JT’s rocky journey revealed

HE was the teenage petty thief who became rugby league’s greatest role model.

In a post career bombshell that will give every delinquent hope, Johnathan Thurston has revealed rugby league saved him from a life a crime.

“I was heading down the wrong path,’’ Thurston said.

“From the age of about 13 I was breaking into cars and stealing lawnmowers and whipper-snippers. I don’t know where I would be if it wasn’t for the opportunity I got to play rugby league.’’

That is just one of the revelations made by the future NRL immortal in Johnathan Thurston – The Autobiography.

Set to be released tomorrow, the North Queensland great writes about everything from his golden-point premiershipwinning field goal in 2015 to secretly seeing his future wife and then Cowboys employee Samantha in hotel rooms for fear she would be sacked for fraternisation.

Thurston will also become the first NRL player to publicly speak about the Coffs Harbour Bulldogs rape scandal.

“I decided this book had to be open and honest,’’ Thurston said.

“There was no point doing it if I wasn’t going to speak about things like Coffs Harbour.’’

Thurston also goes into detail about some of rugby league’s greatest moments, including the untold stories that helped the Queensland Maroons build a State of Origin dynasty.

The retired Queensland legend revealed he was too embarrassed to go out in public this year because he feared his final season form would ruin his legacy.

“I was hoping to finish with a fairy-tale,’’ wrote Thurston in his autobiography.

“I wanted to end my career with a premiership, a kiss, and three hugs – but for me, there was no fairy-tale finish.”