Five years, and one World Cup later, Thorn was back in the Broncos' maroon colours for three more years. When the club celebrated its first 20 years, Thorn was named among the club's 20 greatest players.
Then it was back to rugby - and back across the drink to the Crusaders.
When he helped them win the Super 14 title in 2008, he followed Peter Ryan (Broncos and Brumbies) as the second player to win both a Super rugby and NRL premiership title.
2: CLARRIE GRIMMETT
'The Gnome' was the greatest cricketer New Zealand never had.
Born in Caversham, Dunedin, on Christmas Day 1891, Grimmett made his first-class debut for Wellington at 17, but in 1914 headed to Australia.
Credited as the legspinner who invented the flipper, Grimmett made his test debut at the advanced age of 33. His record is remarkable. In 37 tests, Grimmett, often bowling in tandem with the other legendary leggie Bill O'Reilly, took 216 wickets at 24.21 each, with an economy rate of 2.16 runs an over.
Seven times Grimmett, with his low slung action, took 10 wickets in a match. That includes his final test, against South Africa at Durban in 1936 when he picked up 13 for 173, as part of a remarkable 44 wickets in the five-test series.
At 44, and still a prolific wicket taker, that was his lot.
Grimmett remains the only bowler to have taken more than 200 test wickets in less than 40 tests.
He was posthumously inducted into the Australian Cricket Hall of Fame in 1996 as one of 10 inaugural members. Two years ago he was inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame.
It's fair to suggest that New Zealand could have done with him in its fledgling test years.
3: TONIE CARROLL
Born in Christchurch in 1976, Carroll is perhaps the best example of the joke that is rules of international league eligibility.
Having moved to Australia, Carroll made his NRL debut for the Broncos in 1996 and after playing State of Origin for Queensland then played for the Kiwis in the 2000 World Cup.
When subsequently picked for the Kangaroos in 2004, Carroll became the first player in 90 years to have played for both countries, following Bill Kelly in 1914.
4: NATHAN FIEN
Born in Mount Isa and Queensland- raised, Fien had played State of Origin and 93 games for the North Queensland Cowboys before moving to the New Zealand Warriors in 2005.
Fien claimed New Zealand eligibility through a New Zealand-born grandmother and made his debut in the 2006 Tri-Nations.
It later emerged Fien had skipped a generation in claiming New Zealand heritage - his great grandmother was, his grandmother was not - making him ineligible.
The international league board stripped New Zealand of two points from a win over Britain.
The incident was dubbed 'Grannygate'. Fien did become eligible for the Kiwis on residential grounds and started at halfback in the winning World Cup final of 2008 in Brisbane. He scored the winning try in the Four Nations final, also against the Kangaroos, also at Suncorp Stadium, two years later.
5: DES CONNOR
Born in Queensland, the classy halfback did time for both the Wallabies and the All Blacks. He toured Britain and France in 1957 for Australia, toured New Zealand a year later and was sufficiently impressive to be named one of the New Zealand Rugby Almanack's five players of the year.
Connor moved to Auckland in 1960 and made an immediate impact with the Ranfurly Shield holders.
The first of his 12 tests for the All Blacks came against France in 1961. He toured Australia a year later and played three more tests against his homeland in 1962 and a further two in 1964.
Two seasons later he went home to Brisbane and in 1968 was made Australian coach against the All Blacks.
One quirky claim to fame: in 1962, he captained the All Blacks against his old Queensland team.
6: QUADE COOPER
The Wallabies' big World Cup hope was born in Tokoroa in 1988 and attended Forest View High School before hopping the ditch in 2001.
He was chosen for the Australian Schoolboys squad in 2005-06 and after representing Australia at schools and under-19 level he won a Reds contract.
There's been no looking back for the quick-footed first five-eighths, whose girlfriend is Olympic swimming champion Stephanie Rice.
7: TRACEY FEAR
It was love that brought Tracey Fear, one of the Silver Ferns' greatest defenders, to New Zealand.
At 19, the Canberra native married husband Terry, a New Zealand dairy farmer, in her hometown on November 1, 1978. She moved to New Zealand the following day.
Fear's netballing talent was quickly recognised. She debuted for the Silver Ferns in 1982, and over the next seven years went on to amass 69 tests, barely missing a game over that period.
Fear forged a much-vaunted defensive partnership with Waimarama Taumaunu and was a key member in the Ferns' 1987 world championship win.
The athletic defender captained the team the following year, but at the end of 1988 made the decision to retire from the game at all levels.
8: PHAR LAP
Aussies will have you believe Phar Lap was their greatest racehorse. Don't listen to it.
Foaled at Seadown near Timaru in October 1926, "Big Red" was bought at the Trentham Yearling Sales in 1928 and shifted to Sydney.
After an ordinary start to his racing career, Phar Lap went on to become a hero to the masses during the Great Depression. He won the Melbourne Cup in 1930, two Cox Plates and a host of other major races. In his final start, he won the Agua Caliente Handicap in Tijuana, Mexico, before dying suddenly in California in mysterious circumstances.
Phar Lap's hide is at Melbourne Museum, his skeleton at Te Papa in Wellington and his heart at the National Museum of Australia in Canberra.
