He grew up in the state, played in the maroon jersey and he and his Australian-born wife have chosen to raise their four children in Brisbane.
So when Queensland Reds mentor Brad Thorn is tagged as just another Kiwi coach plying his trade in Australia, he finds it somewhat confusing.
Having played 59 Tests for the All Blacks after a successful rugby league career in Australia, Thorn understands the argument - to an extent.
But there are few people more passionate about re-establishing the Reds as a rugby power than the 44-year-old Thorn, who had his first stint living in Brisbane as a seven-year-old, while his father was working in the city, before his family decided on a permanent move across the ditch when he was nine.
He finished his schooling in Brisbane, made his first Queensland team - in an AFL outfit including names like Michael Voss and Che Cockatoo-Collins - when he was 12 and became an Australian citizen as a teenager.
"I played for the Broncos, Origin, Australia but I never forgot where I came from," Thorn said.
"I'm very proud of New Zealand and all my relations are back there and that was the thing that drove me to (play for New Zealand).
"I could have try and achieved rugby in Australia but it was always about going back to New Zealand and seeing … the big question was if I had grown up in New Zealand, would the same thing have happened? There was a question around it.
"Could I have made it like I did over here? That question got answered, I thought."
It's an incredibly modest assessment of a rugby career that saw him become a dual international, one of only four players to win an NRL title and Super Rugby championship, and a World Cup winner in 2011.
The nationality of Australia's Super Rugby coaches has been in the news since the resignation of Michael Cheika following the World Cup and the appointment of Kiwi Dave Rennie as his replacement.
There has been criticism of the pathway available for Australian coaches, with the Brumbies' Dan McKellar tagged the only Aussie in charge of a Super Rugby program.
And while Thorn understands why his time with the All Blacks means some will never accept him as an Australian, his devotion to Queensland is difficult to challenge.
"My wife is a Sydney girl, (I'm) part Aussie, my three sons are born in Australia and my daughter is a Kiwi because I was playing for the Crusaders at the time," Thorn said.
"And I've always said my home is Brisbane. So when they call me a Kiwi, a Kiwi coach, it's a weird one.
"I can understand it a little bit. But my dad's buried here, I've always said Brisbane's my home, I've always said New Zealand is where I'm from and I was proud to represent New Zealand.
"I don't give the good answers because everyone always wants me to say one or the other but I feel like I'm from both countries.
"I understand a bit what they're saying but far out - I'm an Australian citizen, Australian wife, three sons (were born here), my dad's buried here, I've grown up here, so there's a bit of Aussie in me."
It'd be hard to find a more passionate Queenslander, in fact, The recent Reds to Regions initiative has been backed by all at the QRU but Thorn has been a massive driver of the campaign, devoting the opening days of the pre-season to the campaign to sending hid players around the state, ardent in the belief that the Reds represent all of Queensland.
Thorn gained the Reds job after coaching the U20s and NRC's Queensland Country to titles and many of those players have been signed to long-term deals, with his focus on delivering long-term success.
Finals are in the Reds' sights this season and Thorn wants to win a title for the state he is so proud of.
But that's only part of his goal.
Coach Brad Thorn explains why he sees something special brewing at the @Reds_Rugby after so many of his players decided to commit their long-term futures to the club - and nominates three bolters to watch for in season 2020.https://t.co/FgakcvCWbK
— RUGBYcomau (@rugbycomau) December 16, 2019
"I want rugby to be good in Queensland. I don't want it to be just us winning a title and then it goes back to a battle," he said.
"The thing that would make me the most happy would be being an older person and (seeing) … the game being in good health, Ballymore (successful) and financially the place being in a good space.
"I want the place getting known for success - being a finals footy team, one of those world-class teams again.
"Obviously you want to win a title. You always want to win titles if you can. But just getting to that place of strength again.
"It's not something against league or AFL, I still love my league and you've got your AFL and soccer and hopefully they're all doing well.
"It's a competitive market place but I just like the idea of there being strength across the codes and I think there's room for rugby to do really well."
