Chris Thorman will link up with Newcastle United boss Eddie Howe as part of plans to help fire rugby league in the north-east.
Geordie Thorman has returned home as Newcastle Thunder boss in 2023 after leaving Betfred Championship rivals Workington. He’s intent on finally making them a force and is encouraged by seeing Howe turn the Magpies’ fortunes around. United are finally flying again in the Premier League and ex-Huddersfield, Hull, Parramatta and England scrum-half Thorman hopes to “ride on their coat-tails.”
He said: “There is a lot of cross-over. I’m hoping to spend time with Eddie in the next couple of months. When he had time out of the game he spent a lot of time at different clubs and sports. CPD (Continuing Professional Development) as a head coach is pretty difficult. There’s no real qualifications once you’ve got the experience we have and ticked the boxes with your governing body.
“Spending time with other people in elite environments is a big one for me. “Eddie’s offered me the chance to do that. I’ll jump at it to do some work with him. I know he’s a rugby league fan. And you can’t not admire what he’s done.”
Boyhood Magpies fan Thorman, 42, grew up idolising the likes of Tino Asprilla and David Ginola before concentrating on rugby league. He was the first Geordie to make it in Super League but there’s hardly been any since. However, Thorman knows there’s an appetite for the sport in the north-east especially given growth in the community game, the success of Magic Weekend at St James’ Park and World Cup fixtures held in the region last year.
Thunder were full-time last season in a bold bid to reach the elite but they bombed spectacularly. They have now reverted to part-time leading to an exodus of talent. But Thorman, who hails from nearby Wallsend, does not believe that’s a bad thing. Speaking at the Championship season launch at Keighley Cougars, he insisted: “The ambition’s still there.
“I totally understand why they've made cuts. They spent a lot of money, probably almost as much as Leigh and Featherstone, so to finish third bottom is not acceptable. Changes have to be made. The club has to have much more of a community feel. Over the last 20 years, we’ve changed home venues, changed the name and changed too much.
“You have to create a real identity. Then you’ll get buy-in. Getting the right people is a big part of it. If we’re going to be sustainable we need a thriving academy, scholarships and reserve grade and the bulk of those sides will come from lads from the north-east. There’s not been a clear pathway to the first team. I’ll provide that and make sure kids in the north-east who play league want to play for Newcastle Thunder.”
