Thurston, who has played 39 Tests for the Kangaroos, earlier this year announced his retirement from representative football after the World Cup but the superstar playmaker will now join Greg Inglis and Matt Scott as spectators during the tournament while he recovers from surgery.
The anticipated recovery time from the operation on his rotar cuff is six months and Thurston told a press conference in Townsville on Friday that he would not be available to play in the World Cup at the end of the NRL season.
Thurston injured his shoulder while playing for Australia in the ANZAC Test against New Zealand in Canberra on May 5 and missed the opening Origin match but returned on Wednesday night to steer Queensland to a gripping 18-16 win that levelled the series.
However, he aggravated the injury and could be seen clutching at his arm after every run or pass in the second half but managed to ignore the pain to land the match winning conversion of Dane Gagai’s 77th minute try from near the sideline to ensure a decider in Brisbane on July 12.
While securing an 11th series win before his home fans would have been the perfect end to Thurston’s 13-year Origin career, Meninga said he couldn’t have scripted a much better finish than the one he enjoyed in Sydney on Wednesday night.
“If you look at his record you don’t get more successful in rep footy,” Meninga said. “He has actually achieved everything you possibly can and to finish on that note in what was a sudden death match for Queensland and to play the way he did with injury I think that is something that should be celebrated.
Meninga has had a long association with Thurston after taking charge of the Maroons team from 2006 until 2015 – a 10-year period in which the North Queensland Cowboys playmaker did not miss an Origin game.
In fact, the opening game of this year’s series ended Thurston’s record of 36 consecutive Origin matches since his debut in 2005 and he has also played 39 Tests for Australia.
In total, Thurston has scored 392 points for the Kangaroos and 238 points for the Maroons.
“His presence was seen on Wednesday night with that great finish,” Meninga said.
“The passion and emotion that he puts into every team he plays for is enormous so he will be one of our greatest players and probably one of our greatest competitors, considering his size, the position he plays and the demands on his body that he goes through from week to week.
At least we still get to see him play next year and that is a bonus for the rugby league community.
“He has got another 12 months to do something special for his club and knowing how passionate he is and how much work he will put into getting back on to the footy field he will devote all of his energies to the Cowboys and his family, which is typical of him.”
While the loss of Thurston will be a blow to Australia’s hopes of retaining the World Cup in the final in Brisbane, Meninga said there was no shortage of talent to replace him.
“Unfortunately, what is done is done and it is obviously disappointing for the whole game but when you look at the talent pool going through our game at the moment, we have got extraordinary depth in the playing ranks and the hardest thing is going to be who to leave out,” Meninga said.
Cowboys utility Michael Morgan, NSW five-eighth James Maloney and Penrith captain Matt Moylan were all members of the Australian squad for last year’s Four Nations and will be vying to partner Cooper Cronk at the scrum base in the World Cup, along with Brisbane’s Anthony Milford if he is fit.
Milford, who played for Samoa in the Pacific Test, deputised for Thurston in Origin I but is also sidelined with a shoulder injury and Broncos officials are monitoring his fitness before deciding if he plays again this season.
By Brad Walter | @BradWalterSport
Chief Correspondent, RLWC2017
