They may be great mates but Johnathan Thurston doesn’t plan on being a polite guest when he shares the football field with fellow NRL great Cooper Cronk for the final time this weekend.
North Queensland coach Paul Green has warned retiring Cowboys playmaker Thurston has been motivated by the occasion ahead of Saturday night’s clash with Cronk’s Sydney Roosters at Allianz Stadium.
And Green believed Thurston was determined to make sure his good friend Cronk did not have fond memories of the 64th and last time they play on the same field.
“Hopefully it (occasion) is a bit of motivation for him,” Green said of Thurston, who will retire at season’s end.
“I know they have played a lot of rep footy together and are good mates, so hopefully it is a bit of motivation for him.”
Thurston and Cronk will line up on the field for the last time this weekend, 14 years after they first faced off in the 2004 NRL finals.
They have won seven Origin series together as Queensland’s halves and savoured a World Cup triumph with Australia.
While Thurston may have his ex-Test and Maroons teammate in his sights, Green paid tribute to long time Melbourne half Cronk’s transition in his first year at the third-placed Roosters.
“He’s been a bit similar to us in a way. There was a lot of expectations on him early and but I think he has worked into the season well and probably found form in the last month,” Green said.
“He has fitted in particularly well in steering them around.”
Cronk’s job has been made harder in the lead-up to the finals after halves partner Luke Keary (knee) was ruled out for up to a month and replaced at five-eighth by experienced utility Ryan Matterson for the weekend clash.
“He’s a pretty handy player for them. He has been a good foil for Cooper Cronk,” Green said of Keary.
“I think he will be missed but it doesn’t sound like he will be out for too long which is good news for them from a finals point of view but it’s good for us too.”
Green moved former Test prop Matt Scott to the starting front row against the Roosters in the only change after the Cowboys’ last gasp win over Newcastle last round.
Thurston will hope to get the last laugh on Cronk and help inspire North Queensland’s sixth win of the year, helping ward off the wooden spoon.
They are two points above dead-last Parramatta with five regular season games left.