Cowboys ride high without top gun

JT’S out.

Usually these two words signal the death knell for the Cowboys’ premiership hopes.

But despite Johnathan Thurston being grounded again with a busted wing, his teammates have proven they’re now more adept at shouldering the burden.

The sight of Thurston resembling an injured seagull, his right arm dangling beside him, during Queensland’s win on Wednesday was the bitter pill in an otherwise triumphant night for the Maroons.

Thurston was due to play his 300th NRL game at home against Penrith tomorrow.

Fittingly, he would have toasted his milestone alongside great mate Gavin Cooper, who will play his 250th.

The footy gods have ripped up the perfect script and attention will now focus on whether Thurston can get himself fit for his Origin swansong when the series goes on the line in Brisbane on July 12.

The least the 34- year- old deserves is to bow out in front of a packed Suncorp Stadium with the entire rugby league world watching.

It would be a chance to put together another virtuoso display in an arena he has dominated for more than a decade.

If he fails to take his place in Origin III, it will rob the game of much of its romance.

Should that happen, the comfort will be that he nailed his last big moment in maroon by slotting the winning conversion at a hostile ANZ Stadium on Wednesday.

The Cowboys will miss him. But as they’ve shown this year against quality opposition, they won’t miss him as much as they have in the past.