Queensland’s hopes of retaining the State of Origin shield have been dealt a massive blow, with superstar halfback Johnathan Thurston ruled out for the rest of the season with a shoulder injury.
Thurston, who is due to retire from all representative rugby league at the end of 2017, played a starring role for the Maroons in Origin 2. Despite battling through his shoulder injury for the entire game, the halfback led his side to a famous victory, kicking the winning conversion with just two minutes left on the clock.
However, Thurston’s heroics have cost him and his side. The halfback was seen in the changerooms with his shoulder heavily strapped after the comeback win, and the North Queensland Cowboys have now announced the future Immortal requires season-ending shoulder surgery.
“Given it was already an injured shoulder, the club and the player decided he had to undergo surgery immediately, effectively ending his season for 2013,” Cowboys coach Paul Green said.
“The news isn’t good,” Thurston said.
“And the best decision for myself and the club is to get the op done.
“I thought I might have been able to pump one or two more games out.
“But the medical advice I’ve been given is that if I wanted to live a normal life after football, then I had to have the surgery.”
The date for the operation is yet to be confirmed, but it is certain that Thurston has now played his final Origin game.
“It’s a decision that I’ve made,” Thurston said.
“I wanted to finish on a high this year with representative football. I’m comfortable with that decision I’ve made to retire from rep football.”
The news is the second injury blow for the Maroons since winning Origin 2, with fellow star Darius Boyd ruled out for Game 3 with a broken thumb. Boyd’s exact return date will be known after he has surgery later on Friday afternoon.
With Anthony Milford also ruled out for more than a month with an injury of his own, it now seems Thurston’s North Queensland teammate Michael Morgan will step into the five-eighth position for Queensland in Game 3, although Corey Norman, Ben Hunt and Daly Cherry-Evans will all be hoping to come under consideration for the role.
The injury is also a terrible blow for the North Queensland Cowboys, whose premiership hopes now appear well and truly dashed without their talismanic playmaker, and for the Kangaroos. Australian coach Mal Meninga now faces the unenviable task of trying to find a playmaker to replace Thurston for the upcoming Rugby League World Cup.
Sharks and New South Wales five-eighth James Maloney was included as backup for Thurston in the Kangaroos’ first squad of the year for the Anzac Test and is currently the man most likely to take Thurston’s Kangaroos jersey. However, a number of other players, including Morgan, will also come under consideration for the five-eighth position.
Thurston made his first Origin appearance in the opening game of the 2005 series and went on to play 36 consecutive games for the Maroons before missing Game 1 this year. He is the leading points-scorer in Origin history with 220 from his 37 total appearances, 24 of which ended in victories.
The Barry
Roar Guru
Bj doesn't read the articles...
Carlos
Guest
Lol!
Kurt
Guest
He re injured it in game two, if nsw wins the only regret will be why we didnt target the shoulder more in the game. Beating them at there best? I dont care about best, i just want the big W
Worlds Biggest
Guest
Blues fan but gutted for JT, the best halfback I have ever seen. An absolute legend of the game bows out in style at Origin level.
Kickinin
Guest
When NSW won origin in 2014 Cronk broke his arm in the first 15 minutes of game one and missed game two, when he came back QLD won 32-8 but the only fact that people remember is who won the series. No Blues supporter will be upset that they beat a team missing a key player.
The Barry
Roar Guru
Wow...!
Baz
Guest
Good as it is it makes winning players better players
Kreig
Guest
DCE was absolutely USELESS in a Maroons jersey! I hope he never gets to wear it again!
steveng
Roar Rookie
Yeah for sure, at least Madge got rid of one SOO champion Qld'er lol
Mango Jack
Roar Guru
If NSW win (big if), Qlders will be saying this, and I reckon there will be an element of truth to it. No coincidence that when he returned for game 2, Qld were much better organised and effective in attack. Not saying the Blues won't deserve the win, just that you always want to beat opponents at their best, and that means having JT.
Sage
Guest
Depends on your own idea of what is acceptable I suppose. None of them were angels I agree but certain things are and always will be unacceptable, especially if they are habitual. Add to that the fact you have a lot of influence over younger players. Lets leave it at that
db
Guest
Maybe they recieved advice from Michael Maguire on how to manage injured players during a game.
Republican
Guest
..........this will seriously dash the Kangaroos ability to win the WC. NZ will be quite excited at the prospect of toppling us now.........
steveng
Roar Rookie
It must have been worth it for Qld to win (you can add Cecchin and Sutton to that list) lol but really, Its so stupid to allow JT to continue when his shoulder was injured and that any further knocks would be devastating, who made the decision to keep him on???
db
Guest
He won't play origin next year as he has already announced his representative retirement.
Cam
Guest
What's Dale Shearer up to?
Tom Rock
Expert
Hey hey, those alien autopsy videos can look pretty legit.
pedrotheblue
Guest
But seriously...JT- great player, possibly the GOAT. Will be an immortal one day, as will Lockyer, Smith and Slater. Unfortunately there are no Blues even close to those 4.
pedrotheblue
Guest
Poor fragile Queenslanders. One bloke gets hurt in 2014 and they lose a series. Another bloke gets hurt in 2017 and they're ready to chuck in the towel. It's no wonder the refs take pity on them.
Art Vanderlay
Guest
Yeah, broken thumb.