NRL 2022, Cowboys news: why Johnathan Thurston has joined Todd Payten as assistant coach

North Queensland’s greatest ever, Johnathan Thurston, has revealed why he’s back at the Cowboys and his vision to return them back to the top of the NRL.

NRL and ex Nth Qld Cowboys rugby league player, Johnathan Thurston at his home in Rowes Bay, Townsville, with daughter Lillie 4yo. Picture scott.radford chisholm

Johnathan Thurston has outlined his vision to make the Cowboys great again with the Origin and Test champion accepting a hands-on role to help revive North Queensland as a premiership force.

Four years after his retirement from the NRL, Thurston is back at the Cowboys and hellbent on channelling his competitive fire as a player into mentoring in a bid to haul North Queensland out of the doldrums.

The Cowboys are tipped to win the wooden spoon this year. But Thurston and head coach Todd Payten are adamant the Cowboys will surprise critics this season – starting next Sunday in their premiership opener against the Bulldogs at Queensland Country Bank Stadium.

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Johnathan Thurston gave the Cowboys their greatest moment – and he’s back to make sure there’s more to come. Picture: Getty

After missing the finals for the fourth consecutive season last year, crashing to second last, Payten has embarked on a physical, mental and cultural overhaul of the embattled Cowboys.

North Queensland players were flogged at a pre-season army camp in Tully. The message was emphatic. The squad must get mentally tougher.

But Payten has also dug into the past to build a future, reaching out to club legends Matt Scott and Thurston, the co-captains who inspired the Cowboys’ fairytale maiden premiership win in 2015.

Once a week, Thurston stops into Cowboys training. The playmaking legend works directly with halves Chad Townsend, Tom Dearden and Scott Drinkwater and has been encouraged by Payten to critique other parts of the Cowboys’ football program.

Cowboys coach Todd Payton has benefited from Thurston’s return. Picture: Evan Morgan

While Thurston has no aspirations to be an NRL head coach, the Cowboys’ greatest player is relishing his specialist role under Payten’s blueprint to reprise North Queensland’s glory days.

“I was stoked when Toddy and Jeff (Reibel, Cowboys CEO) asked me to come back on board,” said Thurston, the most-capped player in the club’s 27-year history with 294 appearances.

“There are only a handful of players left now that I played with, so I felt more comfortable coming back to the club.

“It’s a really young group and Toddy pretty much gave me free rein. He wants me to concentrate on the halves, but he said, ‘If you see anything on the field at training, don’t be afraid to pull anyone up’.

“The players have really welcomed me on board which is great.”

Tom Dearden is one of the young halves learning from Thurston. Picture: Evan Morgan

The Thurston legacy at the Cowboys will forever endure. It was his unforgettable field goal in the 2015 grand final, in the 83rd minute of extra-time against arch rivals the Broncos, which snapped a 16-all deadlock and sent North Queensland into Dream World.

On the presentation podium, Thurston called on the Queensland government to give the Cowboys a new stadium. The result? A shiny new $290 million fortress at Queensland Country Bank Stadium that will be packed next Sunday when the Cowboys run out against the Bulldogs.

That is the force of Thurston – and the impact Payten believes the future NRL Immortal can have on the Cowboys’ 2022 squad.

“It’s great having him around,” Payten said.

“JT has taken some ownership around our halves, just developing relationships and looking at our game management. He also looks at our kicking and some technical stuff around cues for our halves, basically when to play and when not to play.

“I see the look in the players’ eyes when he comes and talks. He has that aura about him. Tommy Dearden and Scotty Drinkwater just idolise him and I encourage him to talk as much as he can, whether it’s in meetings or on the field.

“I want him to interrupt and say what he thinks because it’s so valuable. He has offered us some pearls of wisdom already.”

Thurston competed on every play in his 323-game career. Picture: Stewart McLean

The one non-negotiable for Thurston is competing. On every play. During his decorated 323-game NRL career, the Maroons maestro broke opponents as much with his skill as his will.

The Cowboys conceded a whopping 748 points last season _ their worst defensive record in two decades.

If defence is attitude, Thurston believes the Cowboys will exhibit more desire this season. He is also challenging Townsend, Dearden and Drinkwater to build pressure on opponents by driving them deep into the corners.

“Tuesday has been their big day on the field doing a lot of opposed sessions,” Thurston said. “So I will sit back, watch the guys go to work and then I can jump in and tip them up on what I see and pass on that advice and that knowledge.

“My main focus has been on the halves. I have been onto the guys about keeping their eyes down the field. The game has changed so much in that the ball is now in play a lot more than what it was when I played.

Thurston can bring a level of competitiveness that the Cowboys have been lacking since his retirement. Picture: Getty

“We used to get a lot of set-starts when I played, so everyone knew their role in those set-starts. But with the six-again rule, as a playmaker, you have to play with your eyes down the field, so when you see someone out of position in the defensive line, you need to be able to execute the attack to take advantage.

“If you aren’t concentrating, you will put the team under pressure, which is what’s happened the last few years at the Cowboys.

“I must admit I was a little worried before Christmas with how training was going, but since the full squad returned, it’s been chalk and cheese.

“Whenever I go to training, I leave with a smile on my face optimistic about the season ahead and the work they have put in.

“Speaking to the players about what the coaches have put them through in pre-season, it has been tough, but that conditioning gives you confidence that no matter what is getting thrown at you on the field, you can stay in the fight and make the last-ditch tackle and be there for your mate.

“That’s been the message of the pre-season and I think it will show on the field this year.

“I’m confident about the season ahead. I think this group are mentally stronger to perform at a high level.”

Chad Townsend (L), pictured with Brisbane’s Adam Reynolds, is counting his lucky stars at being able to learn from Thurston. Picture: Getty

New halfback recruit Townsend, who steered Cronulla to the 2016 premiership, has been blown away by Thurston’s mentoring.

“It’s unbelievable,” said the 31-year-old veteran of 192 NRL games.

“It’s something I’ve probably never really had to be honest, to ask questions with someone of that stature on a consistent basis.

“’Johnno’ is in with us once a week and helping out with our coaches and also us as halves. I’ve been lucky enough to pick his brain a little bit on plays and things that he recommends and things we do.

“I’m just sitting there just taking all the information in. In my eyes he’s the greatest player who’s ever played the game and I count my lucky stars every time I get to have a conversation with someone like that.”

Thurston, who turns 39 next month, breaks into his trademark chuckle when it is suggested he could still wear the Cowboys No.7 jumper.

“I do get a bit itchy when I’m out on the field with the boys,” he said.

“If we are down one half, I think, ‘Maybe, I should jump in’, but then I say, ‘No old fella ... just sit back and watch’.”