JT shrugs off ‘circus’

JOHNATHAN Thurston says the circus sure to surround his final NRL season won’t distract him and his North Queensland teammates from the task at hand.

The 36-year-old will retire this year as one of rugby league’s greats, with his formidable Cowboys squad strong premiership contenders.

The playmaker has shed the media commitments that consumed him during a long injury lay-off last season and says it is all about the football.

“I get pasted by the boys for being too old, but this (impending retirement) won’t affect us,” he said.

“The coaching staff are the same – nobody’s getting ahead of themselves.”

Thurston was a regular on Channel Nine’s rugby league coverage as he recovered from a June shoulder surgery that saw him miss the State of Origin decider, the Rugby League World Cup and the Cowboys’ run to the NRL grand final.