It’s official – Johnathan Thurston is without dispute the most dominant rugby league player the planet has ever produced.
The North Queensland Cowboys captain won the only major award that has yet to elude him by leading his side to a 38-4 victory over Leeds in the World Club Series on Monday morning (AEDT).
Last year’s NRL premiers picked up from where they left off last October, scoring six second-half tries as the Australians completed their second consecutive 3-0 humiliation of their Super League counterparts.
The victory was achieved with the same 17 that started when the club broke through for their maiden premiership four-and-a-half months ago, when they defeated the Brisbane Broncos in arguably the greatest NRL grand final in history.
The Cowboys start the new season the team to beat, as they attempt to become the first team since the Broncos in 1997-98 to successfully defend the premiership.
For Thurston, it adds even more lustre to the most impressive CV in rugby league, which includes two premiership rings, four Dally M Medals, several Golden Boot Awards, the Clive Churchill Medal, a World Cup, several Tri/Four Nations with Australia, and nine State of Origin successes with the Queensland Maroons.
The 32-year-old can play out the remainder of his career without having to worry about winning anything else, but he would love to lead his Cowboys to another premiership before he retires.
The Sydney Roosters and Brisbane Broncos thrashed St Helens and Wigan on Saturday and Sunday morning (AEST) respectively, exposing the gulf between the English Super League and National Rugby League.
Three-time minor premiers the Roosters belied the absence of several premiership stars – including disgraced co-captain Mitchell Pearce, as well as injured pair Boyd Cordner and Jared Waerea-Hargreaves – by defeating the Saints 38-12 and justifying their World Club Series invitation after turning it down last year.
It was a horrid month off the field for the Chooks, after Pearce was embroiled in the infamous Australia Day video for which he is still awaiting punishment from the club.
The two other players involved – Jayden Nikorima and Dale Copley, both of whom arrived at the club from the Broncos at the end of last season – were cleared for their roles in the video.
On the field, they starred, with Nikorima setting up five of the team’s seven tries and Copley scoring one close to halftime.
Nikorima’s partnership with Jackson Hastings, who impressed in Pearce’s injury-enforced absence towards the end of last year and did so again on Saturday morning, gives the Roosters hope that they will once again contend this season.
Given the injuries to Cordner and Waerea-Hargreaves, and Pearce’s indefinite absence, the Chooks could be slow to start off the season, but once the stars return, don’t be surprised if they again appear in the top quarter of the ladder.
The other match saw Brisbane thrash Wigan 42-12 in the rematch of the second match from last year’s series, which Wayne Bennett’s men won in golden point extra-time.
The Broncos were led brilliantly by Anthony Milford and Kodi Nikorima, as they took the first steps towards amending last year’s heartbreaking grand final loss.
Despite the 3-0 result going the NRL’s way for the second year in succession, Trent Robinson and Wayne Bennett have backed the concept to remain, with the latter throwing his support behind a proposal that could see matches played in Australia.
The 2014 World Club Challenge, played between Robinson’s 2013 premiership-winning Roosters and the Wigan Warriors, was the first to be played in Australia since 1994. This edition was relocated from England after the Rugby League World Cup, of which 16 Roosters players took part, had been played there two months beforehand.
The latest expansion to the World Club Series could see the line-up expanded to eight teams, as well as matches played in both Australia and England (two each), with the championship match alternating between the countries each year.
This means next year’s feature match could be played in Australia, with England having hosted the last two editions.
It would also give the NRL clubs the advantage, as they would have the chance to play in the summery conditions that they are used to enduring in the early part of the season.
The format of having the grand finalists and minor premiers from the NRL, and the premiers, minor premiers and Challenge Cup winners from the Super League should remain, plus one more club from each league as a wildcard.
With the World Club Series, as well as the Auckland Nines and the majority of NRL trials over for another pre-season, attention now turns to next Thursday night’s season opener between the Parramatta Eels and Brisbane Broncos at Pirtek Stadium.
Reckon you can pick the winning team? Build your own dream team with Draftstars daily fantasy and compete on any match. For great odds on the NRL head on over to PlayUp. Imagine what you could be buying instead. Set a deposit limit.
Something tells us it won't dissuade him from going again... The Sea Eagles cult hero has won over plenty of Manly fans for his…
The Canberra second-rower was probably the last person tipped to throw this pass but did so to perfection.
Manly weren't playing around at Brookvale, producing this promising second-tackle play from their own half which nearly ended in a Tom Trbojevic try. Turbo…
All the team list information for Round 9.
The coroner in the inquest into the death of former Manly player Keith Titmuss has declared that the training conditions on the day he…
Wayne Bennett is keen to get his next coaching appointment wrapped up promptly as he prepares to ramp up negotiations for a South Sydney…
