GREEN: LAY OFF JT
Coach says Thurston not at fault
Cowboys coach Paul Green expects champion playmaker Johnathan Thurston to put egg on the faces of his critics as the club faces a crucial home stretch which could make or break their season.
Before the Cowboys suffered a fourth straight loss against the Warriors, Fox Sports commentator and league legend Greg Alexander said Thurston “may have played a season too long” after a slow start to the year.
Green understands Thurston will be critiqued more closely given his stature in the game, but believes the halfback will use the remarks as fuel.
North Queensland hosts fellow strugglers Canterbury on Saturday, the first of three straight home matches in Townsville.
“Generally he responds pretty well to that type of stuff. We all know how good a player he is so a bit of extra motivation ... people love to prove others wrong,” Green said.
“Normally if ever JT has been a bit off it’s never lasted too long. That sort of criticism he will take pretty personally, I think, and normally we get a good response out of it.”
The Cowboys look down on confidence and are battling to test teams in attack, and halves Thurston and Michael Morgan have copped the brunt of the criticism.
But the playmaking combination is far from the only aspect which is yet to fully hit its straps, and Green said they can’t weave their magic if the foundation isn’t set first.
“It’s a team game and everyone needs to do their job, we all need to be a bit better,” Green said.
“If JT didn’t hit the ground running right from round one, at some point that question was going to be asked. I don’t think it’s fair to be saying that (Alexander’s comments), certainly not at this stage.
“He’d be the first to admit that he could play better, but he’s not the only one in that boat.
“I think it’s unfair to blame him solely.”
The Warriors’ massive backrowers and outside backs targeted Thurston in defence on the Cowboys’ left edge, and Green said they need to work better as a collective unit.
“On two of those tries down that side there was some decision making that’s not normal for us,” he said. “It’s not about tweaking things, it’s about trusting what we do and doing it more consistently.”
Being singled out in defence isn’t foreign to Thurston, but NSW coach Brad Fittler said even more traffic may come his way in his farewell season.
“They just had set after set coming at him,” Fittler said.
“I don’t know how his shoulder is and how he is mentally, but the last three or four games teams have really targeted him.
“Either the people around him have to do a better job or he’s got to bite the bullet and say is his shoulder 100 per cent and he’s got to deal with it.”