Thornley, a Super League and Challenge Cup winner with Wigan, is delighted to be back at his boyhood club after signing a three-year contract. "My family and friends are all Wigan fans, so it's really embedded in there," he said
Tuesday 14 December 2021 07:18, UK
Wherever Iain Thornley's rugby career has taken him, across both codes and continents, it seems it has always circled back round to Wigan Warriors.
It will come as no surprise that, growing up in one of rugby league's hotbeds with family and friends who are all supporters of the Cherry and White variety, the town's team has always held a special place in his heart.
More than that though, the former Ashton Bears junior went to the renowned rugby league finishing school that is the Warriors' youth academy, has both Super League and Challenge Cup titles in the bag from his previous spell with them and is now back six years since his last appearance for the Warriors.
Indeed, when the opportunity came to re-sign for Wigan on a three-year contract as the Matt Peet era gets underway - not to mention possibly seeing out his playing days at the DW Stadium - there was only ever going to be one decision from the 30-year-old.
"I came up supporting Wigan Warriors, came through the system and did about three-and-a-half years with the club," Thornley told Sky Sports.
"We had some good times, so for me to come back and potentially finish my career here, and hopefully come back to a winning team, playing in big games, really means a lot to me.
"My family and friends are all Wigan fans, so it's really embedded in there, supporting the club.
"If we can do something special like the last time I was here, I'll be made up and I'll be doing my best to be part of that."
Along with a brief sojourn playing rugby union for Sale Sharks and Leeds Carnegie in between being part of Wigan's academy and making his Super League debut in 2012, Thornley's career has taken him to Cumbria, Wales and France, as well as across the Pennines to Yorkshire.
Dual-registration spells in the lower tiers of the professional game with South Wales Scorpions and Workington Town gave him some valuable experience, while Salford Red Devils, Hull Kingston Rovers and Catalans Dragons have been Super League calling points for him too.
Prior to returning to Wigan, Thornley had been playing seven miles down the road with Leigh Centurions since 2019, where he combined playing with taking opportunities to gain some qualifications and work experience for when the time eventually comes to hang up his boots.
If we can do something special like the last time I was here, I'll be made up and I'll be doing my best to be part of that.
"I do have a massive respect for Leigh and [former Centurions head coach] John Duffy who helped me with that," Thornley, who is grateful for having the chance to continue his personal development at Wigan as well, said.
"Straight away, when I've come here, the club have said 'we know you've done such a thing for life after rugby, can we do anything else to help you?'.
"Straight away, it creates good vibes like they're trying to push and support you, asking if they can do any more to help you.
"Little things like that go a long way and it probably goes unseen, but it's good to tell the story they're pushing you, trying to help you, get you more qualified, so it's a really good vibe at the club and I'm looking forward to it."
For now, Thornley is only looking ahead to the next three years and hopefully claiming more honours with Wigan after being a part of their 2013 Super League Grand Final and Challenge Cup final double, which included him scoring a try in the latter.
Most of all though, he wants to repay the faith new head coach Peet has shown in him by bringing him back to the DW Stadium on a long-term contract at this stage of his career.
"They've shown their commitment to me and that enthusiasm by giving me that option, so now it's my turn to return the favour by performances, training and doing my part of it, upholding it and playing as many games as I can, doing as well as I can and keeping myself fit," Thornley said.
"It's a two-way thing and I want to give that back now for the support they've given me.
"It's a new way of thinking and how the new staff want to go about things, so we're all just learning that now and getting it all under our belt.
"The main thing is we're ready to go Round 1 and start the season as big and as fast as we can."
Sky Sports will be showing 25 live Betfred Super League matches between February and April when the 2022 season gets underway, including five-time Grand Final winners Wigan's opening game of the campaign away to last year's play-off semi-finalists Hull Kingston Rovers on Friday, February 11 (kick-off 8pm).
