He is the best half in the modern game, and off-contract at the end of the 2014 NRL season, he will become hot property on the market – with the Cowboys looking to seal the deal for JT, and see him remain a Cowboy for the rest of his career.
With reports that the Panthers were interested in luring the QLD and Australian five-eighth to the club, in light of releasing Luke Lewis – both Thurston’s agent Sam Ayoub and Cowboys Football General Manager Peter Parr, were shocked in light of the news linking Thurston with a move away.
“Obviously we want to keep him, we’d love Johnathan to finish his career here. JT says he wants to stay here and I can only take that on face value,” Parr said.
“In all the conversations I’ve had with JT and his agent, every indication is that he wants to stay here.
“I couldn’t imagine him wanting to leave after everything he has achieved in North Queensland.”
“The last time he was off-contract (in 2010), he supposedly had nine clubs chasing him and then he was going to go to French rugby and we ended up keeping him.”
With all the speculation linking Thurston with a move away – his agent Sam Ayoub vehemently stated that any talk of Thurston leaving the Cowboys was premature.
“I want to end this once and for all … Johnathan is happy at the Cowboys,” Ayoub said.
“There’s been no discussion with Penrith. Nil. Zilch
“If any player is going to Penrith, it doesn’t involve Johnathan. Maybe 50 per cent of the parties (Penrith) are interested but the other 50 per cent is us and we know nothing about it.
“This is JT’s eighth season in North Queensland and he can’t be happier there.”