The club then rebranded to the 'Albury Thunder' name, to be more inclusive to the whole city of Albury, not just the suburb of Lavington.
[4][5][6] The next season they again finished Minor Premiers, and again defeated South City in the Grand Final, winning 45-4 in front of over 4,000 people at McDonald's Park.
[8][9] He was joined by fellow former NRL stars Etu Uaisele and Joel Monaghan.
[10] In 2022, he left to coach the Eden Tigers in the Group 16 Rugby League competition.
[11] In 2023, the club is captain-coached by Purtell's former Canberra Raiders teammate and ex-Sydney Roosters winger Justin Carney.