Johnathan Thurston’s tearful plea on mental health in wake of Paul Green’s death
Johnathan Thurston has issued a tearful message on mental health after the loss of his premiership-winning coach.
NRL
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North Queensland legend Johnathan Thurston broke down in tears on Monday night as he urged people to share their feelings in the wake of Paul Green’s tragic death.
Thurston and Green were the chief architects of the Cowboys’ premiership win in 2015, the pair working alongside each other for years as they turned North Queensland into a team that the region could be proud of.
Thurston was rocked by Green’s death last week.
“I think for all of us, we need to start to not only as men, but in society, start talking about our feelings,” Thurston said on Nine Network’s 100% Footy.
“I don’t have all the answers but throughout my life have reached out to someone professionally to help me with what I am going through in my life.
“Mental health has really come to the forefront the last 10 or 15 years, Before that it was an era of she’ll be right mate.
“But it won’t be right. It’s not going to be right. We need to be there for our mates and get them to talk about their feelings and what they are going through.
“Suicide is taking far too many lives in this country.”
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Thurston acknowledged he had struggled to come to terms with Green’s passing, which rocked the rugby league community last week.
Even Green’s closest friends were unaware he was struggling.
“It has been quite difficult,” he said.
“It has been a tough few days for everyone. A range of emotions going through me each and every day playing with the kids and thinking of the good times I had with Greeny.
“It is sad, I don’t know how it came to this. I have been lucky to have a good support crew around me to help with this.
“It is difficult. It has been difficult on a lot of people obviously. Still trying to get my head around it. It is still pretty raw.”
Asked for his memories of Green, Thurston said: “He loved to bring people together, loved to be the life of the party whether it be for a barbecue, a glass of red or down the park with the kids, he loved being around people.
“He was a very considerate person, always wanted to know what you were doing and how you were feeling.
“He had a massive heart on him. He was a high achiever in his life. Still quite difficult to understand how this has all unfolded.
“I have some amazing memories with him and that is what I am holding onto him at the moment.”
PARR PAYS TRIBUTE TO GREEN
Paul Green’s long-term right-hand man Peter Parr has fought back tears in describing his “good mate”.
Parr and Green spent almost a decade together at North Queensland with the pair combining to the Cowboys’ inaugural grand final in 2015.
“Paul Green was a great bloke,” Parr said. “A very good friend of mine. I’m devastated. It’s a struggle to get your head around what happened.”
Parr said Green was destined to return to the coaching arena.
“He was a really good coach,” Parr said. “Really good. But for me he was a great bloke. A lot of fun, super intelligent, hard-worker and a great knack of wanting people to be better.
“I’ll miss him dearly.”
Broncos star joins chorus for NRL to intervene to save lives
—Callum Dick
Broncos prop Corey Jensen says he owes his career to Paul Green and has spoken of the shock he felt after learning of his former coach’s death last week, before adding his voice to calls for a mental health awareness round in the NRL.
Last Friday Broncos coach Kevin Walters appealed to the NRL to do more for mental health awareness within the game following Green’s passing and Jensen echoed those sentiments at training on Monday.
“I think so — I think it’s a great thing we can do,” Jensen said of a mental health awareness round.
“I’ve had a lot of close mates who have died that way and I think it’s something we can keep pushing as a group and keep advocating (that) there is always someone to talk to. (Don’t) feel like you have to keep whatever feelings you have going through your head, inside.”
Townsville-born Jensen was on the rise through the Cowboys Under-20s system when the club won its maiden NRL premiership under Green in 2015 and two years later it was Green who handed him his first-grade start.
“Greeny was a big part of my career. He was the one who signed me in Townsville, who gave me my debut in Townsville. I had a good three years there with Greeny and there’s a few Townsville boys there that are hurting pretty bad,” the 28-year-old said.
“The news was more of a shock than anything to me. I’m coping all right and I’ve reached out to a few boys there (in Townsville) and a few boys here that know him pretty well.”
Jensen was part of the same Cowboys U20s team as Regan Grieve, the Queensland U18s captain who tragically took his own life in January 2015.
“I think the biggest thing is knowing you can talk to someone if you are struggling,” Jensen said.
“I know a lot of players in the NRL have really preached that and I just want to be another to advocate (that) my phone is always there if someone needs to talk.
“I think that’s something we can really push for in the NRL.”
Anasta’s heartfelt plea for NRL round to save lives
– David Riccio
Braith Anasta’s stomach dropped.
He looked down at his phone and felt the sick feeling deep in his gut, that sadly, he has never been able to get rid of.
Paul Green. How? Why?
The former NRL star and Fox League host was 15 when his father, Peter, took his own life.
“It’s tragic, my family has never been the same,’’ Anasta, 40, says.
“Mum, my brother, they haven’t been able to come to terms with it all.”
There was an ARL Commission meeting across this weekend to decide where the NRL grand final will be played.
The Commission should’ve wrapped the chat up in half an hour and moved immediately to sign-off on what next year, must become the most important week of the NRL season.
It will be the round that saves lives.
As an entire code walks around numb from Green’s shock passing, Anasta has made an impassioned plea to the NRL to introduce an official ’Mental Health’ Round next season.
Anasta’s warning? More suffering players and coaches will be lost if the code doesn’t lead the way.
“Support for those who are suffering is the one thing we could do better in the game and that has to begin with an official Mental Health Round next season,” Anasta said.
“We should be doing this. Yes, we have important rounds like Indigenous round and Women In League round.
“But we need a week where we’re focused on bringing everyone’s attention to the fact that it’s okay to speak and it’s not weak.
“We could have an entire week focused on putting mental health under the spotlight and enlightening the wider community on this epidemic.
“We’ve got such a diverse game with so many different cultures and all these guys have so much pressure on them to succeed. Many of them have to support their own families.
“The pressure is immense.
“This is not a round that would be controversial. It’s a round to help target an epidemic that has directly impacted our code.
“A lot of people call for different themed weeks in the NRL, but this, to me, is something that if we don‘t get in control of, it’s (suicide) going to happen more and more.
“That’s terribly sad to say, but if we take action as a code, we’ll save lives.’’
Anasta said if ever the NRL had the motivation to directly change people’s lives, it’s now.
“Life is hard, but the life of a rugby league player or coach is relentless,” Anasta said.
“You can go to some dark places. It can be a lonely sport.
“You’re under the spotlight and everything is played out in public.
“You have no personal life. Everyone knows good or bad, what you’re going through.
“Footy players are proud people and sometimes it’s ego, or it’s hard to admit you’re hurting.
“But, it’s not weak to tell someone you’re hurting.
“At the time, you do have a bit of resentment (for the person), but over time, you realise it’s an epidemic.
“You realise it’s a sickness.’’
Anasta didn’t know Green personally.
But he knows the head-shaking shock that will stay with the former Cowboys premiership-winning coach’s family.
He says, as tough as it would be, he would make himself available to Green’s wife Amanda, and children, Jed and Emerson.
“My thoughts immediately went to Paul’s family. And from my point of view, if I could help the kids out in any way, I will,’’ Anasta said.
“I would talk to them.
“I’m strong on this because I’ve seen how it’s impacted my family and Greeny’s huge network of mates … it’s literally thousands of families.’’
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