After 30 years of professional rugby, Brad Thorn just wants a break.
The dual-international entered 2023 thinking that his sixth year as the Reds coach could be his last and, indeed, that’s how it has played out.
The 48-year-old announced on Tuesday shortly after noon that 2023 would be his last season.
What’s next for the World Cup-winning All Black is far from clear.
“Yeah, who knows. I’m not sure,” he said.
“There’s been times in my career when I went to Japan and I sat on the end of the bed and I said ‘is this what it is?’
“I’m a competitor, so there is a part of me that this is all I know. I’m institutionalised. I just know pressure.
“It’s like Shawshank Redemption, I’m institutionalised. This is all I’ve done since I was 17.
“It’ll be good. I’ve got nothing around the next week or the week after or the month after and just think about where things are at.”
Brad Thorn is set to stand down as Queensland Reds coach following the 2023 season. Photo: Getty Images
All Thorn knows that he needs a break.
“I can’t really tell you my thoughts,” he said. “I need to have a break and have some thoughts.”
Thorn’s rise was dramatic.
After joining the franchise as their academy coach, he quickly rose through the ranks.
He led Queensland Country to the National Rugby Championship title in 2017 and with a two-decade playing career behind him, the Reds took a punt by farewelling Nick Stiles and appointing Thorn.
Thorn said when he joined the Reds the franchise was in an “interesting place” and it was a “hectic” experience taking over.
Not afraid of making the tough decisions, his tenure will be remembered for making cultural change.
No bigger decision there was then freezing out playmaker Quade Cooper, who had led the Reds to glory in 2011 but struggled at times too.
He also took a hardline stance on standards and professionalism, farewelling current incumbent Wallabies captain James Slipper and Karmichael Hunt. Both turned their careers around following the tough decisions.
Samu Kerevi and Quade Cooper have both come and gone under Brad Thorn. Photo: Chris Hyde/Getty Images
Others have come and gone, too, but it’s worth highlighting that Slipper and Thorn have a good relationship to this day.
Thorn’s zenith was in 2021 when the Reds defeated the Brumbies to claim the Super Rugby AU title in front of 42,000 fans in Brisbane.
But the Reds’ inability to kick-on from that point, the departure of a number of stars, including the forthcoming departure of Taniela Tupou, has hurt.
The Reds’ struggles against New Zealand sides, where they have won just one of 13 matches since 2021, has also tainted Thorn’s legacy.
Reds coach Brad Thorn celebrates winning the Super RugbyAU Final against the ACT Brumbies at Suncorp Stadium on May 08, 2021 in Brisbane. Photo Jono Searle/Getty Images
While Thorn said he was “disappointed with some of our results”, he said it had no bearing on his decision to step down.
More pressing was ensuring the Reds build on their win against Moana Pasifika, which snapped a three match losing streak, and building on their sixth-place position on the standings and making a strong run into the finals.
Asked whether it was his decision to call time, Thorn said he wasn’t pushed and that it was merely the right time for everyone involved.
“With the head coaching role, when I was asked around it, I was connected to the young guys at the club and I’d been here for a couple of years and I wanted to contribute and I’ve gone into the arena again,” he said.
“It tests you, it humbles you.
“It feels like a good time for the club, a good time for me. It’ll be more than two or three months, a proper break.”
Thorn said he hadn’t thought about his legacy, but wanted to be remembered as someone who “stepped up and contributed”.
“Obviously, I’m big on care,” he said.
“I cared about the footy, I cared about the people here.”
General manager Sam Cordingley said they had long known Thorn might step away, but said the official process to replacing the former Brisbane Bronco turned All Blacks lock had started.
“Effectively, yes. Obviously Thorny and I, along with Dave [Hanham], we’ve been speaking for some time knowing that Thorny’s off-contract at the end of the year,” Cordingley said.
“Really pleased for him that he gets to make the decision on his own terms. With that in mind, we were always planning around succession, be it coaching roles or otherwise, players or other staff.
“We’re in a World Cup year, there’s no better year to be looking at head coaches, but that’s for another year.
“We’ll certainly have the right people involved in the process to appoint and rugby in Queensland deserves undertaking of good process to find the next Queensland Reds next head coach.”
Former Wallabies halfback Sam Cordingley has a big role to play in appointing Brad Thorn’s successor. Photo: Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images
While Cordingley said he hoped new assistant Mick Heenan would apply for the job, he did not guarantee it.
“Mick’s done a great job in his first year as an assistant,” Cordingley said.
“He’s one of our most successful club coaches. I’m certain, come the time, we haven’t asked him yet, obviously this is an announcement today, but I’m sure that he’ll be someone that would like to throw his hat in the ring but that’s no guarantee.”
Former Wallabies coach Robbie Deans continues to be linked to the role.
The 63-year-old has turned Panasonic Wild Knights into a powerhouse in Japan’s League One competition.
Other contenders are Matt Taylor, Jason Gilmour and Toutai Kefu.
Former Wallabies coach and Brad Thorn’s mentor, Robbie Deans, continues to be linked to the Reds’ head coaching job. Photo: Steve Bardens/Getty Images
Current Argentina coach Michael Cheika is a left-field choice, but one that has plenty of upside.
Cordingley said the Reds had to review themselves hard and added that Thorn shouldn’t be blamed for the Reds’ recent struggles.
“The first thing I’d like to say is the bourdon of recent performances hasn’t been Thorny’s alone,” the former Wallabies halfback said.
“We’ve identified that both as a staff and a playing group.”
Cordingley said Thorn had left the Reds in a better place.
“I’ll also say that some of the achievements and successes of Thorny has contributed to wiping that debt as well,” he said.
“We’re now in a great place, you can see this facility that’s behind us. Outstanding facility. We’ve got a playing list that’s now close to 30 players re-signed, a number of Wallabies, a number of contractually players. Thanks to Thorny that’s his legacy. We’re in a far better place than we were when he started.”
TJ-Go Force!
Roar Rookie
Do you know anything about Australian rugby? Thorn got a golden generation of young talent many of whom just getting on the Wallabies scene, and he blew it. Many of his superstars left because they hated him/his style.
Rolando
Roar Rookie
Is that stronger than supposition? And you're convinced another coach would have done better, even though the ones before with those players had less success?
Wig
Roar Rookie
truebut my main point is the uncoachables are just uncoachable for so long you can throw 3oo coaches at them 0
Wig
Roar Rookie
Sorry Ken the uncoachables are just uncoachable. Can you not see the pattern . Blindius ohemus ,zues opoticus 1721
Muzzo
Roar Rookie
All I know he has whanau there!
Don
Roar Rookie
I think we can afford a better coach. It's not a huge leap from what we'd be paying BT to what we'd need to pay someone more experienced who's probably a quality assistant in a winning Euro structure. Or a guy like Andy Friend. Then again, if a top candidate showed interest, you'd find the $.
TJ-Go Force!
Roar Rookie
Correct. It’s a handicap not salary cap.
TJ-Go Force!
Roar Rookie
He’s stepping aside/down at season end. He made the call before he wasn’t offered a new contract to save face and try shut down the conversation. Personally, I’m surprised he didn’t do it with immediate effect. This season has been a train wreck but it started so much before that when key players left en masse because they were done with him.
TJ-Go Force!
Roar Rookie
He lost half a dozen of their best players because they hated him/his coaching style. He kept getting more RA top up players and did nothing with them. Now he’s run that squad into the ground because his X factor players all left and he’s mismanaged those he left.
Don
Roar Rookie
Can’t sack 30 contracted players at once. Can’t even sack 5 and not have it kill you financially. But you can let the coach of a losing team go at the end of his contract really easily. That’s why it’s always the coach who goes first. Remember, this is the side that Brad Thorn and Sam Cordingley built. They decided to let some players go, hold on to others, not prioritise recruitment and development in certain positions (10), and effectively leave the Reds in a pretty poor position. There was more depth and talent when BT arrived than when he finishes this season.
JD Kiwi
Roar Rookie
Cheers Don. I'd say that they need to be knocking round Aussie rugby because you're only going to attract the overseas coaches who can't get better jobs elsewhere. You can't really afford the wages unfortunately. Best you can do is identify someone with potential who hasn't been given a top job yet.
Wig
Roar Rookie
Yeah but can't be only the coaches as the coaches over donkeys years can't change the pattern across the board the song remains the same
fiwiboy7042
Roar Rookie
Like who?
fiwiboy7042
Roar Rookie
he still has a brother there, doesn't he?
Tim J
Roar Rookie
:laughing: :thumbup:
Tim J
Roar Rookie
That annoyed me at the time also Muzzo, Nonu was a superior player but did not get the recognition.
Ken Catchpole's Other Leg
Roar Guru
“ normaly very intelligent “ Wig, please do not ever, ever, call me ‘normally’ . Truth is, I’ve lost interest in the topic. But here we go – every coach is competent when they arrive. And the suits who make the hiring decisions have to publicly celebrate them. After all the suits spend millions of the code’s dollars on each long term coach. The stakeholders watching want a good story to show for the expense. Then comes the expense of letting a coach go early, or before the dream comes true, as in Cheika, and now Thorn. My point was that the minority of Oz fans who display transparent anti-Nz bias are as potent, and as relevant, as those booing a certain NZ born Wallaby at Eden Park. Not very, despite how uncontrollable the ignorant howling is.
carnivean
Roar Rookie
Busted asked, above, why Heenan wasn't getting any traction as Thorn's replacement. As you say coaches have to start somewhere and I think it's fair to say that he's handled what he's been given well (debatable with the Reds but let's says that all falls on Thorn). We can see parallels with other coaches that started at club level and have stepped up, so it's possible. But to answer Busted's question: Initally he was the only candidate being talked about. Very few were paying attention to the conversation until it started being framed as "Thorn has to go" rather than "Heenan to replace Thorn some day". Those pushing his cause initially will have been those that were close to the Reds and therefore naturally aligned to Heenan. Once everyone else joined the conversation Heenan's supporters started getting drowned out by all the people asking questions like "wouldn't it be better to get someone with elite level experience". Those new voices are more numerous than those continuing to back Heenan. Can he do the job? Probably, to at least the minimum viable standard. Is he the best choice for the Reds? Unlikely but it depends. I personally wouldn't put someone in charge of the Reds who has only coached in QLD until this point. I think that they need someone to analyse with a different perspective to seek out the root causes of their under-performance. In my opinion Thorn is far from the only issue and Thorn's inexperience prevented him from finding, understanding and fixing the other issues.
Don
Roar Rookie
Why do they need to be knocking around Aus Rugby? I don't understand or appreciate why this has to be twisted into an anti Kiwi crusade or defence? A coach with very little experience was given a difficult job. He had poor results in the short term but his employer saw green shoots and backed him. Covid hit, the competition changed and his side did very well against other Aus sides for 2 seasons. When playing in an expanded competition again the side performed badly. This year the side has performed poorly against most teams. He's done a good job considering his limited experience. I'm one of those who doesn't believe QLD Rugby is in a better position today - player wise or performance wise for the 6 years BT has spent at the helm of the Reds. We are in a better financial position though for the crowds, sponsorships and subsequent memberships purchased on hope of a brighter horizon after the 2021/22 years. So it's not all bad...
Red Rob
Roar Rookie
Cool. I used to live near the Broncos HQ, often mundane but sometimes fascinating to watch.