Thurston to Manly forwards: bring it on
Friday, September 21, 2007 - 5:20 PM
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He's got two dodgy shoulders and can't use painkillers, but North Queensland halfback Johnathan Thurston has welcomed the challenge of being targeted by Manly's forwards.
Thurston revealed at the NRL judiciary during the week the extreme lengths he goes to to protect both his left and right shoulders from dislocation and further injury.
He's changed his tackling technique, constantly switches his position in the defensive line to avoid being targeted and can't lift his arms above his head.
He will have surgery on both shoulders as soon as the Cowboys' season is over, but until then he has to put up with the agony as painkilling injections would leave him incapable of playing at all.
"You can't give needles in the shoulders because it will just deaden your arm," said Thurston, the best player in the game.
"There's nothing (strapping) there. I just do my best basically."
But he isn't worried about the added defensive load he'll have to carry on Saturday night after Manly publicly stated their intention to target his suspect shoulders.
"After Origin it sort of come out about my shoulders so I've just got to be smart about it, and not lift," he said, referring to his judiciary appearance for a dangerous throw.
Even the drama surrounding his highly publicised judiciary hearing hasn't taken a toll on the easygoing 24-year-old.
He's ecstatic to be back amongst teammates, Friday's final training session at Sydney Football Stadium essentially his only full team hitout since last Sunday's win over the Warriors.
"I've pretty much taken it in my stride," he said.
"I was worried about the fact I could have missed the game but I wasn't going to worry until I got the result.
"There was no point sitting around and moping and thinking I'm not playing this week.
"My main focus was to prepare as if I was playing on Saturday and if I got suspended I would deal with it then.
"I've missed a couple of training sessions with (the team) but our footy side hasn't changed. We've played 28 weeks with each other so nothing is going to change."
The Cowboys should field the same side which dismantled the Warriors in Townsville last week, with coach Graham Murray unlikely to recall prop Carl Webb.
Webb tore his calf muscle two weeks ago and is struggling to regain fitness, with Ben Vaeau expected to again take the Queensland enforcer's position in the side.
"(Webb) is unlikely but stranger things have happened, particularly at this time of the year," said Murray.
"He is still a bit of 50-50, but he is better than he was last week.
"The way the injury is it just keeps improving slowly. It's just getting better as we speak but it's still slow."
Source: AAP
