reds and Rod Macqueen and Damian Hill at the Rebels are two people I very much respect.