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Australia speedster James O'Connor staying at the Western Force
By Bret Harris
June 17, 2009
When the players at Western Force revolted against coach John Mitchell towards the end of last year, there were fears of an exodus from the Perth-based Super 14 club.
Those fears were heightened when Australia five-eighth Matt Giteau announced this year he would return to the Brumbies next season and fullback/winger Drew Mitchell left to join New South Wales Waratahs.
Several other players also departed, including Scott Staniforth, Tai McIsaac, Junior Pelesasa, Gareth Hardy, AJ Whalley and Tamati Horua. It reached the point where people were wondering if the Force would be competitive next year.
But that perception will start to change with the news that Wallabies teenage sensation James O'Connor has decided to stay in Perth for a further two years.
Force officials said they had not received anything official from O'Connor or his management, but a source told The Australian newspaper that the deal was about to be done.
O'Connor had considered following Giteau to the Brumbies, but the ACT side could not match the big third-party money on offer in the west.
Last weekend it looked as if the Force had shot itself in the foot by trying to pressure O'Connor into meeting a deadline, giving the Brumbies hope of securing him at the last minute the way they did Rocky Elsom. But O'Connor has shown loyalty to the Force, which will build its team around him.
The anticipated signing of former South Africa five-eighth Andre Pretorius also influenced O'Connor's decision to stay in the west.
If the Force can bring Wallabies winger Digby Ioane back from Queensland Reds, the backline will start to look threatening again, even without Giteau and Mitchell.
The Force already has a solid platform in the forwards with Wallabies Nathan Sharpe, David Pocock, Richard Brown, Matt Hodgson and Pek Cowan.
They have also muscled up further in the forwards with the acquisition of Wallabies prop Matt Dunning and Hurricanes prop Tim Fairbrother to add experience in the frontrow to complement Cowan's tremendous potential.
The signing of Dunning will give the Force hope that his Waratahs and Eastwood teammate Damian Fitzpatrick will follow him across the Nullarbor.
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