James O’Connor makes a break for French club Toulon against Racing Metro at the weekend

Wallabies coach Ewen McKenzie has denied reports that James O’Connor demanded a guaranteed World Cup spot to return to Australia.

McKenzie said O’Connor’s decision to leave a rich contract with Toulon signals an improved attitude.

O’Connor was revealed as a new signing for the Queensland Reds on Friday night. But unlike fellow recruit Karmichael Hunt, the ARU did not give him a financial top-up.

Playing in exile with Toulon, O’Connor reportedly demanded a spot in the Wallabies squad for next year’s World Cup from McKenzie or he’d stay with the French champions.

An unnamed source told L’Equipe: “James has two options. Either McKenzie guarantees him a place in the squad for the World Cup … or James feels that he is being recalled simply to make up the numbers, with no guarantees, in which case he will stay at Toulon.”

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McKenzie on Sunday scoffed at the report before flying to Perth, where the Wallabies will play the Springboks on Saturday.

“Anyone who knows me, they don’t get any guarantees out of me about anything,” McKenzie said.

“How that’s been reported, I know that’s not his mindset because I have spoken to him. It doesn’t transfer to guaranteed selection.

“You can ask anyone in the whatever-it-is years I have been a coach, no one gets guarantees in terms of ­selection. You have to earn your way in and that’ll be done next year.”

McKenzie said he had spoken or texted O’Connor “once a month” since his departure last year but only spoke contracts last week after his deal with the Reds was done.

The Daily Telegraph understands, however, that a conversation about the World Cup did occur between McKenzie and O’Connor several weeks ago when the 44-Test back had to confirm his intentions with Toulon.

O’Connor sought an assurance his past wouldn’t count against him when it came to World Cup selection, which McKenzie obliged.

“We will assess on what we see, in the end,” McKenzie said about change in O’Connor.

“It will become obvious where he’s up to. I have heard nothing untoward since he’s been over there, that I am aware of.

“The World Cup is in September, so it’s January through to the September for everyone, for the whole Australian rugby fraternity, in terms of doing the right thing. We know that he can function at Test level and make a difference, it’s just a matter of him playing, coming back and putting his credentials forward.”

O’Connor will return in January and play for the Reds on a two-year deal, leaving behind a lucrative weekly deal at Toulon. It is unclear if he will return to Toulon in 2016 but McKenzie is impressed by O’Connor’s willingness to forego the easy option of a healthy weekly pay packet for a shot at Wallaby redemption.

“That tells you his motivation is in the right space,” he said.

“So that’s an important ingredient. And then you obviously have form.”

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Karmichael Hunt has all the right attributes to be a success in Super Rugby and beyond but he won’t be considered for inclusion on the Wallabies’ end-of-season Spring Tour of Europe.

Karmichael Hunt says farewell to Gold Coast Suns fans at Metricon Stadium on Sunday.

That was the verdict of Test coach Ewen McKenzie, who said a dispensation similar to the one given to Sonny Bill Williams by the New Zealand Rugby Union to join the All Blacks’ November tour would not be considered for Hunt or James O’Connor.

“Effectively they haven’t qualified, so there has been no discussion around that at all,” McKenzie said.

Based on his impressions of Hunt from a meeting earlier this year, and memories of the NRL-AFL convert’s past days in French rugby, it’s likely McKenzie expects more discussions next year.

“I was impressed with the guy when I met him, for lots of reasons,” McKenzie said.

“It depends on where (Queensland) play him and what role he’ll have, but I was impressed with the person. Anyone who knows me (knows) the skill set is one thing, the person is another. You have to get both right to have a chance of getting a good outcome.

“I think he can bring a bit to rugby in that sense, but ultimately it will come down to how well he plays.

“He has the right ingredients. it is just a question of transition. We know from when Izzy came across, the AFL guys, they do a lot of running. So he’s probably a few kilos under what the playing weight he would have been in league or whatever.

“So there’s some physiological adjustments but I think attitude, personality, he’s bright, he’s articulate, there’s a lot of things we can work with that suggest he has the ingredients to make a successful transition.”

McKenzie expects Hunt will play in the outside backs at the Reds.

“He played 13 at Biarritz, so you think he’d be playing 13 and wider; whether it be wing and fullback,” he said.

Can he play for the Wallabies next year?

“That’s a function of how you play next year. Whoever is in the pot next year, we’ll assess where they’re up to,” McKenzie said.