Muz’s spirit still shines
JT recalls the man who drives his desire
JOHNATHAN Thurston has revealed the memory of former Cowboys coach Graham Murray is driving his desire to deliver North Queensland a maiden premiership.
On the eve of tomorrow night’s do-or-die semi-final against Cronulla, Thurston told how Murray’s faith gave him the confidence to become an Origin and Test match-winner.
Murray’s spirit endures in Townsville with today marking the 11th anniversary of the night the former coach put the Cowboys on the map as a bona fide NRL force.
On September 18, 2004, Murray masterminded the greatest win in North Queensland’s history – an epic 10-0 semi-final upset of Brisbane which sent the Broncos crashing out of the title race.
The following year, Murray poached Thurston from Canterbury and helped mould him into the dominant No.7 playmaker who steered the Cowboys to the 2005 grand final.
Two years ago, the Cowboys and the NRL fraternity were plunged into mourning when Murray died, aged 58, after struggling to recover from a heart attack.
But Thurston has never forgotten Murray’s influence and believes a Cowboys title this year would consummate the legacy his former mentor created on this day 11 years ago.
“It was ‘Muz’ who gave me a free rein to play my way ... he had faith in me,” Thurston said. “I moved up to the Cowboys as a six (five-eighth), then our halfback (Chris Sheppard) went down in the first couple of weeks so Muz slotted me into the No.7 jumper.
“I haven’t looked back since. He was a big influence not only on the club at the time, but myself as well.
“Under Muz, we played an expansive style of footy and that is the Cowboys way. Muz encouraged us to play attacking football.”
Thurston is not the only Cowboy with links to Murray.
As coach Paul Green spends the next 24 hours plotting the demise of the Sharks, he will do so backed by strands of Murray’s philosophies in his own coaching DNA.
Murray was chief executive of Wynnum Manly when Green took his formative steps in coaching in the Intrust Super Cup.
Now Green resides in the Cowboys football office Murray once inhabited, steeled by a simple mantra – trust what you are doing.
Cowboys football manager Peter Parr said Murray’s aura survives via Thurston and Green as the pair attempt to break the club’s 20-year premiership drought.
“Muz’s spirit still shines over this club,” Parr said.
“He wanted his team to enjoy their footy and it lives on in guys like Johnathan.
“Graham has had a real influence on ‘Greeny’. He was CEO at Wynnum when Greeny coached there and some of the qualities Muz brought to this club are still here.
“I was beside Muz the night we beat the Broncos and it changed the whole feel of this club. He helped bring Thurston to the Cowboys ... we all still miss him greatly.”