‘I’ll do what I want’: NRL tells Thurston to ‘tone down’ State of Origin sideline antics

He’s one of rugby league’s most beloved characters, but the NRL has ordered Johnathan Thurston to tone down his State of Origin antics.

BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA - NewsWire Photos - JUNE 21, 2023. Queensland XXXX Maroons assistant coach Johnathan Thurston (left) and player Patrick Carrigan during a light kicking session with fans in BrisbaneÕs CBD, ahead of the State of Origin II game at Suncorp Stadium tonight. Picture: Dan Peled / NCA NewWire

Johnathan Thurston has been given an official warning by the NRL to tone down his antics on the sideline of State of Origin games in his role as Maroons assistant coach.

Thurston is part of a star-studded Queensland coaching group that includes Cameron Smith and highly rated assistant Josh Hannay, working under master mentor Billy Slater.

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The Cowboys and Maroons legend has become a fixture on the sideline of Origin games, relaying messages from Slater to the team, while also going ballistic as he rides Queensland’s highs and lows.

Footy fans will remember seeing Thurston let loose at Adelaide Oval as Queensland claimed a stirring Game I win against the odds.

But one of the most endearing characters in rugby league has been told to calm down and stay within the zone on the side of the field allocated for sideline officials.

“I got a warning from the NRL, they sat me down and said I’m not allowed to wear my heart on my sleeve and I’m not allowed to do what I was doing,” Thurston revealed on Nine’s Billy Slater Podcast.

Maroons assistant coach Johnathan Thurston has been told to tone it down. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)

Thurston and Patrick Carrigan playing silly buggers at training. Picture: Dan Peled / NCA NewWire.

“I said this is Origin, I’ll do what I want,” he laughed.

“I was a little bit subdued … I ride the highs and the lows like all the fans,” he said.

“I love State of Origin, I love watching rugby league.

“You know when we’re winning and we’re losing because of my emotions, you can certainly see those.”

Host James Bracey said on Channel 9: “He’s actually been warned by the NRL to calm down, tone it down because he can’t be doing this. What?!

“One of the real entertaining things about being at the ground for Origin has been watching JT as assistant coach just riding the sideline, doing his thing, shouting out all the orders that are being sent down to him.

“But also, the emotion is there on show.”

Cameron Smith explained: “I actually caught some vision in my review of Game I at Adelaide Oval.

“He stepped out of that little zone that NRL officials like the coaching or sideline staff to stay in.

“He slipped out there and he had a few choice words to the touch judge, and he might have got in the ear of the touch judge in that game. So he was warned by the NRL, ‘Mate, just stay back and quieten down for us’.

JT expressing how we all feel about the NRL orders. (Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)

“But the emotion JT shows just epitomises what the state, the jersey and team mean to him.

“We’ve certainly seen that for a long period of time when he was a player for the Maroons, but not much as changed now he’s a coach.”

Queensland lead the State of Origin series 2-0 heading into Game III’s dead rubber in Sydney on Wednesday night.

The Maroons have won three of the last four Origin series, leaving NSW coach Brad Fittler’s future in question.

Originally published as ‘I’ll do what I want’: NRL tells Thurston to ‘tone down’ State of Origin sideline antics