Johnathan Thurston praises remarkable resilience of Billy Slater

JOHNATHAN Thurston knows better just how hard it is to come back from a shoulder reconstruction. So he can only marvel at the resilience Billy Slater showed to overcome back-to-back reconstructions.

Johnathan Thurston (right) and Billy Slater after a Queensland series win. Picture: AAP

FUTURE rugby league immortal Johnathan Thurston has hailed the resilience of Melbourne Storm star Billy Slater to twice get back from shoulder reconstructions having endured the same battle himself.

North Queensland legend Thurston had his own NRL journey ended, to a major degree, by a serious shoulder injury he suffered in 2017.

Thurston, who retired at the end of the 2018 after getting back to play one more season, knows the pain and work it takes to get back to the top level.

Johnathan Thurston (right) and Billy Slater after a Queensland series win. Picture: AAP

Slater had reconstructions in 2015 and 2016 and Thurston is staggered by the 35-year-old’s ability to go through it all twice and keep playing.

“I’ve had a few injuries, but the shoulder one I had last year was the toughest of all,” Thurston told the Herald Sun this week.

“That was quite a rollercoaster, doing the rehab, going through the pain of getting it right again.

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“Billy has had to do that back to back which is quite remarkable. Going through it once is tough. I couldn’t imagine going through that all over again. It just shows the resilience of the man and the character that he is.

“Not just to get back and play, but get to a position where he is the number one full back in the country, to be the best he can be.”

Thurston labelled fullback Slater and Storm captain Cameron Smith the best he had ever seen in their respective positions and was confident Melbourne could win on Friday and go on to become the first team since Brisbane in 1992-93 to go back-to-back.

Johnathan Thurston and Billy Slater after a club game this year. Picture: AAP

“I haven’t seen a better fullback than Billy, and I’ve never seen a better nine than Smithy. We have been blessed with the people we have been able to see play,” Thurston said.

“I tipped Melbourne before the finals and I’m going to stick with them. There’s not too many teams who can go down to Melbourne and get the result.

“But I think Melbourne will win. It’s Billy’s last game in Melbourne, they have too much power.”

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