Thorn dishes Reds up boot camp for starters

BRAD Thorn welcomed the Reds to their new world by shunting them off to an old school army camp, where sleep deprivation and infantry skills tested their mental toughness.

No one who knows the former All Black and Brisbane Broncos hardman expected a cosy seminar and whiteboards session when the Reds returned to training on Monday.

He didn’t disappoint. After morning weights, Thorn ( pictured) ushered a squad of 39 on to a bus for 48 full- on hours at the Enoggera Army Barracks under the charge of 8th/ 9th Battalion. Former Reds boss John Connolly was pushing his players through mud holes, log- carrying and spartan army exercises nearly 30 years ago.

What Thorn did was nothing new but it was the rookie coach’s chance to observe who persevered, who were the leaders and who floundered under stress.

Building a stretcher and jerrycan raft taxed everyone, but prop Taniela Tupou was able to paddle his team’s vessel across a swimming pool.

Senior Reds James Slipper and Scott Higginbotham traded footy shorts, rugby balls and tackle bags for fatigues, stooped runs under barbed wire, ropes and wall climbs.

Food was rationed so there was no Breakfast Creek Hotel steak at the end of each day.

“It was an infantry- themed resilience activity to test their physical and mental toughness and take the players out of their comfort zone so they were required to look after each other,” Lieutenant Jarrad Dekuyer said.

Sacked coach Nick Stiles improved team culture with his pre- season methods last summer and Thorn plans to keep building one of the bedrock elements of all good teams he has played in.

Karmichael Hunt was nowhere to be seen.

He has been stood down before his January 29 court date after being charged with two counts of alleged drug possession late last month.

The inkling of the team’s options at fullback will be revealed at the intra- squad trial at Ballymore on February 2.