Queensland Reds coach Thorn to stand down at end of season

SYDNEY : Brad Thorn will stand down as coach of the Queensland Reds at the end of the season, the Queensland Rugby Union (QRU) announced on Tuesday, bringing an end to speculation over his future at the Super Rugby team amidst a poor run of form.

The 48-year-old former lock, who represented Australia in rugby league and won a World Cup for New Zealand in union, has been in charge at the Brisbane-based outfit since 2018.

In his first few years, he turned around what had been an ailing club and led the Reds to the Super Rugby AU title in its one and only incarnation during the COVID pandemic in 2021.

The 2011 champions finished seventh in the first season of Super Rugby Pacific last year, however, and so far this season have won only three of their eight matches.

A 52-24 loss at home to Australian pacemakers the ACT Brumbies earlier this month led to calls for Thorn to be sacked and the team responded with a gritty 40-28 win over Moana Pasifika in Samoa last weekend.

"It's been an honour to coach Queensland," Thorn said in a news release.

"The past six seasons have been equally enjoyable as they've been challenging, but I'm fortunate for the opportunity and hope when I do leave here the programme and culture is in better shape to when I started the job in 2018."

While assistant Mick Heenan has long been considered heir apparent to Thorn, chief executive David Hanham said the QRU would conduct a "thorough process" to identify a new coach.

Thorn, who won considerable praise when he started at Ballymore for clearing out some big name players in pursuit of a new team culture, said he still hoped to finish his reign on a high.

"The job's not finished," he said. "We've got six games left and then finals - and we've got a plan to get