Queensland Reds coach Brad Thorn has declared his interest in becoming Wallabies coach after Dave Rennie.
While Brumbies coach and Wallabies assistant Dan McKellar, who is leaving the Super Rugby team to focus fulltime on the national side after this season, is Rennie’s heir apparent, Thorn’s ambitions add a layer of intrigue.
Thorn, who represented the All Blacks in union and Australia in rugby league, has previously batted away questions about his plans after coaching the Reds.
But on Tuesday he dropped a bombshell in an interview with Wayne Smith in the Sydney Morning Herald.
“Australia is where the challenge is for me and where I’m connected to,” Thorn said in what Smith decided “effectively put an end to speculation that he might one day put his hand up to coach the All Blacks, for whom he played 59 Tests including the 2011 World Cup final triumph.”
:Reds coach Brad Thorn. (Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)
Thorn added: “I hold the Wallabies coaching role in high esteem. It’s a privilege and a responsibility. I don’t believe you should just walk in there and get the job. You have to earn the right.
“Right now, I’m really enjoying my time with Queensland. We feel we have built a quality program here and that’s where our focus remains.
“If the opportunity presented itself at the right time later down the track, I would be honoured to coach the Wallabies.”
McKellar is still considered the logical Rennie replacement and Smith quoted an unnamed Rugby Australia source as claiming: “In the context of getting greater changes around high-performance coaching, Thorn has not been good to work with. He has not been a team player. A decision doesn’t have to be made now but he had better turn that around – and quickly.”
Thorn has a reputation for tough love and he was unable to find a way to work with stars such as Quade Cooper, Izack Rodda and Karmichael Hunt, while bringing through some talented youngsters and reinvigorating James O’Connor.
Rennie will see Australia through to the next World Cup in 2023 with expectations he will review his position at that time.
Six months for ALB
All Blacks midfielder Anton Lienert-Brown has all but declared himself out of the Bledisloe Cup and Rugby Championship with an expectation of a six month stint on the sidelines after undergoing shoulder surgery.
He confirmed the setback, suffered in Super Rugby Pacific at the weekend, in a post on Instagram.
“Shoulder is going to need a bit more work than I was hoping,” Lienert-Brown wrote.
“Going under the knife this week which will put me out for 6 months. A bump in the road but the journey continues. I’ll be back … appreciate all the support”.
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Meanwhile the Highlanders have lost two key forwards for eight weeks each.
All Blacks loose forward Shannon Frizell and lock Manaaki Selby-Rickit suffered knee injuries during their team’s 37-17 win over Moana Pasifika.
‘Shame it ended like that’
Mike Brown has added to the scrutiny on Eddie Jones by saying he was on the receiving end of a foul-mouthed rant when the England coach left him out of his squad for the 2019 World Cup in Japan, reports AFP.
Fullback Brown was involved in a training camp bust-up with Ben Te’o during an England training camp in Treviso.
Jones, who by that stage had left Brown out since giving him the last of his 72 England caps in 2018, used the incident to explain why he had left both backs out if his squad.
Brown said Te’o was responsible for the altercation by punching him in the face, but insisted an angry Jones was in no mood to listen to his explanations.
“That wasn’t the reason why I didn’t go to the World Cup,” Brown, England’s most capped full-back, told RugbyPass.
“I think it was just easier for Eddie to put it on that, as I’d kind of been getting pushed out of the team as that season had gone on.
“I said to him, ‘Look, I understand selection is what it is, but don’t put it on that. You haven’t even asked me what happened. With all due respect, I didn’t really do anything. I don’t feel like it was my fault.” The now 36-year-old Brown said Jones told him his security guards had witnessed the incident but reacted furiously when the player asked to see their written reports.
“So he just switched and turned on me, effing and blinding,” recalled Brown. “It wasn’t nice.
“He said, ‘Who the f*** do you think you are?’ because I was going back at him and he doesn’t like that.
“It’s a shame it ended up like that. I wanted clarity on why I wasn’t getting picked, not some made-up excuse.” In Brown’s absence, England went all the way to the World Cup final in Japan only to be well beaten 32-12 by South Africa in the showpiece match.
Brown’s comments come with Jones having presided over a second successive Six Nations where England lost three games, with the Rugby Football Union issuing a vote of confidence in the veteran Australian coach.
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Smiggle Jiggle
Roar Guru
I feel because of his height, he can bring a offload game like SBW into his game.
scrum
Roar Rookie
Once again aggressive anti social language. Interestingly no response detailing the assumptions that I supposedly made . You have never explained how your references to culture had anything to do with the number of Kiwis living in Aussie. All I have stated has been facts, never made any judgement on Kiwi culture but I am delusional. Exactly what are my delusional comments ,could you kindly list.
Muzzo
Roar Rookie
Oh so you're delusional as well??? Also. you do, post ' relevant' comments???? Oh then go to the top of the class princess!!! FFS !!!
scrum
Roar Rookie
Same old irrelevant comments , what is my colonial heritage , an assumption on your behalf. ? And what’s it got to do with Kiwis migrating to Aussie. And I am not using language like “ Run along, responses as ridiculous as your assumptions, Get a life. “ And please advise 1 assumption I have made. The only assumptions that have been made are by you. My only point is that there have been a huge number of Kiwis who have chosen to live in Australia especially compared to comparatively insignificant number of Aussies living in NZ. That is fact, no assumption whatsoever. So please advise the assumptions I have made.
Busted Fullback
Roar Rookie
Thanks
RahRah
Roar Rookie
Well said.
Muzzo
Roar Rookie
No judgement, but mention!! Also have you looked in the mirror, recently, in regards to aggressive??? Oh well most hypocrites do have that, mentality.. Apart from that, are the Nations ' Statistician ', on who should be here, & who shouldn't?? FFs try looking at your colonial heritage, sport..
scrum
Roar Rookie
I repeat my posts were about the number of Kiwis in Australia, you were the one who went off on a tangent over culture. All I have stated I was never talking about culture but about Kiwi migration to Australia. For some reason you are trying to connect the two. If you actually read my posts I made no judgement on Kiwi culture other than to say it is not connected to the subject I was discussing. And look at your own aggressive anti social language before being so judgmental of others
Muzzo
Roar Rookie
Your really showing, as the Indigenous, would say, Gubba ways, of European convict heritage, by running down cultures of the land & it's peoples, in regards to culture. Try reading back, where you mentioned, ' comments over culture'!! Now run along, as your responses are becoming as ridiculous as your assumptions. Get A life!! FFS!!!
Warwick Todd
Guest
So your talkin about Spindle not Stiles….Thorn came way after that. I doubt a coach that used Liam Gill as his primary ball running forward had the rugby acumen to formulate a coherent game plan.
scrum
Roar Rookie
What’s Waitangi Day got to do with Kiwis in big numbers coming to Australia. It’s irrelevant. Not denying what Muldoon said, any body can say anything. Has there ever been any evidence or studies done to prove his claim. No, google that if you do not believe me. It was a throwaway line to deflect from the real issue that there has been a huge migration of Kiwis to Australia, 15% of the population. You keep on about the culture, I have made no claims about culture, merely pointed out the facts that a huge number of Kiwis choose to live in Australia, that’s an undeniable fact. And about culture I am not a Kiwi so I fail to see why you think I should be knowledgeable on Kiwi culture but I fail to see the relevance of even raising the point, it has nothing to do with my posts
Busted Fullback
Roar Rookie
Not the same as I heard under Richard Graham. Complicated game on and off the field.
Muzzo
Roar Rookie
Hahaha Your ignorance of culture is really showing out mate!! lol. As if you care to observe Waitangi Day, is observed every year here, nation wide. Also as it is now, that celebration, has now included many Indigenous, along to celebrate, their ways with us. Seeing you know of Muldoon's claim, why are you asking for evidence??? ffs, Google it, are you that lazy??? You've really got those thingy's in a twist.
Warwick Todd
Guest
…..or alternatively as Link said Cooper was the best player he’d ever coached at implementing a game plan and it was never an issue for Stiles. The game plan story was proffered by Thorn along with the fifth best flyhalf BS at the Reds.
Bobby
Roar Rookie
Thorn doomed as "he is not a team player". At least RA call it as it is.
Busted Fullback
Roar Rookie
G’day RR. I think people forget that Thorn rejected selection into the ABs the first time because he felt that he had too much to learn at that point and it would disrespect the jersey and the other locks who were better at the time. That’s a strong willed and honest man in my books. I’m sure it was hard for him as he told me when he was a 15 year old where I was teaching, that his main ambition was to play for the ABs. I suspect he expects the same self-discipline, honesty and dedication from his players. And it looks like he gets it. The other thing that seems to be lost is that BT had to put a plan to the QRU Board. If any aspect of his performance was not in line with his plan, BT would have been shown the door. It happened to some of Q’ld favourite sons in Andrew Slack, Jeff Miller and Tim Lane just to mention a few. He must be doing what his employer expects.
scrum
Roar Rookie
The only one ignoring the facts is yourself. The report of 20,000 was in the Kiwi press so if incorrect was originated by Kiwis not me. Regardless of your comments over culture 1 out of 25 Kiwis choose to live in OZ while 1 out of 1250 Aussies choose to live in NZ. These are the facts. And if the social security benefits are so much better in NZ ask yourself why so few Aussies take advantage of that. And please supply evidence of Muldoon’’s claim other than being a cheap shot by a politician to explain away why so many Kiwis choose to emigrate to Aussie.
Busted Fullback
Roar Rookie
One of the reasons given for QC’s release from Toulon was that he had trouble following the game plan. Perhaps Stiles’ offer of a job at Kintetsu, at that time in his life, was the lifeline he needed with the understanding that game plans might actually work, and extend his playing career. The new QC still has flair, but like JOC, his maturity has helped him become a more measured player.
Busted Fullback
Roar Rookie
And yet more people leave NSW and Vic to move to the Sunshine State. They can’t all be arborists. :laughing: :laughing: :laughing:
Busted Fullback
Roar Rookie
G’day jez. Petaia on the pine and to come on as a wing. Using your lineup, if Hodge is injured, Kellaway to 15, more high level experience there than JP. With JP on the wing, he still does all he has been at 15 for the Reds plus he becomes an arial threat with the cross field kick. Can’t really do that from 15.