Brad Thorn

Infobox rugby league biography
playername = Brad Thorn
fullname = Brad Carnegie Thorn
nickname =

---

dateofbirth = birth date and age|1975|2|3|df=yes
placeofbirth = Mosgiel
countryofbirth = New Zealand
dateofdeath =
placeofdeath =
countryofdeath =
height = 1.95 m (6 ft 5 in)
weight = 115 kg (18 st 2 lb)

position = rlp|SR
club1 = leagueicon|Brisbane Broncos|16 Brisbane Broncos
year1start = 1994
year1end = 2000
appearances1 = 130
tries1 = 22
goals1 = 0
fieldgoals1 = 0
points1 = 88
club2 = leagueicon|Brisbane Broncos|16 Brisbane Broncos
year2start = 2005
year2end = 2007
appearances2 = 70
tries2 = 10
goals2 = 0
fieldgoals2 = 0
points2 = 40

teamA = leagueicon|Queensland Maroons|16 Queensland
yearAstart = 1996
yearAend = 2005
appearancesA = 11
triesA = 1
goalsA = 0
fieldgoalsA = 0
pointsA = 4
teamB = leagueicon|Queensland|16 Queensland (SL)
yearBstart = 1997
yearBend =
appearancesB = 3
triesB = 0
goalsB = 0
fieldgoalsB = 0
pointsB = 0
teamC = leagueicon|Australia|16 Australia (SL)
yearCstart = 1997
yearCend =
appearancesC = 5
triesC = 1
goalsC = 0
fieldgoalsC = 0
pointsC = 4
teamD = leagueicon|Australia|16 Australia
yearDstart = 1998
yearDend =
appearancesD = 3
triesD = 2
goalsD = 0
fieldgoalsD = 0
pointsD = 4

ru_position = Lock|capital=yes
ru_club1 = leagueicon|North Sydney|16 Crusaders
ru_year1start = 2001
ru_year1end = 2004
ru_appearances1 =
ru_tries1 =
ru_goals1 =
ru_fieldgoals1 =
ru_points1 =
ru_club2 = leagueicon|North Sydney|16 Crusaders
ru_year2start = 2008
ru_year2end = present
ru_appearances2 = 15
ru_tries2 =
ru_goals2 =
ru_fieldgoals2 =
ru_points2 =

ru_teamA = leagueicon|New Zealand Kiwis|16 New Zealand
ru_yearAstart = 2003
ru_yearAend = present
ru_appearancesA = 19
ru_triesA = 2
ru_goalsA = 0
ru_fieldgoalsA = 0
ru_pointsA = 10

updated = 17 August 2008
source = [http://stats.allblacks.com/Profile.asp?ABID=1035 All Blacks] , [http://rugbyleagueproject.com/players/Brad_Thorn.html RLP] and [http://www.yesterdayshero.com.au/PlayerProfile_Brad-Thorn_11024.aspx Yesterday's Hero]

Bradley Carnegie Thorn (born 3 February 1975 in Mosgiel, New Zealand) is a professional rugby union footballer, and former Australian representative rugby league player. He is a current All Black and is currently signed to New Zealand's Tasman Rugby Union for the 2008 Air New Zealand Cup season. He plays at Lock and plays for the Crusaders in the 2008 Super 14.cite news| url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/4238444a6424.html |title=Brad Thorn signs for Makos |publisher=The Marlborough Express |date=2007-10-15 |accessdate=2007-10-15 |last=Alexander |first=John] [2008 Super 14 squads are to be announced on 28 October.] He formerly played rugby league for the Brisbane Broncos in the National Rugby League competition and has also represented Queensland in the State of Origin. His preferred position in league is second row. In 2000 Thorn was awarded the Australian Sports Medal for his contribution to Australia's international standing in the sport of rugby league.

Rugby league career

Relocating from New Zealand to Australia at age eight, Thorn's junior football was rugby league played in Queensland. He was signed as a junior with the Brisbane Broncos in 1994 and that same year won the club's rookie of the year award and represented Australia in the Junior Kangaroos side. He made his first grade debut in the round 12 clash of 1994 against the Canterbury Bulldogs.

His Rugby League State of Origin representative debut for Queensland was in game I of the 1996 series and he held his place in all three games of that year. Along with the rest of his Broncos team-mates he was aligned with Super League in 1997 and played all three games of that year's Super League Tri-series. Following re-unification he appeared in game II of the 1998 series , game III of 1999 and all three matches of 2000.

He made his national representative debut in the Super League season of 1997 and following re-unification he represented for Australia in all three Tests of the 1998 series against New Zealand.

He enjoyed premierships with the Broncos in the Super League season 1997, in the NRL season 1998 and after helping the Broncos win the 2000 Grand Final and premiership he switched to rugby union.

In 2005 Thorn returned to the National Rugby League, again playing with the Brisbane Broncos for three years. He enjoyed further representative selection for Queensland in all three games of the 2005 State of Origin series and as well as premiership success again in 2006.

Rugby union career

In 2001 Thorn moved to New Zealand and switched to rugby union, playing for the Crusaders in the Super 12 and Canterbury in the National Provincial Championship. He had initially been picked for the end of year All Black tour in 2001 but he pulled out due to his own uncertainty of commitment to the 15 man game.cite news| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/rugby_union/1638342.stm |title=Thorn pulls out of All Blacks squad|publisher=BBC Sport |date=2001-11-05 |accessdate=2008-03-21] In 2003, Thorn went on to play for New Zealand's All Blacks, appearing in 12 tests, including the 2003 Rugby Union World Cup. He thus became a dual rugby-code international but the only the second man in history (since Bill Hardcastle) to have represented for Australia in rugby league and New Zealand in rugby union.

Following his return to rugby league in Brisbane from 2005, in October 2007 Thorn announced that he had signed with Tasman Rugby Union. Although it was known that the Crusaders were chasing Thorn to sign with either Tasman or Canterbury needing a high profile replacement for departing All Black lock Chris Jack, Tasman had already signed Jack's All Black second row partner Ali Williams. So it was expected Thorn would have to travel to Europe to finish his career in either league or union. Tasman did sign Thorn and it now seems likely that Williams and Thorn will comprise a powerful second row partnership at the Crusaders, an eventuality which coach Robbie Deans has described as "a dream". Brad went on to win the Super 14 tournament with the Crusaders in 2008 against the Waratahs in superb style with a thrilling 20-12 win. He thus became the first person to win both a Super 14 title and an NRL title. After his huge contribution to the Crusaders, Thorn was selected for the All Blacks to play the first test of 2008 against Ireland in Wellington capping a dream comeback to Union.

Rugby league statistics

*Junior Clubs: Aspley & Wests Arana
*Brisbane Broncos 1994-2000, 2004-2007: 200 games - 32t (128 pts)
*Queensland (SL) 1997: 3 games (0 pts)
*Queensland SOO 1996-05: 11 games (4 pts)
*Australia (SL) 1997: 5 Tests (0pts)
*Australia 1998: 3 Tests – 2t (8 pts)

ources

* Andrews, Malcolm (2006) "The ABC of Rugby League" Austn Broadcasting Corpn, Sydney
* "Big League's 25 Years of Origin Collectors' Edition" , News Magazines, Surry Hills, Sydney
* Whiticker, Alan & Hudson, Glen (2006) "The Encyclopedia of Rugby League Players", Gavin Allen Publishing, Sydney

References

External links

* [http://www.crfu.co.nz/main/index.cfm/1,80,2478,0,html/Brad-Thorn Crusaders profile]
*Broncos player|30
*StateofOrigin player|406
*All Blacks|id=1035|name=Brad Thorn
* [http://www.rugbymuseum.co.nz/ABProfilee.asp?level1=All_Blacks&Level2=ABC&IDID=1035 Brad Thorn at rugbymuseum.co.nz]