‘Not a team player’: Reds fume over Thorn knock

Australian rugby’s fragile détente is splintering after incendiary comments from a high-ranking Rugby Australia official as the battle for the post-Dave Rennie Wallabies job heats up.

The Queensland Rugby Union was left seething after the Herald on Tuesday quoted an unnamed highly placed RA source saying newly declared Wallabies coaching aspirant Brad Thorn was not a “team player”.

The QRU are furious a Rugby Australia official has criticised one of the country’s most successful coaches.Credit: Getty

The comments warned Thorn he would not be considered a contender for the Wallabies job unless he “turn that around”, and did nothing to douse speculation Brumbies coach Dan McKellar was the heir apparent to the role.

“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,” the source said. “A decision doesn’t have to be made now, but he had better turn that around – and quickly.”

The remarks went down like a lead balloon at Ballymore on the same day Thorn welcomed Rennie into camp. He and other senior Wallabies staff, including defence coach Matt Taylor and team manager Chris Webb had all been taken into the fold over the past week. The Reds had also approved Wallabies athletic performance guru Dean Benton taking over the management of Jordan Petaia’s problem hamstring over the summer.

“On behalf of the Queensland Rugby Union, I would like to refute recent comments made by an unnamed Rugby Australia source in The Sydney Morning Herald,” QRU boss David Hanham said.

“If you have already anointed the successor a number of years out, then that pushes other potential candidates away.”

Wallabies great Phil Kearns

“It’s disappointing to see these comments and after reading this, I have raised my concerns with RA CEO Andy Marinos and he will follow up directly.

“From the QRU’s perspective, Brad is doing a wonderful job here in Queensland leading our football program and developing our players to be best prepared for both national and international success with the Queensland Reds and Wallabies.“

At a time when RA is negotiating a national contracting model, which will require buy-in from the Super Rugby clubs, the comments also seem needlessly provocative.

They came as Wallabies great Phil Kearns pressed the need for competition in the appointment of Rennie’s successor - whenever that might be.

“I don’t know, but I doubt if someone has said to Dan, ‘you’re the man, next’,” Kearns said.

“If you’ve got three or four candidates that are all world-class, it can only be a good thing. In fact, if you have already anointed the successor a number of years out, then that pushes other potential candidates away. Let’s keep them all competing for that job.”

Rennie is off-contract at the end of next year’s World Cup and would almost certainly be extended if the Wallabies make the final.

Even a semi-final loss could be enough to see him extended to the 2025 British and Irish Lions tour, depending on the nature of the result and the trajectory of the side. A disastrous showing against England in July would put Rennie under pressure.

Thorn is also off contract at the end of next year, a circumstance that likely gave rise to his statement on Tuesday that he wanted to be considered for the Wallabies job at some point in the future. Given his decorated Test career as a 59-Test All Black, there has also been interest in which country he would pursue higher honours in as a coach.

“Australia is where the challenge is for me and where I’m connected to,” Thorn said.

“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, but that’s for other people to make that decision.”

McKellar has been Rennie’s forwards coach for the past two years and will join the set-up full time at the end of the Super Rugby Pacific season. He does not consider the Wallabies job his and will likely welcome Thorn’s comments in a spirit of competition.

But it is also true that former RA director of rugby Scott Johnson dangled the top job as a carrot and that the current executive and top brass hope circumstances and results allow a transition to occur.

Meanwhile, Michael Hooper will wear the Waratahs No.7 jersey for the first time in two years after being named in the starting side for NSW’s must-win match against the Force this weekend. Charlie Gamble moves to No.6 to accommodate the return of the Wallabies captain, and captain Jake Gordon starts again at halfback after an injury lay-off. Tane Edmed starts at five-eighth, with Alex Newsome at fullback and Will Harrison on the bench.

Watch every match of the Super Rugby Pacific on the Home of Rugby, Stan Sport. All streaming ad-free, live and on demand only on Stan Sport.