The things that make Johnathan Thurston irreplaceable

PERHAPS the greatest compliment anyone can pay to Johnathan Thurston is that rugby league will never be able to truly replace him.

Johnathan Thurston of the Maroons looks to pass the ball during State of Origin Game II between the NSW Blues and Queensland Maroons, at ANZ Stadium in Sydney on Wednesday, June 21, 2017. (AAP Image/Dan Himbrechts) NO ARCHIVING, EDITORIAL USE ONLY

IRREPLACEABLE. That is the word league great Matty Johns uses to describe the gaping hole Johnathan Thurston will leave in the NRL when he hangs up his headgear for the final time.

Thurston will make his 323rd and final appearance as an NRL player when his North Queensland Cowboys finish their season against the Titans on the Gold Coast.

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The fact the 27,500-seat Cbus Super Stadium is sold out for the first time in a decade sums up the impact Thurston has had on the NRL.

There is no more loved player in the game — on and off the field. No other has ever won four Dally M Medals.

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Thurston, 35, played 37 State of Origin games for Queensland and 38 Tests for Australia.

But there has never been a farewell tour like this, especially considering the Cowboys won’t play finals football in Thurston’s last season.

“JT is irreplaceable,” said Johns, brother of Immortal Andrew “Joey” Johns.

“He has played in an era where it has never been more difficult to be excellent.

“These days, the technology is remarkable. The ability to look at every angle means there are no secrets.

“He has played through the era of ultra-analysis and yet he has still dominated.

“JT has found a way to keep ahead of the analysis. It’s phenomenal that over such a long period of time he has been able to dominate.”

Thurston won with incredible consistency. Picture by Gregg Porteous.

Thurston’s greatness extends further than his on-field dominance.

He has become a voice for the people, particularly those of indigenous heritage.

When the Cowboys wanted a new stadium in Townsville, Thurston’s grand final speech in 2015 helped deliver it.

Thurston has won the Cowboys, Maroons and Kangaroos countless games with his clutch kicking and trademark show-n-go.

But it is the simple gestures that have made him the peoples’ favourite.

The handing of his headgear to young fan in the crowd. Picking up the kicking tee and giving it back to the ball boy or girl.

It started in 2004 when Thurston, playing his 29th NRL game, gave injured Canterbury skipper Steve Price his premiership ring after being elevated into the grand final team at Price’s expense.

Thurston gave his first grand final ring to Steve Price.

That was the beginning of a legend. Tonight marks the end of an era, but Thurston’s story will go on.

“It’s an honour for me to coach against him in his last game,” Titans coach Garth Brennan said.

“Words can’t describe how good Johnathan Thurston is, not just on the field but off it.

“My son idolises Johnathan Thurston. He has been around football his whole life and mixed with NRL players but one guy he was starstruck by was JT.

“That sums up the effect he has on our young supporters. We don’t have enough of those people in our game.

“We hear all about the bad stuff the players do but it’s the stuff other players do (that makes a difference) and Johnathan Thurston is a shining light in that area.”

Thurston’s departure from the NRL will open the door for a new star to rise.

Think Kalyn Ponga, the Newcastle and Queensland whiz-kid who has already impressed fans with his willingness to be a good person away from the field.

But few will travel the path of Thurston, who was written off by nearly every scout in the game as a teenager before being giving a lifeline by the Bulldogs in 2002.

“There have been three distinct evolutions in Thurston,” Johns said.

“The first is the physical evolution. The first time I saw him play the biggest part of him were his ears and he’s been able to hold his nerve and still hang in there and compete when he got bigger.

“The second is the transformation of the playmaker. When I first saw him, he was like a rabbit looking for a hole in a barbed wire fence.

“He was a ducker and a darter and a good runner of the ball, but he evolved slowly into a brilliant game manager. With his age, he has developed great vision, a sleight of hand.

“The third is his personal development from scallywag to as good a role model as the sport has seen. He finds time for people.

“In his early days, he was a scallywag, but he has really grown into an ambassador for the game.”

And that is why Johnathan Thurston will leave an irreplaceable hole in the NRL.

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