Ken Thornett
Fullback
Player Bio
- Inducted:
- 2008
- Date of Birth:
- 27 November 1937
- Birthplace:
- Waverley, NSW
- Nickname:
- The Mayor
- Debut Team:
- Leeds
- Date:
- 19 March 1960
- Opposition:
- Batley
- Venue:
- Headingley, Leeds
- Representative:
- City, New South Wales, Australia
- Clubs:
- Leeds, Parramatta Eels
Career
Milestones
- NSWRL Player of the Year: 1966
- Kangaroo Tour: 1963-64
- Sun-Herald Best and Fairest: 1965
- Rated No. 29 in Rugby League Week’s Top 100 players: 1992
Playing
- First Class Games
- 320
- Points
- 158
- Tries
- 46
Biography
Ken Thornett, the middle son in a famous sporting family (elder brother, John, was a Wallaby captain; younger brother, Dick, represented Australia in three sports), was a hero in cities situated a world apart, and a graduate with honours from Australia's fabulous line of champion fullbacks.
Thornett's working life took him to England in 1959, where he went to ply his trade as a woolclasser. He was a NSW rugby union representative by then, but joined the Leeds rugby league club and stayed for four impressive years.
It is said that in the 1961 season, he didn't drop a single ball. When he came home briefly in 1962, Parramatta signed him for seven matches. They won six of them and drew the other.
Thornett returned to Parramatta in 1963 for what was to be a highly successful six-season stay.
He was Australia's premier fullback on the breakthrough 1963–64 Kangaroo tour, when the Ashes were won in England for the first time in more than half a century.
So much was the fullback position his that Graeme Langlands was forced into the centres.
Of Thornett on that tour, Noel Kelly declared: ''There may have been more brilliant fullbacks but there were none safer than Ken or with more courage''.
Thornett retired in 1968, having played 136 first-grade games for Parramatta, but made a brief comeback in 1971, helping the Eels into the semi-finals.
“If there was trouble, you’d look over your shoulder and if Ken was fullback, you’d have no worries.”
Noel Kelly Kangaroo team-mate
63. Ken Thornett - Hall of Fame
Career Stats
Club Career
| Team Name | Competition | Year Start | Year End | Played | Tries | Goals | Field Goals | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leeds | England First Class Games |
1960
1965 |
1963
1966 |
132 | 19 | - | 2 | 61 |
| Parramatta | Premiership |
1962
1971 |
1968
1971 |
129 | 17 | - | 6 | 63 |
| Parramatta | Touring Sides | 1963 | 1963 | 1 | 2 | - | - | 6 |
| Parramatta | Official Pre-Season | 1964 | 1968 | 22 | 1 | - | 1 | 5 |
| Parramatta | State Cup | 1964 | 1965 | 7 | - | - | 1 | 2 |
Representative Career
City - Country
| Team Name | Opponent | Year Start | Year End | Played | Tries | Goals | Field Goals | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| City Firsts | Country Firsts | 1964 | 1964 | 1 | - | - | - | - |
| City Seconds | Country Seconds |
1963
1965
1967 |
1963
1965
1967 |
3 | - | - | - | - |
State
| Team Name | Competition | Opponent | Year Start | Year End | Played | Tries | Goals | Field Goals | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New South Wales | Interstate Series | Queensland | 1963 | 1964 | 2 | - | - | - | - |
| New South Wales | Touring Sides | 1967 | 1967 | 1 | - | - | - | - |
International
| Team Name | Competition | Year Start | Year End | Played | Tries | Goals | Field Goals | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | Tests | 1963 | 1964 | 12 | 6 | - | - | 18 |
| Australia | Tour Matches | 1963 | 1964 | 10 | 1 | - | - | 3 |
Hall of Fame Members
National Rugby League respects and honours the Traditional Custodians of the land and pay our respects to their Elders past, present and future. We acknowledge the stories, traditions and living cultures of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples on the lands we meet, gather and play on.
