North Queensland coach Paul Green admits he owes a lot to Johnathan Thurston as he prepares to farewell the star half from rugby league.
Thurston will play for the final time in Townsville on Friday in what is essentially a battle with Parramatta to avoid the NRL wooden spoon.
Green arrived at the Cowboys in 2014 as a rookie head coach in charge of a team containing one of game’s greatest players.
But he said there was no rock star attitude from Thurston and that his humility had been crucial as they combined to deliver the club’s long-awaited breakthrough NRL title in 2015.
“I didn’t find it that way (intimidating), I think probably because his attitude made it a lot easier for me,” Green said.
The former Queensland halfback has since extended his contract in Townsville until at least the end of the 2021 season and is poised to surpass the late Graham Murray as the club’s longest-serving coach.
“He’s played a big part in that, certainly he was very supportive as a rookie coach for me,” Green said of Thurston’s impact on his career.
“It made it easier for me to implement what I wanted to.”
The Cowboys be without young fullback Te Maire Martin (ankle) for Thurston’s hometown farewell, with Ben Hampton his replacement and Ethan Lowe added to the bench.
North Queensland and Parramatta are level on 12 points at the foot ladder, however the Eels are ahead of the Cowboys by 10 differential points with two matches to play.
History is pointing to a fitting swansong though, with the Cowboys winning 10 of their past 12 Townsville tussles – with a combined score of 343-164 – and the Eels yet to win on the away from home this season.
But Green has warned his players not to get ahead of themselves in what is prop Matt Scott’s 250th and Jake Granville’s 100th game for the club.
And, as apt as it would be, Green is happy to avoid the need for any late Thurston heroics.
“As long as we’re in front on the scoreboard, but I don’t think my heart could take it,” he said of the prospect of a Thurston field goal in extra time.
“But I’ll take any win … he’s prepared for big games before, done it plenty of times, so I’d like to think he knows what to do.”
STATS THAT MATTER
* Gavin Cooper needs a try to become the first forward to score in eight consecutive matches since Frank Burge in 1918.
* A Cowboys win would give Johnathan Thurston 100 victories at his hometown NRL venue.
* Parramatta will be out to avoid a winless season on the road and their 14th wooden spoon since 1947.
* Stats: Fox Sports Stats