One less Super Rugby team, three new coaches and a departing CEO – Australian rugby is a wild workplace when David Pocock takes annual leave.
Oh, and apparently there’s going to be a new Asian rugby competition.
There will be plenty of intrigue heading into next year following a tumultuous 2017 that was overloaded with squabbles, injunctions, axings, hammerings and humiliations – although the depressing state of Australian rugby was starkly put into perspective when weighed up against the tragic death of father-of-two and well-respected Wallaby Daniel Vickerman.
But the storyline that has the potential to be the most fascinating is what Brad Thorn can do with the Queensland Reds.
Thorn was on Thursday named as the Reds’ new coach, replacing Nick Stiles who was dumped after just one season in the job.
Thorn only retired from top-tier rugby as a player in 2015 at the age of 40 after more than two decades of a freakish career in rugby league and union.
But in just two years he has convinced the Queensland Rugby Union he is the one to lift them out of their four-season rut.
Since Ewen McKenzie coached Queensland to the Super Rugby finals in 2013, Richard Graham, Matt O’Connor and Stiles have failed to keep pace with the competition’s elite teams and were axed.
Thorn’s only head coaching experience has been with this year’s undefeated Queensland under-20s and the Queensland Country side, who currently sit at the top of the NRC ladder. Thorn was an assistant to Stiles in 2017 as the Reds won just four games.
But Queensland Rugby Union CEO Richard Barker made it clear why Thorn was appointed to lead the Reds, who were seeking “a catalyst for change in culture, discipline and standards”.
“We feel strongly that Brad Thorn is the right person to lead this change,” said Barker, “and that his appointment as head coach is the necessary catalyst for that change.”
It is a major leap of faith from the Queensland Rugby Union board given Thorn’s inexperience, which pales when compared to his predecessor Stiles, who had a 10-year stint in various roles post-playing before getting the nod as Reds head coach.
But Thorn will be a back-to-basics, hard-nosed coach – and one that would already come with the respect of the current squad. The decision was recommended by a rugby committee including Nathan Sharpe, Mark Connors and Sam Cordingley, who no doubt would’ve been in close contact with Reds players.
He’s hardly likely to overcomplicate his approach – even in this age of multiple assistant coaches, contact coaches, kicking coaches and video analysts. He’s specifically been brought in to impose the same high standards and discipline he was noted for in winning rugby World Cups, NRL premierships, State of Origin series and Super Rugby titles.
He won’t light up media conferences. He won’t introduce convoluted defensive strategies. He won’t be a revolutionary.
His battle with new Melbourne Rebels coach Dave Wessels looms as an enthralling one next season.
Wessels, a coach in his mid-30s without an international pedigree as a player and known as an astute tactician and analyst, against Thorn, the dual-code dual-international who will have his Reds playing direct, fast and furious.
This is a decent upheaval for the Reds and a great test to see whether an old-school style coach can cut it at the elite level. But don’t expect Thorn to be giving too many flowery updates as he aims to transform Queensland in 2018.
“I believe actions speak louder than words,” Thorn said with typical Dunedin dryness on Thursday.
Muzzo
Guest
Yep Fox, as he might realize that Cooper being a fellow Kiwi, who possibly didn't learn his basic's very well in Tokoroa, could need some good SI skills, as produced from Brad's area. Cheers.
Terry
Guest
Quade and the Reds were the only Aussie team that pushed the super premiers Crusaders and would have won if not for a pedantic/dodgy penalty in the 79th minute.So yes Quade can still mix it with best mate. I`d suggest you go back to consuming more of that nectar of the slobs you call - " WAIKATO DRAUGHT " and " TUI LAGER", It`ll go down nicely with that black and white tinfoil hat you are always wearing.Make sure you strap on one chup when attending Rugby games in OZ as two may make you too balanced ( this seems to be called fashion in Hobbit Isle ). As you are only sporting one chup on your shoulder, i`d suggest you have a wound up parrot on the other shoulder that repeats over and over how good the ALL BLACKS are, and every New Zealander is a super coach. P.S Remember, don`t forget your Black tinted monocle when leaving the Shire.
Fox
Roar Guru
Exactly and why he didn't virtually win it in his own which my point in response.
William Tell
Guest
"Genia was critical as well back then and indeed got the try that won it, not to mention a pack that gave Cooper front foot ball in most games." Good feeds from a good half back and a strong forward pack are pretty much the essentials for a successful performance at 10. Thanks for that - brilliant insight.
William Tell
Guest
Good to know Byrne's has a long term plan....did it include hiring then firing Stiles? Seems to be working then.
William Tell
Guest
Aren't all the Aussie "experts" in commentary?
Cuw
Guest
this can only go two ways. 1. he is a coaching genius and makes reds the best team in auzzy 2. he has no idea - just like Martin Johnson - and ends up ruining his CV.
Muzzo
Guest
Well said William!!!!
Muzzo
Guest
Hahaha Sage, it's obvious you must have had your eye patch whilst watching that game, as it was Thorn that reacted to that particular incident, with the said person being prone on the ground. Try watching it again, as your response, is a little out of whack.
Schuey
Guest
Hopeful, not confident. Thorn has very little coaching experience relative to his peers.
Taylorman
Guest
Yes NRC form is dangerous to pick him on as a semi pro league will have all the things he wont get at test level. Space, time, pressure etc. So its tricky. He plays average at Super, well at NRC, sooo...??
PiratesRugby
Guest
Thorn played rugby league for Australia. He's an absolute legend and seems a top bloke. But there's more to coaching at an elite level than running hills and full contact training. Does anyone know whether Thorn has undergone any sort of training or study to assist his coaching? I really hope Thorn is successful. He's an excellent sportsman. He's succeeded in two sports. Australian rugby is strong when Qld rugby is strong. If Thorn can unlock the potential of Qld rugby then more power to him.
Fox
Roar Guru
Yeah Taylorman and I think that is the catch22 of his talent. When plays on the edge he is more creative in opening up defences but also more counter-productive in that he also opens up opportunities for the opposition when he gets it horribly wrong and he usually does at some point and often more than once. When he is retrained he doesn't have the brilliant tactical kicking or goal kicking of someone like Dan Carter or Johnny Wilkinson to be able to control the game with his boot. When that happens he often has a less error ridden game but less creative game in attack. I do think he plays better when his reins his flamboyance in though. He is more solid looking fly half. He is looking good in the NRC and good on him - but the opposition is not the defence of Canterbury or the Highlanders either let alone the AB's or England. It will be interesting to see how Cheika attack Cooper in the up coming game with Barbarians - this will tell us exactly where Cheika and his cohorts think Cooper has weaknesses and perhaps even hint at why he has fallen out of favour. How Allan Jones tells Cooper to play will be interesting as well - he won't want Cooper making costly errors as he has been very outspoken about the Wallabies defence in recent times. Hmmmm...
Taylorman
Guest
Yes the Thorn Cooper relationship will be interesting. Thorn is a hard taskmaster and wont put up with rubbish. That alone could suppress Coopers natural tendencies and by trying to play the standard ten game he could offer little. Quades only really effective when he gets to play on the edge.
Drongo
Guest
Is a 'pocket p-isser' someone who earns more than you?
Drongo
Guest
In a high paid career you mean, as opposed to the low (if any) pay and huge uncertainty of trying to be a professional rugby coach. Yeah, they must all be idiots as you imply. What exactly is a pocket pset? Someone who makes more than you?
Drongo
Guest
Can they write a coherent sentence with punctuation?
Sage
Guest
I remember that and also the guy on the ground who lashed out with the boot and kicked Quade. Maybe he deserved to have his head ripped off for a dog act too.
Muzzo
Guest
Haha Danny, that HK game was possibly the first time I had really seen Brad lose his cool, in the International arena. Had he not been held back, by teammates, I'm sure he would have possibly ripped someone's head off for doing the dog act of kneeing, in the head, of a player on the ground. Now he's the coach!! lol
Sage
Guest
......or the third option is you were wrong about Quade. That is also a distinct possibility