Queensland greats deliver damning Thorn verdict

1 year ago 55

Queensland legends Tim Horan and James Horwill judge this could beryllium Brad Thorn's past run arsenic Reds coach, successful the aftermath of a humiliating circular 1 nonaccomplishment to the Hurricanes.

Former All Blacks fastener Thorn's fearfulness grounds against Kiwi teams continued successful Townsville, with Hurricanes bowling shot Asafo Aumua inspiring a 47-13 Super Rugby Pacific win.

Thorn, 48, has coached the Reds since 2018 and is disconnected declaration astatine the extremity of the year.

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"That was the worst 2nd fractional show I've seen from a Reds squad successful the past 2 years," Horan said connected Stan Sport's Rugby Heaven.

"The Hurricanes came retired and enactment 41 unanswered points connected the Reds... I'm not going to propulsion Brad Thorn nether the autobus oregon thing astatine the moment, circular one, but that was a large nonaccomplishment for him arsenic a coach.

"It's his 5th twelvemonth arsenic manager and they're looking to perchance bring successful idiosyncratic similar a Mick Heenan, who's the adjunct manager astatine the moment, for adjacent year. But I anticipation that Brad Thorn gets his close mode out. In this lucifer that 2nd fractional was brutal... the players would beryllium embarrassed."

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Horwill led the Reds to their lone Super Rugby rubric successful 2011 - playing other Thorn successful the Crusaders 2nd enactment successful the final.

He said Queensland would gully assurance from the instrumentality of Suliasi Vunivalu, Liam Wright, James O'Connor and Jock Campbell against the Force connected Sunday.

But Horwill agreed it mightiness beryllium clip for a caller dependable successful 2024.

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Thorn won the 2021 Super Rugby AU rubric but hasn't been capable to find a winning look against New Zealand sides.

"His grounds against the Kiwi teams is good known, didn't bushed immoderate past twelvemonth and they got blown disconnected the parkland (by the Hurricanes). I deliberation we've seen they're a spot airy connected cattle... there's a fewer guys coming backmost this week," Horwill said.

"Brad, evidently his declaration is up astatine the extremity of this year, I'm not definite whether helium wants to proceed coaching astatine the Reds... helium came consecutive successful from playing to coaching truthful possibly it's clip for him to person a interruption and determination on, bash thing different.

"But who it is (to regenerate him) I'm not sure. Mick Heenan has surely had that nine coaching acquisition and you look astatine what Darren Coleman's done with that Waratahs side. He's (Thorn) built a precise young squad and determination was a batch of sound astir the changes helium made, getting escaped of immoderate of the older guys and bringing that young banal through...

"We've benignant of reached that constituent of 'what's the adjacent step, where's the adjacent signifier of improvement of wherever is this squad going?' And I'm not definite whether Brad's the feline that tin instrumentality that forward... we're present seeing that possibly there's a adjacent measurement and an improvement that needs to instrumentality spot nether Brad oregon whoever else."

Horan pointed retired that aft playing the 1-0 Force, the Reds had a daunting task distant against the Brumbies - making Sunday a virtual indispensable triumph lucifer truthful aboriginal successful the season.

"Every manager is nether pressure, it doesn't substance what you do," Horan said.

"But for Brad Thorn it's a large situation for him present to instrumentality this Reds squad and determination it forward. The adjacent 3 to 4 rounds is truly important for Brad Thorn and the Reds."

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