With the Cowboys’ fairytale season soon wrapping up this coming Sunday, it begs a very important question – where does this leave Johnathan Thurston?
After these heroic three weeks, the Cowboys have beaten fifth, fourth and second-placed teams, admirably without their co-captains, and in my opinion, the greatest player of all time, Johnathan Thurston. So, after seeing these amazing scenes unfold, I’ve been pondering the legacy of the one and only JT.
In the NBA, success is measured with Championships. Michael Jordan is rightfully regarded as the GOAT of basketball with six Championship rings from six finals appearances. The record speaks for itself. However, the surge of LeBron James has altered many basketball experts’ opinions.
Despite this, the debate always comes back to one factor – success.
Shaquille O’Neill says that LeBron James will not come close to Jordan until he wins three more Championships. So, taking this theory, what happens if the Cowboys win their second premiership this Sunday? Will JT still be regarded as one of the greats of our game? Or does it show that he is not so special after all?
For years, rugby league pundits and experts alike have labelled the Cowboys a one-man team behind Thurston, with their premiership credentials questioned every team he goes down injured. Even in Round 2 when Matt Scott went down injured against the Broncos, many ruled a line through their season, with the props injury hampered with the recent loss of James Tamou.
However, when Thurston squabbled during the final moments of Origin II this year, leading Queensland to a famous victory, he knew his season was over. Joey Johns called him a busted man and ruled him out of the year almost immediately as he saw JT holding his shoulder in agony. With a shoulder reconstruction needed, his season, and Cowboys season, seemed over.
(AAP Image/Tracey Nearmy)
Since being ruled out from Round 16, the Cowboys won back-to-back games against early season premiership favourites Penrith and Canberra. Hope was alive and it seemed that a top-four finish was possible. However, five losses from their last six games seemed to restore order to the rugby league world.
JT was a great once again.
But the resurgence in confidence and hope shown in these finals by players such as Michael Morgan, Jason Taumalolo and Gavin Cooper illustrates that the Cowboys are still a very very good team. In particular, the emergence of Morgan as a dominant playmaker and a world class half exhibits that without JT, Morgan has been able to make the Cowboys his own and dominate the game, with his short kicking game a major highlight.
Also, the recruitment of Te Maire Martin mid-season was a match made in heaven for North Queensland, as his quick feet and running game compliment Morgan to a tea.
It has also been the hard workers like Kane Linnet, Scott Bolton and Shaun Fensom stepping out of their shells and showcasing their abilities, that has lifted this Cowboys side into premiership contention. And I believe its the free-styled nature that Morgan plays with that allows this to happen.
Now, I’m not saying that Johnathan Thurston isn’t one of the greatest players ever to play rugby league if the Cowboys win the grand final. In my eyes, he is the GOAT, without question. But, does a second premiership in three years, without JT, make him less valuable?
What do you think Roarers?
up in the north
Roar Rookie
When JT went down to injury last year, the team really struggled to find the dynamic for playing a consistent brand of footy. As it turned out he came back into the side just as they were starting to cope without him. In hindsight you could argue that he should have been spelled for longer so as to give the rest of the side another few opportunities to rise by themselves, but what coach would do that. If he's fit he plays. It's been a constant refrain from the Cowbies this year that just when they started to get some impetus another injury would cruel things, imagine a world where John Asiata started the year with the Mackay Cutters, does a stint with the first grade side in the halves, then fronts an NRL grand final as a starting prop. Who writes this stuff??? For my money it's Jake Granville who is really needed to stand up tomorrow. Cam Smith will be all over Morgan when he gets the ball, not unlike how Smith marked JT in a late season game last year, in his face late everytime, putting immense pressure on him everytime. A smart tactic from a smart player done superbly, I'm sure Paul Green has been stressing to his players how to negate the tactic though. Go to another man in either Coote or Granville and the referee whisper is effectively taking himself out of the game. Sounds simple huh.. Did I say go Cowbies. Never die wondering.
peeeko
Guest
i think at 8:45 tomorrow night you will be hoping that JT was there
sportstragic
Guest
Go have a read what David Lord wrote in an article today when he was chatting to Noel Kelly. That might answer your question. http://www.theroar.com.au/2017/09/30/noel-kelly-thurston-greatest-rugby-league-player-ive-ever-seen/
RM
Guest
I don't think it lessens Thurstan's value. While rare, what the Cowboys have done this year is what all teams should be aiming to accomplish - to have a strong enough squad to succeed even if a couple of your best players get injured. Of course it's easier said than done. I think the fact Nth Qld has made it to the Grand Final without Thurstan says more about the the culture, coaching and the ability of other players than it does about JT.
Sean
Guest
A player as good as JT is worth several points a game to his team over the next best available player. If North Queensland win the Grand Final by, say, 6, that would just tell me that they probably would have won by something like 10 or 12 with JT. Titles are a poor measure of ability in any team sport where one player cannot dominate the game, in any case.