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Poida
15-02-07, 12:03 AM
Rugby option open to Thorn

By Dan Koch
February 15, 2007

A REFRESHED and rejuvenated Brad Thorn will consider switching to rugby at the end of the season if he cannot secure a contract extension with Brisbane.

On the brink of retirement last year after overtraining through the pre-season, Thorn, 32, turned things around to become a key member of the premiership-winning team.

Heading into the final season of his three-year deal with the Broncos, the 112kg dual international concedes he is reassessing his future and is even looking at finishing his career playing rugby in Europe.

"I guess it is about time for me to start looking at what I am going to do," Thorn said. "I have to admit I didn't expect to be feeling as good as I am at the moment, which probably changes a few things.

"It's good with the rugby, that opens a few opportunities for me overseas.

"It's something I will look at because you only have a young family for a few years and then you need to be back and settled by the time they go to school.

"I will talk to (the Broncos) and just see what they have to say.

"I have really enjoyed my time here since I got back and that is something that is really important to me, wherever I play I have to be enjoying what I am doing."

Following a successful stint with the New Zealand rugby union, Thorn and wife Mary-Ann returned to Brisbane in 2005 to allow their young children to be closer to their grandparents in what they thought would be the final years of the giant back rower's career.

But under the direction of performance co-ordinator Dean Benton, Thorn has recorded his best results in a range of fitness tests, while his skinfolds are lower than at any stage of his 10 years with the Broncos.

"I had always been a guy who thought that more was better," Thorn said of training.

"Before this year I had always trained right through the off-season, because I felt if I was working harder and longer than other guys it would give me an edge.

"But Dean has come in with his sports science stuff and it's changed the way we go about it. I am enjoying training as much as I ever have, which is probably why I am thinking about playing on, but then one injury can change all that at my age."

After forming a damaging three-pronged hit-up unit last season with Shane Webcke and Petero Civoniceva, it was thought Thorn may move into the front-row position vacated by Webcke this year.

But coach Wayne Bennett will leave Thorn in the second row, suggesting he struggles in the front row.

"I don't want to put Brad there because it plays with his head when he's wearing No.8," Bennett said with a smile. "The number that he wears, he does the job of a No.8 anyway, but he hasn't really worked that out yet. Until he does I don't want to bugger up his mind."

Thorn said he would be happy to move forward but was concerned about preserving his looks.

"I like it in the second row, but I play like a front rower, so if they decide they want to push me up there I'd be happy to do that," he said. "But I do want to protect this face.

"I don't want to end up looking like Webbie."

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Go_The_Doggies
15-02-07, 01:50 PM
He annoys me.

I dislike how he plays for us in Union.

But we're not good enough for him in League.