Bradley Carnegie Thorn is a winner. As a player, as a coach and across two codes no-one has achieved what Brad Thorn has.
Others will be immortals, legends and be looked up to by everyone. Brad has gone about his business with grace and minimal fanfare, without controversy and with a huge amount of humility.
But make no mistake – beneath that exterior is a fierce competitor that set standards few can match.
Let’s first look at his numbers.
In rugby league he played 200 games for the Broncos, 14 games for Queensland and five games for Australia, winning a total of three NRL titles, two State of Origin victories and one Super League title.
(Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)
In rugby union he player 171 club games and 59 Tests for New Zealand, winning five Bledisloe Cups, three Tri Nations competitions, two NPC titles, one World Cup and one European Rugby Champions Cup.
For those doing the tally, that is a total of 18 trophies across a 22-year playing career. Simply phenomenal. Add to this record his numerous personal awards and it’s clear Thorn is not an ordinary person. Success follows him everywhere.
Now he’s coaching and it’s clear that he’s not just a physical specimen but has tactical nous and ability to get the most out of his players that is second to none.
Having retired form playing in 2015 at the age of 40 (Tom Brady who?), he started assistant coaching with the Reds before taking on his first head coaching role with Queensland Country in 2017. In his first year as head coach and only third in a coaching capacity he steered his team to an emphatic 42-28 victory over Canberra, capping off a season that comprised eight wins and two losses.
The following year he was promoted to head coach of the Reds after the unceremonious sacking of Nick Stiles. The Reds were in chaos on and off the field with player indiscretions, board disharmony and a continuous coaching merry-go-round. Fast-forward to 2021 and the franchise is completely different and now the leader in Australian rugby. This is no small part due to Thorn’s leadership.
The first year in Super Rugby was a tough initiation, with only four wins from 16 games, the Reds finishing second last in the Australian conference. But there were signs of something to come – the discipline was there, the youth program was in full swing and there was stability.
The following year was an improvement, with six wins from 16, but they were also winning a heap of fans with their style of play, their mix of youth and experience and, most importantly, faith in a coach.
With the disrupted 2020 season meaning Australia and New Zealand played their own competitions, the faith was repaid with the Reds getting pipped by a vastly more experienced Brumbies outfit 28-23 in the Super Rugby AU final. They have started 2021 with a smashing of old enemies the Waratahs 41-7.
So does this mean Brad Thorn should be considered for the top job sooner rather than later?
Well let’s look at the qualities required. Player respect? Tick. An understanding of the modern game? Tick. A strong game plan? tick. Humility? Tick. High standards? Tick. An ability to develop talent? Tick. A genuine leader? Tick.
There are more base qualities I am sure, but there is no question that with the best talent in Australia he has the calibre to take us back to the pinnacle of the sport. He was a bit green during the last recruitment, but give it a few more years of showing what he can do at the Super Rugby level and it will be a no-brainer.
Thorn should also be encouraged to be a part of the Wallabies set-up sooner rather than later to give him the exposure he needs and create a natural heir apparent, something we have not had for a long time.
Clearly I am an unabashed Brad Thorn lover, but his credentials speak for themselves. Rather than make him go through the traditional path of going overseas to get higher level coaching, keep him and nurture him here.
His ability to create calmness, a united front on all levels and belief in his players make him a must for the wallabies program. If not, we risk losing one of if not the best coaching prospects to other countries, a travesty the sport could not afford.
Davos
Guest
Thorne has no interest in coaching Australia - This is fact. He is aiming for All blacks and does not see wallabies as a stepping stone, he will likely be offered a job in NZ super rugby next.
numpty
Roar Rookie
My first comment says "thorn still has much to prove". The rest of them essentially just state the timeline of reds improvement, and the fact that a head coach has an influence over a teams performance. Not much about thorn at all.
DAVEC
Roar Rookie
he should be working with rennie some super rugby coaches do not make great international rugby coaches
Wheelbarrow
Roar Rookie
I’d say the same to you. Stop your crush on Brad the player. Read between the lines on the players leaving by his choice or theirs. He can’t man manage.
numpty
Roar Rookie
So who picks the QLD reds if not the head coach at the reds? I’m sure Thorn would like to know :laughing: and quade for that matter. okay so let see if I have this straight – Thorn doesn’t pick his players or coach them, BUT, it was thorn’s fault when the reds got the wooden spoon and none of his doing getting them to the final last year???
numpty
Roar Rookie
Mate I don't know if you realise this, but Thorn lives rent free in your head. Maybe you should check your bias considering you seem to attribute all that is bad at the reds to Thorn, yet none of the good.
Wheelbarrow
Roar Rookie
they picked the under 20 Australian team.... that whole team are basically playing super rugby now.. brad had no say in that.
numpty
Roar Rookie
So you think every player now in the reds squad are there totally not of Thorn's doing??? I understand how talent comes through, I'm just not silly to think that the teams and coaches that those players come through have nothing to do with their ID, development etc. Also, if the reds group has significantly changed since the wooden spooning, wouldn't that suggest thorn is astute in talent ID and development?
Wheelbarrow
Roar Rookie
my wet sock makes more inspiration discussions than Brad. his assistants are the best in the wold as well - makes life easier.
Wheelbarrow
Roar Rookie
they actually aren't... new front row (besides Thorn), new 2nd row, new loose forwards. Tate, JOC and Stewart only ppl from 2019.. im not counting bryce... it definitely wasn't in Sam cordingley's master plan. talent does come through in groups - think the Australian cricket team with glen, Shane, pointing, Hayden etc. same for the raiders in 1990's, the bronco's mid 1990's and 2ooo's.
numpty
Roar Rookie
Yes, the talent just magically appeared at the reds doorstep against Thorn's best intentions. No talent ID, development of youth, active signings, long term contracts. Nope. They all just decided to play for this perennially poor performing coach you describe over all else. Funny that the same group of players that got the wooden spoon, are now these same blokes that were 'very lucky' to come through. Its almost like they have improved over time. Coached perhaps???
Wheelbarrow
Roar Rookie
yes - after 3 years of nowhere and potential starts and poor finishes. taking to the super rugby AU final that include the waratahs and western force is not something to be signing about.. very lucky to have the talent come through - these guys would make richard graham look good, let alone bred thorne.
Chully Bun
Guest
No but Richard Loe act the eye gouger was part of Muzzos Whanau.
numpty
Roar Rookie
Yes he was, and then he and his coaching team took the reds to the finals in the coming years.
Wheelbarrow
Roar Rookie
He was a part of the coaching team when that got the wooden spoon. Only got the job as no one else fitted their budget
Wheelbarrow
Roar Rookie
Completely agree. Thorn is a forwards coach nothing more. He isn’t a communicator and has some of the best assistants doing his role. To say he is leading those departments in ideas is incorrect. The team he has now are. Golden generational team- blessed to him them in his side/ timing. Ppl get confused about his talents as a footballer, not as a coach.
Sluggy
Roar Guru
Was Colin Meads a member of your Whanau, Muzzo? Was what he did to Ken Catchpole a disgrace?
Tony H
Roar Pro
There's a whole bunch of people on this forum who will absolutely smash you for this opinion mate, so good on you for writing it. I can see the argument from both sides. Firstly, Thorn hasn't won anything yet in SR, and his overall coaching record at the top level isn't statistically great, so I'd personally say that it's too soon for him. On the other hand, I think that there's a big difference between building a team, and rebuilding the club, and Thorn has aimed to do both. As a massive Reds fan, (and former supplier) the absolute debacle that Reds HQ was over the last decade has to be seen to be believed. Frankly, it made RA look like a shining light of organisation and responsibility. I'm firmly of the belief (definitely not inside knowledge) that Thorn took the job on the proviso that it was to rebuild a club and a culture - not just a winning team. In fact, I agree with a lot of people here that he sacrificed wins in his first 2-3 years with some of the players that he let go and dropped, but I ALSO believe that he did it for a reason, and with good vision and purpose. It's kind of like doing a reno. You can slap paint on it, make it look good for a couple of weeks for a prospective buyer and move on to other things; or you can do it properly. Stabilise the foundations, pull out rotten timbers, fix the floorplan and do it properly,so you can live there a long time. Whether Thorn has the finishing touch to take the TEAM to the top, we will see. I for one, will be forever grateful for the transformation he has brought upon the club.
robbo999
Roar Rookie
No
StuO
Roar Rookie
Not sure how far into the future you are projecting for a Wallabies call up for Thorn, but I think we have a decent bloke in the job at the moment. Chieka had more runs on the board compared to Thorn when he was handed the top job and look what he did with our national team. I think the bigger issue for Rugby AU is a lack of basic skills and impatience shown by professional Aussie players overall. Instead of building pressure they kick aimlessly, pass when they should hold the ball, hold the ball and go into contact when they should pass to a support player, lose possession at contact and opt for the trick play instead of working the ball through the hands. On top of this I couldn't believe how many times I saw a 5/8 catch and pass flat footed not even engaging the defence. The right coach will have all the qualities you have mentioned as well as the courage to teach the basics again and again. Not sure that is the case at the moment.