North Queensland superstar Johnathan Thurston will continue to let his football do the talking after putting injury-hit South Sydney to the sword on Monday night.
Thurston bagged a tryscoring double, had a hand or boot in two others and slotted four conversions as the Cowboys ran away with a 30-12 victory over the NRL premiers at ANZ Stadium.
His five-star, 16-point performance lifted North Queensland into a six-way share of sixth spot, out of the top eight only on differential, after the Cowboys opened their 2015 campaign with three straight defeats.
Thurston also outpointed South Sydney skipper Greg Inglis as debate swirls around which of the two Queensland State of Origin champions are most deserving of Immortal status.
While Thurston and Inglis didn’t go head to head in the halves after Souths coach Michael Maguire pulled a surprise pre-game and thrust ball-playing back-rower Glenn Stewart into the five-eighth role, the two giants of the game were in everything for their respective sides.
Thurston, though, finished a unanimous winner on the night after helping the Cowboys pile on 26 unanswered points from 12-4 down to knock the Rabbitohs off the top of the ladder.
But he modestly deflected the praise towards his unsung teammates when asked if he felt like the best player in the world.
“That’s for you to judge, not me,” Thurston said.
“I can’t give enough credit to our squad. Across the park, our back five are taking some tough carries, the boys in the middle third are rolling off the back of that and it’s a great team effort.
“I can’t do it without those boys doing their job and they’ve done it extremely well over the last three weeks.”
Cowboys coach Paul Green was once again left marvelling at Thurston’s toughness after the skipper turned the match the Cowboys’ way after Inglis was denied a try by the video referees when the Rabbitohs led by eight points just before halftime.
“Guys like `Jono’, everyone wonders at the skill and the plays that they put on but for guys like him who compete week in, week out it’s a massive effort,” Green said.
“With the interchange rule, they don’t get the chances that the smaller guys used to get a few years ago. There’s normally a fresh man in front of them.
“So it’s the toughness that they display that’s a a credit to them.”
Turning 32 this season, Thurston has played a staggering 30 straight Origin games and helped the Maroons to a record eight consecutive series wins before last year’s loss to NSW.
But the durable three-time Dally M Medallist keeps on keeping on.
“You have to. It’s a tough competition,” Thurston said.
“I love playing with the boys and I understand my role in the team.”
Souths coach Michael Maguire refused to blame Inglis’ no-try ruling as an excuse after the Cowboys piled on 26 points unanswered points after that.
Maguire was more disappointed with “a lot of uncharacteristic efforts” from his premiers and singled out Thurston’s try in the first minute of the second half, after Cowboys back-rower Gavin Cooper busted the Bunnies up the middle, as the turning point.
“It’s amazing how one play can change a game very, very quickly,” he said.
Compounding the Rabbitohs’ woes was Ben Lowe being placed on report for dangerous contact on Thurston’s legs, while Jason Clark was dazed in the second half.
Judge Holden
Roar Guru
Yeah mate even Kostjaysn seems to have had a fire lit under him since Granville took his starting position. He had a good game as well. Yep, it has been a while since the Payne Train was last sighted in a Cowboys jumper hobbling around tackling Broncos players in that final in 2012. What a champion.
up in the north
Roar Rookie
I only listened on the radio but it seemed they cycled Granville with Kostjyson at hooker and it sounded succesful. I also had high hopes for Granville prior to his arrival and Greeny is bringing him along nice and carefully. Seems like forever since Aaron Payne left.
Judge Holden
Roar Guru
Yep I thought he was a great signing and now he is hitting his straps. Defensively he is very solid and offers much more spark then any hooker the Cowboys have had since Payne retired and Segs left. I'd like to see Cameron King given another chance though.
Judge Holden
Roar Guru
Yeah he's been outstanding and has come along in leaps and bounds since his early years. He's quick, got some sublime passing skills, and his kicking game is improving. He should've had a try next to his name as well.
William Dalton Davis
Roar Rookie
Does the number of minutes played downplay the fact he is a premiership winning player? On inglis’ three premierships and Clive Churchill medal two of them and the medal won were while the storm had an illegal team with Inglis being the main reason for the cheating. The arguement can be made that those awards don’t occur if he’s in a legal team. But let’s not mention that.
Casper
Guest
really great to see Jake Glanville taking his chances at the Cowboys, I reckon that he might be the missing piece in their premiership puzzle. They have used manufactured dummy halves since Payne retired and now having a solid defender who can scoot from dummy half at his pace gives them an added option in attack or when under the pump. He's also got a bit of a kicking game that will help, especially when origin strips them of a few players.
Jay C
Roar Guru
Yeah, me too. From a product point of view you have to think as well, what is it adding? From an ultra cynical point of view you could argue that realistically we want our best players to have more time to get their kicks and passes right. Having a playmaker taken out off the ball adds nothing to the spectacle, it's often not even on screen. whereas having a pin point kick matched with a leap and an incredible try, or a smoking cut out pass that gives someone enough space to dance down the sideline. I mean, that's why we watch yeah? From a realist point of view I understand that we can't just give our playmakers all day, and pressuring them is important. But this notion that they don't have time to pull out when they are 3 steps away is nonsense. If this was the case no one would make a tackle in an entire game. If you couldn't react in 3 or 4 steps players could just walk casually around you.
William Dalton Davis
Roar Rookie
Just look at what some people were saying about the graham-Reynolds incident last week. Everywhere you looked people were blaming Reynolds saying if he didn't want to get hit he shouldn't have been standing so close to the ruck. It's a strange world RL.
William Dalton Davis
Roar Rookie
Does the number of minutes played downplay the fact he is a premiership winning player? On inglis' three premierships and Clive Churchill medal two of them were won, along with the medal, while the storm had a disgustingly illegal team with Inglis being the main reason for the cheating. The arguement can be made that those awards don't occur if he's in a legal team. But let's not mention that.
Bulldog
Guest
It seems to be open season on JT with no consequence... It will be interesting to see the NRL reaction when JT or another playmaker gets really hurt via a late hit. They (the NRL) have created an environment for playmakers which I predict we will see a nasty outcome.
Bulldog
Guest
The only problem with no video ref is that (with reference to last nights game) there would have been two definitely incorrect on field ref decisions. First one being Greg Inglis try (although I could live with that one) and the Antonio Winterstein try would have been a no try when he was clearly in. The issue with the video ref is the really inconsistent decisions that are obvious. I can live with the close ones that are 50/50 (like Greag Inglis try) but when they clearly just stuff it after a 1000 replays you just have to wonder what is going on...
Jay C
Roar Guru
Thurston is getting smashed late, off the ball, every week. Obviously the NRL aren't interested in having halves on the field.
E-Meter
Guest
It must have been memorable. how many minutes did he play (out of interest)?
terrykidd
Roar Pro
I agree Bulldog, Glenn Stewart would have to be a walking on water superman to have any chance whatsoever of making a tackle on Morgan. It should have been called a try for all money. These ridiculous inaccurate calls by the video refs that we are seeing week after week are fair dinkum killing the game. I get pissed off with seeing replay after replay. I would be very happy with an in goal judge, the 2 touchies and the central refs making a decision then and there ..... sure there will be some rough calls, but they will go both ways and even out, it would definitely be better than the current farce.
William Dalton Davis
Roar Rookie
JT is a three time Dally m medal winner. Something that the individual Inglis has never received. Also JT won a premiership at the Bulldogs.
Bulldog
Guest
Geez Darren - plenty of talk by you of the Inglis no try (which he definitlely dropped) but no mention of the blatant mistake by refs and video ref on the Morgan try at halftime for obstruction...... The Cows tore South a new one in the second half. Very good effort by the forwards who smashed the Rabbits pack in the second half.
E-Meter
Guest
Inglis has been in 3 premiership winning sides and was a Clive Churchill medal winner. These awards have so far escaped JT. Although, who knows, that may change this season.
Dav
Guest
Yea, Morgan had a great game, only his third play at 5/8 too. Next year Green is going to play him as a bookend.
Mike from Tari
Guest
I thought Morgan was the MOM.
Dav
Guest
Are you kidding on immortal status? when will you NSW people end your petulance and honour Thurston what he deserves, Darren Walton I feel embarrassed for you and your statement, mind you they are both of the greatest calibre, but we all know who the master of the game is and he is an immortal as pure as the football gods could gift us :)