IT’S NOT ABOUT JT

Q It’s obviously a big season for Johnathan Thurston since he’s retiring. How do you, as a coach, look after his welfare to make sure he has enough time to focus on the footy and balance that with all his other commitments?

A When you say welfare, it’s a very broad topic. JT (right) is fairly motivated to make sure he prepares and gets the most out of himself in his last year. He’s professional enough, been around enough and he understands what it takes to get yourself ready for a season, so for him it’s just about making sure he’s focused on the footy and not letting the off-field stuff distract him.

Q How do you think it is impacting the other players? Is it something that’s going to weigh on their minds this season?

A It’s not about JT. It’s always about the team, but he is an im- portant member of that team. I suppose individually some blokes might find some motivation to make sure they’re playing as best they can to hopefully make it a memorable season for him but you can’t make it about him. It always has to be about the team.

Q At the other end of the spectrum you have some young players trying to make a name for themselves. Edmonton Storm junior Enari Tuala is one of those. Do you see him playing more NRL?

A Hopefully. I think that’s one of the advantages we got out of last year. Despite the huge injury toll we had at different stages, what it did was give some young guys an opportunity and Enari was one of those. I think when he played his first grade he made the most of it so I think the future’s bright for him and I’m sure he’ll play more NRL down the track