Re: Ken Thornett : Fri Aug 19, 2016 1:42 am  

Mark Laurie wrote:

Before my time but I have heard others say the major of parramatta was a top class player.

RIP

Ken Thornett was the Mayor of Parramatta rather than the major.

Before my time also but clearly a great player in both codes and in both hemispheres.

When he joined Parramatta he helped lift them into the Play Offs after years of successive wooden spoons.

Also a visionary as IIRC in his book from the mid sixties he proposed an interstate contest between New South Wales and Queensland.

Re: Ken Thornett : Fri Aug 19, 2016 11:52 am  

Also before my time, and also from a time before many videos of him are available. From everything I've read though, he sounds like a fantastic player. I love his nickname of 'Bucket', because he never dropped a high ball.

Re: Ken Thornett : Fri Aug 19, 2016 5:20 pm  

tvoc wrote:

Ken Thornett was the Mayor of Parramatta rather than the major.

Typo , my error.

Re: Ken Thornett : Sun Aug 21, 2016 9:57 am  

William Eve wrote: Vale Ken Thornett, as the Aussies put it. My father still rates him as the best full back Leeds have ever had and he's supported Leeds since the late 1930's. There will be hardly anyone on this forum who will acknowledge or recognise him or his name as they only know about Sooper League and the Rhinos. http://www.eraofthebiff.com/p97.html A great player. Saw him play for Leeds, Australia and Parramatta. The Aus match was against GB played at Wembley in the first match of the 1963 Test series.Aus hammered us by 6 tries to 0.(28-2).

William Eve wrote: Vale Ken Thornett, as the Aussies put it. My father still rates him as the best full back Leeds have ever had and he's supported Leeds since the late 1930's. There will be hardly anyone on this forum who will acknowledge or recognise him or his name as they only know about Sooper League and the Rhinos. http://www.eraofthebiff.com/p97.html A great player. Saw him play for Leeds, Australia and Parramatta. The Aus match was against GB played at Wembley in the first match of the 1963 Test series.Aus hammered us by 6 tries to 0.(28-2).

Re: Ken Thornett : Sun Aug 21, 2016 5:45 pm  

Nice silent tribute from Tom Briscoe yesterday. IIRC when Thornett returned to Australia he forced a rule change down under when performing his trademark knock backs from outside the field of play.