Having been dropped from the Wallabies and Rebels setup, James O’Connor has been plying his trade in the Northern Hemisphere with London Irish. However he has been very vocal with his intent to play in the 2015 World Cup. At this stage the Queensland Reds seem the most likely Australian club to take the troubled but perhaps reformed young star.
Nobody at Ballymore will confirm the lingering suggestion that O’Connor’s presence next year is a formality but nobody is denying it either, with both coach Richard Graham and Horwill hardly avoiding the issue when quizzed during the week.
Questions remain about O’Connor’s record off the field but he appears to have been a model citizen during stints in English and French rugby over the past nine months.
James Horwill, the Reds captain, expressed his faith in the QRU to make the right decision. However he emphasized the fact that “anyone that comes here, no matter who it is, has to come here for the right reasons and fit into our culture. That’s the most important thing we’ve stressed. No matter where they are, a Test player or a young guy, they have to come here because they want to play for Queensland, they want to fit into our way of playing and want to do things our way.
After a dreadful season the Reds have been clearing their roster of names like Shipperly and Harris creating speculation for big signings. Another name being thrown up is Karmichael Hunt, currently playing footy on the Gold Coast. Having come from League, to AFL, could he have as big an impact as Israel Folau?
