Lots of Thorny subjects
Reds’ coach explains why he cut Cooper from list
BRAD Thorn has spoken for the first time about the tough call to cut Quade Cooper adrift from his Reds plans, while promoting a Gold Coast product into the captaincy role.
The work-more, talk-less style of the new Reds coach meant Thorn yesterday had a bigger backlog of issues to dissect than a parliament with citizenship dramas.
In his first media appearance for two months, Thorn announced the strong appointment of TSS product Scott Higginbotham as skipper of a Reds team he wants to show “far more fight.”
It also meant explaining why Cooper was superfluous after a 117-game Reds career, the Karmichael Hunt fallout and how George Smith had apologised after a messy Tokyo incident.
In the politest way, Thorn hinted it would take a Steven Bradbury situation with every fit five-eighth falling over for Cooper to get a look in when he starts club rugby with Souths.
“It’s a change of direction, it’s just footy,” Thorn said.
“I thought Quade last year ... the team struggled.
“You know, game management, his attack, his defence ... he gave his best effort and he’s a club man but I just wanted a change in the way we’re going.
“It was a tough decision but you’ve got to make them because there hasn’t been much success around here for the four or five years we’ve been at the bottom.”
Thorn will start tuning his flyhalf choice in Friday night’s 5.15pm intra-squad trial at Ballymore in front of the club faithful at the Reds Fan Day.
Backrower Higginbotham, 31, was delighted to earn the nod as captain.
“It’s something very special when someone like Thorny thinks of me like that,” Higginbotham said.
Higginbotham will make his return from a neck nerve issue in the trial after an extended off-season refresher since being grounded by the problem last June.