KING OF THE NORTH
Thurston hails his successor, anointing Michael Morgan...
THE crown may not yet sit comfortably atop his head but injured Cowboy Johnathan Thurston is confident his successor in waiting will be a strong leader for years to come.
Michael Morgan played just 30 NRL games in his first four seasons in the NRL but has since blossomed alongside his mentor and will be crucial to North Queensland’s hopes of defeating the Parramatta Eels in Sydney on Saturday night.
Thurston said Morgan’s game winning field goal against Cronulla showed the 25year old’s remarkable poise.
“Our fans got a taste of what the future holds for our club,” Thurston said.
“They’ve had a taste for the last six months really ... the future is bright for the Cowboys.”
RUGBY LEAGUE JOHNATHAN Thurston has crowned Michael Morgan his successor as King of the North.
Morgan was once again North Queensland’s hero in a big game, clinching a thrilling extra-time finals victory with a field goal against the Sharks last Sunday.
Morgan orchestrated the memorable play in the dying seconds of the 2015 grand final against Brisbane to level scores before Thurston kicked the winning field goal.
Thurston, 34, will play a final season in 2018 before retiring and handing over his famous No. 7 jersey to Morgan.
Replacing Thurston could be the most daunting task in the NRL, but Morgan’s development this season has shown he is ready to permanently step into the void of the four-time Dally M medallist.
Morgan is also the leading contender to replace Thurston in the Kangaroos No. 6 jersey at the World Cup after outpointing Sharks rival James Maloney last weekend.
Thurston, sidelined since June with a shoulder injury, said North Queensland’s future would be bright with Morgan at the helm.
“Our fans got a taste of what the future holds for our club,” Thurston said.
“They’ve had a taste for the last six months really (while Thurston has been in and out of the team).
“Thumper (Matt Scott) did his knee (in round 2), I got injured, other players have been injured. A lot of players have had to stand up and Morgo’s been a perfect example of that.
“The future is bright for the Cowboys.”
Morgan, 25, made his NRL debut in 2010 as an 18-year-old but it wasn’t until 2014 that his career took off.
He played just 30 NRL games in his first four seasons before managing 26 matches in 2014 at fullback.
He shifted to five-eighth in 2015 to partner Thurston and has been in the halves since, forging a formidable combination and earning Maroons and Kangaroos jerseys.
With 127 NRL games under his belt, Morgan is now an established first grader.
“Given JT is missing it had to be a natural progression for myself and my career,” he said.
“It’s where I had to go. I had to take some responsibility.
“It’s something I’ve enjoyed. I’ve enjoyed the responsibility and taking more control.
“It’s been a challenge at times. It’s not something I’ve done a lot of before, certainly not in first grade.”
Morgan will play a key role in North Queensland’s elimination final against Parramatta at ANZ Stadium on Saturday.
The Cowboys fly back to Sydney today after only returning to Townsville on Monday and the odds are stacked against them progressing to a preliminary final against the Roosters.
But they have defied the critics for most of the season and Morgan said the Cowboys were not about to throw the towel in.
“Not a lot of people gave us a chance (against Cronulla) but we were confident. We’ve got enough confidence in ourselves,” he said.
“We’re not delusional thinking it’s going to be easy or a big fairytale either.
“It’s going to be hard but it’s been a tough season and we’ll keep turning up.”
OUR FANS GOT A TASTE OF WHAT THE FUTURE HOLDS FOR OUR CLUB
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ANIMATED is the last word you would reach for when describing Javid Bowen and Scott Bolton.
Of course they got right into the team song after the thrilling extra-time win over the Eels, but this seemingly odd couple get their kicks together away from the footy field.
“Bolts” and “Jango” are at their most enthusiastic out on the water and Bowen has revealed noted mumbler Bolton has moments of liveliness amid quiet times in the boat.
“He doesn’t say too much. You can’t understand him when he talks and you always have to ask him to say it again,” Bowen said. “But when he starts catching fish he starts singing and dancing.”
Spending time with the former Innisfail junior could well be the best thing for the 24year-old centre, who has been in and out of the Cowboys’ line-up for the past two seasons with patches of brilliance.
It takes Bowen back to the time he was dropping a line as a youngster in Hope Vale and his “home away from home” at Abergowrie College, near Ingham.
“When I was at boarding school I’d go fishing, go up the creek – most of the things I did up at home – and I’d play a bit of footy on the weekend,” he said.
Bolton has lived by the rod and reel to enjoy a long career, something he believes Bowen can do once he believes in himself. It’s a “sense of belonging” he once struggled to find.
Bowen will be nervously awaiting Paul Green’s decision on whether he or Justin O’Neill, who has been named on an extended bench, will get the green light to face the Eels.