The South Sydney Rabbitohs have confirmed that High Performance Manager, Troy Thomson, will be moving on to take up an opportunity with the Australian Kangaroos under coach Mal Meninga.
Thomson will take on the new role of Elite Performance Manager with the Kangaroos, starting with the mid-season Test match against the New Zealand Kiwis in May.
His new fulltime role will be across all national representative teams; the Kangaroos, the Jillaroos, the Prime Minister’s XIII, the Junior Kangaroos and the Australian Schoolboys.
Thomson joined the Rabbitohs in 2012 as part of Michael Maguire’s coaching staff and has been responsible for overseeing the training and medical staff and practices at the Club.
Thomson says he will look back on his time with the Rabbitohs fondly.
“I’d like to thank all of the players, coaches, staff, corporate partners, and most importantly the Members of the Rabbitohs who have made the past four-and-a-half years so enjoyable,” Mr Thomson said.
“I’ve had a fantastic time at the Club, learned a lot about my trade, and enjoyed working alongside some of the best high performance staff in the country.
“I’m looking forward to the opportunity of working with the Australian side, this is the right move for me and my young family at this time, and I hope to see a few familiar Rabbitohs faces in the Australian camp in the years to come.”
Rabbitohs General Manager of Football, Shane Richardson, paid tribute to Thomson.
“Troy has done an excellent job for this Club over the past four-and-a-half seasons and it’s a testament to the efforts he’s put in that he has been recognised as the best of the best to join the Australian team set up with Mal Meninga,” Mr Richardson said.
“He has done a great job in ensuring the staff at the Club can seamlessly take over his job roles so as not to disturb the team’s preparations for the rest of the season, and to set the Club on the best path in terms of high performance.
“We wish Troy the best of luck in his new role with the Kangaroos.”
Rabbitohs Head Coach Michael Maguire commended Thomson on his efforts for the Club.
“’Thommo’ has been one of the driving forces behind our team since we came to the Club in 2012 and I want to thank him for his tireless efforts over the past four-and-a-half years,” Coach Maguire said.
“He has developed a wonderful team around him here at the Rabbitohs which will mean we can continue to improve our performances even in his absence.
“This is the best move for him, his wife Haley and his kids Toby, Patrick and Ellie, as they can be closer to their family.
“’Thommo’ will always be welcome in our sheds, and on behalf of the team, we wish him the best of luck into the future.”
The Australian Kangaroos issued the following media release regarding the full Kangaroos coaching staff:
Kangaroos Coach Mal Meninga has finalised his coaching staff ahead of the 2016 Test program and the Four Nations in the UK.
Meninga has confirmed that his staff will include Michael Hagan (Team Manager), Adrian Lam (Performance Analyst), Michael Crocker (People, Culture and Welfare) as well as Troy Thomson (Physical Performance Manager).
“One of the essential parts of preparing teams, particularly representative teams, is providing the right environment for them to be successful,” Meninga said.
“The Kangaroos are the best of the best. So the high-performance environment we offer the players needs to replicate what they are used to at Club and State of Origin level.
“It is important that we look after the players from a physical performance perspective, but also from a welfare perspective, and that is what we will be doing with this group of staff.”
Thomson will join the Kangaroos program from South Sydney, with a focus on sports science and physical preparation.
His new fulltime role will be across all national representative teams; the Kangaroos, the Jillaroos, the Prime Minister’s XIII, the Junior Kangaroos and the Australian Schoolboys.
“I’ve had a lot to do with Troy over the years with the Queensland team, but he has also been part of the Rabbitohs, Melbourne Storm as well as the Melbourne Rebels systems,” Meninga said.
Hagan, who has a history with Meninga dating back more than 25 years, said he was looking forward to working with Meninga again.
“I’m excited about the opportunity to be involved with the best players in the game and also to be working with Mal again,” Hagan said.
“This is a slightly different role to what I’ve been used to in the past but it is a good progression for where I am at now.”
Tony Ayoub (St George Illawarra Dragons) and Steve Sartori (North Queensland Cowboys) will also be in camp with Kangaroos squads as physiotherapists. Paul Bloomfield will be Kangaroos Chief Medical Officer, while Chris Ball (North Queensland Cowboys) will be the in-camp Team Doctor.
The Kangaroos will play the New Zealand Kiwis at Newcastle’s Hunter Stadium on May 6. They will also play the Kiwis at Perth’s nib Stadium on October 15, before travelling to the UK for the Four Nations.
