Maroons star doubtful for finale

Queensland maestro Johnathan Thurston has given a positive assessment of his injured shoulder amid fears he may not regain fitness for next month’s State of Origin decider.

But the star North Queensland playmaker remains in serious doubt for his 300th NRL match against Penrith this Saturday.

Thurston produced one of the all-time great Origin performances in game two on Wednesday night, playing through the pain of a busted shoulder to break NSW’s hearts with a clutch sideline conversion, sealing a famous 18-16 win.

The Cowboys champion said immediately after the game in Sydney he had not suffered structural damage, rather a cork which had resulted in swelling. He would be assessed by club physio Steve Sartori before deciding whether he will take on Penrith in Townsville at the weekend.

‘‘It’s a little bit tender, but it’s a lot better than I thought it would be,’’ Thurston said. ’’It’s heaps better than when I first did it. I couldn’t lift my arm above my head.

Playing in just his third game in 73 days, Thurston spent a large chunk of the match with his right arm dangling by his side.

He has played just once for his club since injuring his shoulder in the May 5 test against New Zealand and came into the match under an injury cloud. He was tested out by Blues back-rower Tyson Frizell, who made a beeline from the centre of the field to run at him often.

But former NSW star Andrew Johns said the Blues failed to run at Thurston in the second half.

‘‘It’s the dumbest half of football NSW have played,’’ Johns said on Channel 9. ‘‘They had all the running, their game plan was perfect.

‘‘Johnathan Thurston, his performance tonight was so courageous. I guarantee he’ll be heading for an operation the next couple of days.

‘‘His shoulder is stuffed. You just go at him all night. You go at him and then it puts pressure on the defenders either side. They didn’t go to him once in the second half. I couldn’t believe what I was watching. You’ve got a player out there who cannot pick his arm up off the ground and they didn’t target his side of the field or go at the defenders either side. I don’t know what they were doing.’’

After the match, the 34-yearold Thurston had an ice pack strapped to his right shoulder but insisted he was no different to any other player who was playing through injury at this time of year.

Skipper Cameron Smith marvelled at his team-mate’s resilience saying he was sometimes amazed by Thurston’s ability to take the field.

‘‘He’s got nearly every joint in his body strapped up tight,’’ Smith said. ‘‘He’s a warrior, isn’t he?’’

The decisive third match will be played at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane on July 12.