Premiership will deliver North Queensland star Johnathan Thurston immortality

PAUL Green says Johnathan Thurston is on track to be crowned an Immortal if the Maroons maestro can deliver the Cowboys' maiden premiership.

North Queensland Cowboys against Gold Coast Titans at 1300 Smiles Stadium. Cowboys Johnathan Thurston. Picture: Evan Morgan

NORTH Queensland coach Paul Green says Johnathan Thurston is on track to be crowned an Immortal if the Maroons maestro can deliver the Cowboys' maiden premiership.

Thurston faces one of his final frontiers tomorrow night, with the champion pivot hellbent on toppling big-guns Souths at the Homebush venue that has been his NRL graveyard.

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Thurston has ticked just about every conceivable box in rugby league, winning Origin series, Test matches, two Dally Ms and a premiership ring as a rookie at the Bulldogs.

But for all his wizardry, Thurston has won just two of 13 games for the Cowboys at ANZ Stadium for a success rate of 15 per cent.

Cowboys coach Paul Green at training.

His lowest ebb at Homebush came in 2005, when the Tigers beat the Cowboys 30-16 in a grand-final loss that still haunts the Cowboys' most important player.

To rub salt into deep wounds, Thurston has never beaten the Rabbitohs at ANZ, losing all six contests against the red-and-green in his nine-year career at the Cowboys.

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Thurston is gifted enough to turn the tide by stunning Souths tomorrow night, a scenario that would move the Cowboys a step closer to breaking their 19-year title drought.

Andrew Johns was named the code's eighth Immortal two years ago, joining Arthur Beetson, Wally Lewis, Graeme Langlands and 1981 pioneers John Raper, Reg Gasnier, Clive Churchill and Fulton.

Green expects Thurston to be added to the list one day, but says orchestrating the club's maiden premiership would be sweet reward for a decade of brilliance.

"Regardless of what happens for the rest of JT's career, he will be regarded as one of our greatest players and hopefully one day he's an Immortal," Green said.

"But for guys that go through and do what he's done, not only for (the Cowboys) but in the game, it would be nice for him to win a premiership. "I've got full confidence in the squad that we have now to do that, but to win the big games on the big days, you need everyone playing at or near their best.

"If all of our players do that, and support JT, I'm confident we can win against anyone we play against."

Green concedes it is crucial for Thurston and the Cowboys to improve their record at ANZ Stadium given the ground will host this year's grand final.

"We have to feel confident going to Homebush playing against any team we play," he said.

"This week is good preparation for us in that respect.

"Everyone is saying Souths are title favourites and we want to be there come semi-final time. ANZ Stadium is where the grand final is going to be played so this is a good test for us."

Thurston challenged the side to learn from last Monday's crushing one-point loss to Penrith.

"The second half against Penrith felt like semi-final type footy," he said.

"We haven't been able to close out games and the other night was a classic example.

"There's no bigger test than coming up against the Bunnies they are the title favourites so it's a challenge to see where we're at as a team and where we need to improve."