JT: The man, the legend
RUGBY league banter is full of heated debate, but there is one thing fans of all clubs agree on Johnathan Thurston is quite simply one of the best to grace the field.
With four Dally M Player of the Year awards, a Clive Churchill Medal, three Rugby League World Golden Boot awards and countless other individual and team highlights, you don’t have to look too hard to see why he is universally loved and respected.
After having to cut his glittering career short this year due to serious shoulder injury concerns in 2018, Thurston wasted no time, in writing the next chapter of his life, literally.
With JT: The Autobiography hitting shelves in October, Thurston is taking off on a speaking tour of Queensland and the Northern Territory, giving fans a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to not only hear the stories first-hand, but a chance to get up close and personal with the legend himself. You could be one of them.
We’re giving 10 lucky fans in Toowoomba the chance to win double passes to An Evening With Johnathan Thurston, with a meet and greet after the show when it comes to the Empire Theatre, Toowoomba on November 11. All you need to do to enter is head to www.thechronicle.com.au/competitions.
But first, let’s take a look at a few reasons why JT is one of the best ever.
1: THE MATCH WINNER
Has there been a better ballplayer? A better game manager? He can do everything. He tackles with the best and was the master of setting up plays and making opposition defences appear foolish. Quite simply JT made his mark on dozens of games across his career. And let’s not get started on the kicking game! The way his conversion attempts sailed in from left to right left fans with little doubt JT was a true blue banana bender.
2: COOL UNDER PRESSURE
How many times did JT step up when it mattered most? He often said that he thrived in those big moments, those times when the weight of the fans, the state and the country were on his shoulders. He said, at those times, he felt like the only player on the field.
3: THE INSPIRATION
We all know kids who are Cowboys fans thanks completely to Johnathan Thurston. His magnetic persona, both on and off the field is almost too hard to resist. Across Australia, especially in indigenous communities, JT is an icon and a benchmark, one that so many young kids now and in future generations will aspire to emulate.
4: THE FAMILY MAN
Although the decision to leave the game he loved prematurely was heart-breaking, JT knew what lay ahead in his life was far more important.
His family means the world to him, wife Samantha and three gorgeous girls, Frankie, Charlie and Lillie: his biggest fans.
And in February 2019, the Thurston family will welcome another child to the fold.
Don’t miss this opportunity to meet JT himself at An Evening with Johnathan Thurston.
Competition ends October 7.
Don’t want to miss out? Grab your tickets at majoreventscompany.com.au/shows.