Mal Meninga warns critics to write of Johnathan Thurston at their peril

JOHNATHAN Thurston will be an Immortal one day. But right now he is not. He is mortal. He is a human being. But he is a champion and his class is permanent, writes MAL MENINGA.

Johnathan Thurston is too good to stay bad. (AAP Image/Darren England)

I HAVE some advice for anyone writing off Johnathan Thurston: Do so at your own peril.

We all know how good Thurston is. He is such a good player, we have probably just come to expect that he will be brilliant every week.

He will be an Immortal one day, no question. But right now he is not. He is mortal. He is a human being.

He is a player coming back into the game after a long-term injury, trying to rebuild his own confidence while the team around him seems to have lost theirs.

This Cowboys team that was so slick and so cohesive last year seems to have lost its rhythm, and Thurston is struggling to find his place in that at the moment.

HONEST: Bryce Cartwright on mistakes and leaving Penrith

RIDE ‘EM: Carney on verge of Cowboys comeback

Johnathan Thurston is too good to stay bad. (AAP Image/Darren England)

When I watch Thurston play, I don’t see a player that has gone on one season too long.

I see players around him who haven’t got the timing right on their runs, are running the wrong lines, and not giving the halfback enough time and space to work.

So many times over the past few weeks I am seeing Thurston getting belted in defence, because the play around him breaks down and he is stuck with the ball.

It’s no wonder his confidence is suffering.

The old rule says you should never right off a champion.

Five weeks into the competition, I won’t be writing Thurston or the Cowboys off just yet.

Meninga knows JT will rise again. (Ian Hitchcock/Getty Images)

COMMUNITY COUNTS

I HAVE spent the past two weeks travelling with some members of the Kangaroos staff through England and the US, trying to learn as much as we can from various organisations and how to apply that learning to the growth of rugby league.

Over the past few days, we have met with officials from the New York Police Department, and also Major League Baseball, and there are plenty of lessons that are easily transferable to the NRL.

One thing that stands out, even with the NYPD, is the importance of investing in the grassroots and community.

Fans arrive at Wrigley Field for the Chicago Cubs. (Scott Olson/Getty Images/AFP)

They build a platform based on knowing their communities, and the people that are living in them, and forming personal relationships to achieve their ultimate goal of reducing crime.

They build metrics around the different cultures in different areas and are able to use algorithms to work out how many people they need to get their job done in those areas.

American sports follow a similar formula.

They believe in growing your participation base and your fan base to act as a foundation stone for the game. It is pretty simple but it works.

They build relationships with their supporters and work hard on increasing junior participation to make sure baseball is an integral part of the average American family’s life.

MLB also helps foster the game by supporting development work in countries around the world, which helps grow the game and the talent pool.

They put money and resources into programs and academies to foster talent all over the world.

The focus is always on participation. Getting kids into the game and enjoying themselves.

This is where rugby league needs to be doing its homework right now.

We need to be working out rugby league’s community metrics and working out what resources need to be put into what areas to grow and develop the game, increase junior participation and start building the future of the code before it is too late.

LIVE stream the 2018 NRL Telstra Premiership on FOX SPORTS. Every game of every round LIVE in HD, with no ad breaks during play! Get your free two-week trial now.

Originally published as Mal Meninga warns critics to write of Johnathan Thurston at their peril