The $40k truth behind Johnathan Thurston’s legendary headgear

JT’s headgear will go down as one of rugby league’s most iconic artefacts, and its full story can now be revealed. Find out why Thurston first pulled it on and why he never gave it up.

North Queensland Cowboys Johnathan Thurston give his headgear to a young fan Cohen Jarrett, 9, who made his way up from Katherine with his family to see his star, JT, following the Cowboys win over the Parramatta Eels at TIO on Saturday night. Picture: Justin Kennedy

When rugby league inevitably builds its Hall of Fame – preferably in the sport’s heartland of North Queensland – there will be a golden bust in the foyer adorned with Johnathan Thurston’s legendary headgear.

Thurston made headgear popular in a sport that historically valued toughness above all else, and his white, blue and yellow helmet became synonymous with the freakish talent Cowboys fans enjoyed for 14 seasons.

But perhaps the greatest aspect of his famous headdress is how many game-worn JT headgears are floating around after Thurston made it customary to give it away at the end of every half.

In rugby league writer Glen Humphries’ new book, Jack Gibson’s Fur Coat, it was revealed that Thurston has given away more than $40,000 worth of headgears – more than his sponsorship with Madison was worth.

Not that the company cared, as Madison Sport’s director Brian Carmody explained to The Sunday Telegraph.

Johnathan Thurston hands out his headgear. NRL; North Queensland Cowboys Vs Canberra Raiders at 1300Smiles Stadium, Townsville. Pictre: Alix Sweeney

“There’s a cost to us associated with it which is over and above the endorsement fee we pay him, but I think it’s a wonderful thing for the game and for Johnathan to do,” Carmody said.

But what sparked Thurston wearing headgear in the first place, after playing most of his junior footy with his locks flowing in the breeze?

The story goes that the decision was made after he was called up to play local A grade at 17.

Thurston had been so shaken from his first training session against the “battle-hardened giants” and “behemoths with beards and bulging biceps” that the following day he walked into the local sports store and asked where he could find headgear.

“Being so young, and so small, I wanted to protect myself as much as possible,” Thurston said in his autobiography.

“I wasn’t even 70 kilograms yet. So I got myself my first headgear and I have worn one in every match since.”

Indigenous All Star team members Johnathan Thurston and Jamie Soward will wear their special Sid Domic designed headgear during the game.

And although medical experts have repeatedly explained the limitations of headgear – basically that they only protect wearers from lacerations around the scalp and face and offer no mitigation towards concussion – Thurston swore by his rugby league crown.

After copping Dragons enforcer Matt Prior’s elbow squarely to his jaw in 2012, Thurston was forced from the field but thanked his headgear for saving him from further harm.

“Where he got me, if I wasn’t wearing the headgear I think I could have a broken cheekbone or a broken jaw or something like that, so I’m very glad I wear the headgear” Thurston said at the time.

Little league players L-R Austin Pyne, Jake Moffat, Noah Moffat and Archie Riccio wear Johnathan Thurston head gear at Captain Cook playing fields in Cronulla. Picture: Toby Zerna

Alongside Thurston’s headgear in our imagined Hall of Fame are a number of other oddities and artefacts, many of which can be read about in Humphries’ book.

Humphries couldn’t place a finger on what made Thurston so iconic to North Queenslanders, but suggested it was to do with his affable character.

“The vast bulk of his time was spent with the Cowboys so there’s that loyalty factor that he has stuck with the team and the fact that he was a very, very good player helps as well,” Humphries said.

“And with his headgear he’s easy to spot on the field, you know exactly which person he is and the whole thing in the book about giving away headgear, it’s just a really nice gesture that helps people have that image of him as being this really nice guy.

“He’s not going to be in the scandal sheets, he’s not going to be on the back page, involved in the latest rugby league crisis or anything like that. He’s effectively a good role model.”

Jack Gibson’s Fur Coat by Glen Humphries (Gelding Street Press $39.99) is available at Big W and all good bookstores.

Originally published as The $40k truth behind Johnathan Thurston’s legendary headgear