Johnathan Thurston’s grand final gift and his last step on the road to rugby league immortality

JOHNATHAN Thurston does have a premiership ring – but he gave it away. Now the North Queensland captain is dreaming of Cowboys glory.

Cowboys Jonathan Thurston is playing his 200th game for the Cowboys this weekend against the Sydney Roosters at 1300 Smiles Stadium. Picture: Zak Simmonds

JOHNATHAN Thurston is a man with no premiership ring.

Sure, he had one once.

Way back 10 years ago, receiving one of those shiny $6000 chunks of golden immortality — his reward for being an interchange utility with then premiers Canterbury.

But on grand final day, looking down at said bauble in his hand, Thurston knew it wasn’t his — not really.

“It was weird,’’ the North Queensland skipper recalls.

“It just didn’t feel right to accept it.”

And so, almost immediately, he gave the ring to injured Bulldogs skipper Steve Price.

He told him: “Pricey, you deserve this more than me”.

Here, truly, is the heartbeat to Johnathan ‘JT’ Thurston.

WRIGHT’S PREMIERSHIP DREAM SHATTERED

Understanding that for this Queensland and Kangaroo icon, a footballer continually touted as a future Immortal, it isn’t enough to simply win yourself an NRL premiership ring. No, you have to go and earn it.

Which is why, hours later, when coach Steve Folkes heard of the gesture in those raucous Doggies sheds, he then offered up his own premiership ring, which JT embarrassingly accepted. Humbled, but knowing deep down it wasn’t his.

“And not because I was thinking oh, I’ll win another one soon,’’ he continues. “That year, I broke my leg and was out three months.

“I was in first grade, then back to reserves, so I didn’t actually feel part of the team. I was great mates with Pricey, too, and knew, if he was fit, I wouldn’t have been there anyway. The ring was his.”

PREMIERSHIP WILL DELIVER JT IMMORTALITY

Thurston admits he is driven by taking the Cowboys to the top.

And so we arrive at ANZ Stadium. To North Queensland and South Sydney. A battle, which, in one corner, has a club trying to shake the demons that are not just 43 years without a title, but wasting wonderful opportunities in the past two.

And in the other ... well, it’s a halfback whose Immortality, they say, all comes down to taking an NRL title to Townsville.

So come on JT, we know you have two Dally Ms, two Golden Boots and the most points in both Test and Origin history. A footballer who, only on Monday had Jarryd Hayne insisting he was the greatest in the game.

But will all this really be forgotten if you fail to take North Queensland all the way?

HAVE YOUR SAY ON THE GAME IN THE NRL FANS’ SURVEY

Thurston feels the pain after the Cowboys 2005 grand final loss.

“Ah, you mean ‘we’,” the playmaker grins. Well, yes. Sort of. For while there may be 17 Cowboys gunning for a grand final berth, only one apparently has his entire career riding on the result. So what do you make of that?

“Winning a premiership with the Cowboys, that’s what drives me,’’ he reveals. “What has me doing whatever I need to do so that we win games. That year with Canterbury, I was 21. Played a grand final with North Queensland the next year, too. But I haven’t been part of one since ... so I understand how hard it is to get there.”

And if you never get back?

“If I don’t win a premiership when I retire, then people will judge me for that,’’ he says honestly. “But whatever people think, that’s up to them.

“I’m happy with what I’ve achieved and, if I do win a title with this group, it will be icing on the cake. But I’m not naive enough to think all fairytales come true.”

All of North Queensland will be depending on Thurston's brilliance.

Which isn’t to suggest Thurston isn’t ready to give things a red hot shake, either. Currently sitting seventh, the Cowboys have a tough run home against both Souths and Manly, plus strugglers Cronulla.

“But I believe we’ve got the squad, the coaching staff to shake this competition,” he says.

Better, they have him.

A undeniable matchwinner, who, since July, has been looking to atone not only for grand final opportunities missed, but an Origin series loss he likens to “a knife through the heart”.

“This year’s series was my worst ever,’’ he confesses of the Maroons’ first defeat in nine years. “Full credit to NSW, they won, deservedly. But like my first series in ’05, the loss was like a knife to the heart.”

Asked if the strain of losing affected his club form, JT continues: “Yeah, especially after game three.

“We played Newcastle away and got towelled up. That was among my five worst games in Cowboys colours.”

It was a slump, however, that lasted all of 80 minutes.

And for proof, think of the Dally M. If anyone is to beat Hayne to that second gong, it will likely be Thurston claiming a third.

Which would be great, sure. But not everything for the man with no premiership ring.

Thurston with wife Samantha Lynch and baby girl Frankie Louise.

JOHNATHAN THURSTON ON ...

2014 Dally M ...

“I think Jarryd Hayne is the game’s best player this year. In terms of consistency over time, you’d have to say Cam Smith. But for this year, I’d say Jarryd.”

Beating South Sydney ...

“You look at the successful teams — the Sea Eagles, Melbourne, obviously the Roosters — they all make their plays when the heat is on. That’s the crux of it.”

Rabbitohs young gun Luke Keary ...

“Against Brisbane, that was the first time I’d seen him play. He loves to run the ball and, from what I’ve seen, that’s his best asset. He’s got runners inside and out, likes to show either side and take the line on. He’s got a big future in the game.”

Bringing a title to Townsville ...

“It’s not just Townsville, but all of North Queensland. Something like 40% of our members drive more than an hour to home games. These fans have been sitting on the hill since ‘95 ... it’s rugby league heartland and a premiership would blow the community away.”

State of Origin ...

“We had some injuries but still were in a position to win those games — we just weren’t good enough. Full credit to the Blues, they defended their butts off and they made us pay for errors. They won, deservedly.”

Cowboys as NRL ‘sleeping giants’ ...

“I don’t think we’re a sleeping giant. We haven’t achieved much over the last two or three years. We’ve been disappointed with the way we’ve finished and we haven’t really given ourselves a chance. Our season goes on the line in the next three games.”

Referees ...

“The last two years, refereeing decisions cruelled us and it is hard to cop in sudden death finals games. But I can’t sit here and blame them for it. We had opportunities to win those games and put (Manly and Cronulla) to the sword — we just weren’t good enough.

Originally published as Johnathan Thurston’s grand final gift and his last step on the road to rugby league immortality