Sam Thaiday
Encyclopedia
Samuel H. "Sam" Thaiday (born 12 June 1985 in Sydney, New South Wales) is an Australian professional rugby league
footballer who captains the Brisbane Broncos
of the National Rugby League
. An Australian international and Queensland State of Origin
representative forward, he has spent all of his career at the Broncos, with whom he won the 2006 premiership. In 2008, Australia's centenary of rugby league and Thaiday's sixth year at the top level, he was one of only three current players to be named in the Indigenous Australian rugby league team of the century. He is the cousin of Milton Thaiday
.
, attending Kirwan State High School
. On 11 July 2003, aged 18, he made his National Rugby League
debut for the Brisbane Broncos
against the Bulldogs
in round 18 of the 2003 NRL season.
Solid form in the first 10 weeks of the Broncos season earned Thaiday a spot on the Queensland bench for game one of the 2006 State of Origin series. He was also selected on the bench for the following two games for the Maroons, who went on to win the series. After that, when the Broncos were in the "slump that wasn't a slump", coach Wayne Bennett moved Thaiday from the bench to the starting side. This, among other changes, saw the Broncos' season turn around, and they ended up winning the 2006 NRL Grand Final.
Thaiday was selected for his international debut for the Australian national team in Game 2 of the 2006 Tri-Nations
against New Zealand after concussion ruled Willie Mason
out.
In the 2007 NRL season Thaiday suffered an injury to the bone around his eye socket and missed all three games of the 2007 State of Origin series for the Queensland Maroons while waiting to recover. He made his 50th first grade appearance in the NRL in 2007 and re-signed with the Broncos until the end of 2009.
In the 2008 NRL season Thaiday was back in form and started the year with a bang, winning back to back man of the match awards in rounds eight and nine to earn himself a starting spot in the 2008 State of Origin series.
He was named in the Australia training squad for the 2008 Rugby League World Cup
.
In April 2009, Thaiday was named in the 25-man training squad to represent Queensland in the opening State of Origin
match of that year. He was named man of the match in the second game of the series.
At the end of that season Thaiday played for Australia in their successful 2009 Four Nations campaign in Europe.
He went on to be named man of the match in the team's 2010 Anzac Test
win against New Zealand.
During his career Sam Thaiday has often seen himself under attack for the way in which he plays the game, most notably his tendency to enter brawls and scuffles late to "protect" his team-mates. Loved by Brisbane and Queensland fans for his role as an 'enforcer', he's also vilified by opposition fans for what they claim as cheap shots, bullying and his consistency as the "Third man in".
In 2011 it was announced that Thaiday would be the Broncos' captain for the following season, taking over from the retiring Darren Lockyer
despite the return to the club of former Broncos favourite Petero Civoniceva
.
After the 2011 NRL season
, Thaiday travelled with the Australian national team to Britain for the 2011 Four Nations tournament.
On 3 November 2011 The annual RLIF Awards
dinner was held at the Tower of London
and Thaiday was named second-row forward of the year.
In the 2010 State of Origin
series Thaiday was much maligned by NSW Blues fans for the way in which he played the game. In Game 2 Luke O'Donnell was a guilty party in a dangerous tackle that sparked an all-in brawl, the likes of which hadn't been seen for several years. Most notable was a moment towards the end of the melee in which O'Donnell could be seen to headbutt and then uppercut Queensland's Dave Taylor, upon seeing this Sam Thaiday re-entered the fray and punched O'Donnell twice. Speaking on his involvement Thaiday said, "I saw the headbutt and I made a bee-line straight over to it. That's just not football; fair is fair if you want to punch on with a bloke I'm all for that. But headbutting - that's a bit below the belt". But the New South Welshman saw things differently, "I keep getting asked about the headbutt - I don't think there was much in that," O'Donnell said. "I was getting pulled and pushed in every direction, and Taylor kept scruffing me up. I was doing whatever I could to get out of there. Sam Thaiday ran in and started throwing punches. There were a few dog shots coming in. Someone said I should've been sent off. That's a bit rich considering they were coming in and hitting from behind with some cheap shots. I've got a bruised eye from a nice cheapy from someone when I was on the ground. Self-preservation crosses your mind at some stage." Regardless, Thaiday said he felt comfortable with his role in taking on O'Donnell after coming to Taylor's aid. "I look after my mates. I'm a big family man, I look after my family and all these boys are my family," he said.
In a 2010 NRL game, between the Brisbane Broncos and the North Queensland Cowboys, Sam again came under criticism, again for entering a fight as the "Third-man-in" (though technically he was fourth). The NRL match review committee chairman Greg McCallum issued Thaiday a warning for his repeat infringements and threatened him with a ban. McCallum said that Thaiday was treading a fine line rushing in to "protect" teammates he felt had been aggrieved. Broncos fans and team mates took a different view, "Sam's there to protect his players whether he's playing for us, his state or his country," Broncos hooker Andrew McCullough
said of the incident.
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
footballer who captains the Brisbane Broncos
Brisbane Broncos
The Brisbane Broncos are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the city of Brisbane, the capital of the state of Queensland. Founded in 1988, the Broncos play in Australasia's elite competition, the National Rugby League premiership. They have won six premierships and two...
of the National Rugby League
National Rugby League
The National Rugby League is the top league of professional rugby league football clubs in Australasia. The NRL's main competition, called the Telstra Premiership , is contested by sixteen teams, fifteen of which are based in Australia with one based in New Zealand...
. An Australian international and Queensland State of Origin
State of Origin
State of Origin is the name used in Australia for one existing sporting event which involves domestic representative teams. The term, when used in isolation, usually refers to rugby league football, and occassionally Australian Football matches, in which players are selected for the Australian...
representative forward, he has spent all of his career at the Broncos, with whom he won the 2006 premiership. In 2008, Australia's centenary of rugby league and Thaiday's sixth year at the top level, he was one of only three current players to be named in the Indigenous Australian rugby league team of the century. He is the cousin of Milton Thaiday
Milton Thaiday
Milton Thaiday is a former Aboriginal rugby league player for the Newcastle Knights in the National Rugby League competition....
.
Playing career
Thaiday, who is of Torres Strait Islander descent, was born in Sydney. Moving to Queensland, he played for the Brothers club in TownsvilleTownsville, Queensland
Townsville is a city on the north-eastern coast of Australia, in the state of Queensland. Adjacent to the central section of the Great Barrier Reef, it is in the dry tropics region of Queensland. Townsville is Australia's largest urban centre north of the Sunshine Coast, with a 2006 census...
, attending Kirwan State High School
Kirwan State High School
Kirwan State High School is a coeducational state school located in Kirwan, Queensland, Australia, approximately from the Townsville CBD. It has 2,304 students and over 120 teaching staff, making it the biggest high school in the state and the largest in North Queensland and The former Thuringowa...
. On 11 July 2003, aged 18, he made his National Rugby League
National Rugby League
The National Rugby League is the top league of professional rugby league football clubs in Australasia. The NRL's main competition, called the Telstra Premiership , is contested by sixteen teams, fifteen of which are based in Australia with one based in New Zealand...
debut for the Brisbane Broncos
Brisbane Broncos
The Brisbane Broncos are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the city of Brisbane, the capital of the state of Queensland. Founded in 1988, the Broncos play in Australasia's elite competition, the National Rugby League premiership. They have won six premierships and two...
against the Bulldogs
Canterbury Bulldogs
The Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Belmore, a suburb in the Canterbury-Bankstown region of Sydney. They compete in the National Rugby League premiership, as well as New South Wales Rugby League junior competitions...
in round 18 of the 2003 NRL season.
Solid form in the first 10 weeks of the Broncos season earned Thaiday a spot on the Queensland bench for game one of the 2006 State of Origin series. He was also selected on the bench for the following two games for the Maroons, who went on to win the series. After that, when the Broncos were in the "slump that wasn't a slump", coach Wayne Bennett moved Thaiday from the bench to the starting side. This, among other changes, saw the Broncos' season turn around, and they ended up winning the 2006 NRL Grand Final.
Thaiday was selected for his international debut for the Australian national team in Game 2 of the 2006 Tri-Nations
2006 Rugby League Tri-Nations
The 2006 Rugby League Tri-Nations was hosted for the second time by Australia and New Zealand. Sponsored by Gillette the tournament followed the same format as in 2004 and 2005, with each team meeting the other two teams twice, and the top two teams at the end of the group stages proceeding to the...
against New Zealand after concussion ruled Willie Mason
Willie Mason
William Marshall "Willie" Mason is an Australian professional rugby union footballer for Toulon in the Top 14 competition, having previously being a rugby league footballer for Hull KR in the European Super League.Mason signed a 3-year contract with Hull KR in September 2010, pending a successful...
out.
In the 2007 NRL season Thaiday suffered an injury to the bone around his eye socket and missed all three games of the 2007 State of Origin series for the Queensland Maroons while waiting to recover. He made his 50th first grade appearance in the NRL in 2007 and re-signed with the Broncos until the end of 2009.
In the 2008 NRL season Thaiday was back in form and started the year with a bang, winning back to back man of the match awards in rounds eight and nine to earn himself a starting spot in the 2008 State of Origin series.
He was named in the Australia training squad for the 2008 Rugby League World Cup
2008 Rugby League World Cup
The 2008 Rugby League World Cup was the thirteenth staging of the Rugby League World Cup since the inauguration of the tournament in 1954, and the first since the 2000 event...
.
In April 2009, Thaiday was named in the 25-man training squad to represent Queensland in the opening State of Origin
Rugby League State of Origin
State of Origin is an annual best of three series of rugby league football matches contested by the Maroons and the Blues, who represent the Australian states of Queensland and New South Wales respectively...
match of that year. He was named man of the match in the second game of the series.
At the end of that season Thaiday played for Australia in their successful 2009 Four Nations campaign in Europe.
He went on to be named man of the match in the team's 2010 Anzac Test
2010 ANZAC Test
The 2010 ANZAC Test was a rugby league test match played between Australia and New Zealand on 7 May 2010. The match coincided with the official opening of AAMI Park in Melbourne. The match was won by Australia with a score of 12–8.-The teams:...
win against New Zealand.
During his career Sam Thaiday has often seen himself under attack for the way in which he plays the game, most notably his tendency to enter brawls and scuffles late to "protect" his team-mates. Loved by Brisbane and Queensland fans for his role as an 'enforcer', he's also vilified by opposition fans for what they claim as cheap shots, bullying and his consistency as the "Third man in".
In 2011 it was announced that Thaiday would be the Broncos' captain for the following season, taking over from the retiring Darren Lockyer
Darren Lockyer
Darren Lockyer is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer. He was the captain of the Australian national team, the Queensland State of Origin team and his National Rugby League club, the Brisbane Broncos. His professional career spanned between 1995 and 2011...
despite the return to the club of former Broncos favourite Petero Civoniceva
Petero Civoniceva
Petero Civoniceva is an Australian professional rugby league footballer currently contracted to the Brisbane Broncos of the National Rugby League...
.
After the 2011 NRL season
2011 NRL season
The 2011 NRL season was the 105th season of professional rugby league football club competition in Australia, and the fourteenth run by the National Rugby League. The NRL's main championship, called the 2011 Telstra Premiership due to sponsorship from Telstra, was contested by sixteen teams for the...
, Thaiday travelled with the Australian national team to Britain for the 2011 Four Nations tournament.
On 3 November 2011 The annual RLIF Awards
RLIF Awards
The Rugby League International Federation currently oversees and awards the major international sporting award for rugby league on an annual basis and has done so since its inception in 2004....
dinner was held at the Tower of London
Tower of London
Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress, more commonly known as the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London, England. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, separated from the eastern edge of the City of London by the open space...
and Thaiday was named second-row forward of the year.
Criticism and controversy
During his career Sam Thaiday has often found himself under attack for the way in which he plays the game, most notably his tendency to enter brawls and scuffles late to "protect" his team-mates. Loved by Brisbane and Queensland fans for his role as an 'enforcer', he's also vilified by opposition fans for what they claim are cheap shots, bullying and his consistency as the "Third man in". resulting in the nickname "Third man Thaiday"In the 2010 State of Origin
State of Origin
State of Origin is the name used in Australia for one existing sporting event which involves domestic representative teams. The term, when used in isolation, usually refers to rugby league football, and occassionally Australian Football matches, in which players are selected for the Australian...
series Thaiday was much maligned by NSW Blues fans for the way in which he played the game. In Game 2 Luke O'Donnell was a guilty party in a dangerous tackle that sparked an all-in brawl, the likes of which hadn't been seen for several years. Most notable was a moment towards the end of the melee in which O'Donnell could be seen to headbutt and then uppercut Queensland's Dave Taylor, upon seeing this Sam Thaiday re-entered the fray and punched O'Donnell twice. Speaking on his involvement Thaiday said, "I saw the headbutt and I made a bee-line straight over to it. That's just not football; fair is fair if you want to punch on with a bloke I'm all for that. But headbutting - that's a bit below the belt". But the New South Welshman saw things differently, "I keep getting asked about the headbutt - I don't think there was much in that," O'Donnell said. "I was getting pulled and pushed in every direction, and Taylor kept scruffing me up. I was doing whatever I could to get out of there. Sam Thaiday ran in and started throwing punches. There were a few dog shots coming in. Someone said I should've been sent off. That's a bit rich considering they were coming in and hitting from behind with some cheap shots. I've got a bruised eye from a nice cheapy from someone when I was on the ground. Self-preservation crosses your mind at some stage." Regardless, Thaiday said he felt comfortable with his role in taking on O'Donnell after coming to Taylor's aid. "I look after my mates. I'm a big family man, I look after my family and all these boys are my family," he said.
In a 2010 NRL game, between the Brisbane Broncos and the North Queensland Cowboys, Sam again came under criticism, again for entering a fight as the "Third-man-in" (though technically he was fourth). The NRL match review committee chairman Greg McCallum issued Thaiday a warning for his repeat infringements and threatened him with a ban. McCallum said that Thaiday was treading a fine line rushing in to "protect" teammates he felt had been aggrieved. Broncos fans and team mates took a different view, "Sam's there to protect his players whether he's playing for us, his state or his country," Broncos hooker Andrew McCullough
Andrew McCullough
Andrew McCullough is an Australian professional rugby league footballer for the Brisbane Broncos of the National Rugby League. He usually plays at hooker. While attending Brisbane State High School, McCullough played for the Australian Schoolboys team in 2007...
said of the incident.