100 Greatest All Blacks: Brad Thorn

Brad Thorn motioned to join him as he went through his daily stretching routine. He wanted to talk but not within range of too many others. He was festering how teammates Ali Williams, Sonny Bill Williams and Stephen Donald could lose focus in public in the week of the World Cup final.

How, he rasped, could they do that after a previous episode when others were caught out late, drinking, during the playoffs. We reckon we are professional but then we have these idiots doing this sort of thing, he added.

Drinking and indiscipline were issues Thorn confronted after some troubled early episodes in his career before he buckled in for an impressive ride to international fame in league and rugby union with a World Cup winners medal in 2011.

He had a false start to his All Black career, named for the 2001 tour to the UK and Argentina before telling coach John Mitchell he did not feel ready for the promotion.
After a year out of both codes, Thorn returned to rugby and accepted the All Black callup for the 2003 World Cup.

His work did not fit the template wanted by Graham Henry when he took over as All Black coach and Thorn soon headed back to the Broncos and another successful stretch in league.

Thorn's sneak look at rugby appeared over until he answered the Crusaders in 2008 and with an amazing run of work at lock, claimed Henry's attention too. His influence was immense as the coaching group tidied up stacks of areas in their pledge to be more professional.

His last test was the World Cup final but the remarkable lock is still playing for the Highlanders and approaching a total of 500 games of first class rugby and league.

Statistics
Date of birth: 3 February 1975
Position: Lock
Matches: 60
Tests: 59
Test debut: 21 June 2003 v Wales, Hamilton
Last test: 23 October 2011 v France, Auckland
Provinces: Canterbury, Tasman
Franchises: Crusaders, Highlanders
Test tries: 4
Test points: 20