165-597: Johnathan Dean Thurston AM (born 25 April 1983) is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played in the National Rugby League (NRL). Thurston was an Australian international , Queensland State of Origin and Indigenous All Stars representative, playing at halfback or five-eighth , and was a noted goal-kicker. Thurston has been an assistant coach of the Queensland rugby league team since 2021. Johnathan Thurston started his career at
330-657: A 14–4 victory thus achieving their second premiership and claiming some vengeance for the stripped premierships. The 2013 season saw the resurgence of foundation clubs the Sydney Roosters and the South Sydney Rabbitohs with both clubs finishing first and second place respectively. The NRL was also left with a black eye after the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks were caught using performance-enhancing substances by ASADA dating back to 2011. The 2013 Grand Final
495-548: A challenge to take the prime ministership in September 2015. Two months after coming into office, the new republican prime minister announced that the Queen had approved his request to amend the Order's letters patent and cease awards at this level. Existing titles would not be affected. The move was attacked by monarchists and praised by republicans. The amendments to the constitution of
660-517: A famous 49-year drought by a score of 14–12. Following the success generated by the 2017 Women's Rugby League World Cup , a national women's league was established, and the first season commenced in September 2018 comprising four clubs aligned to existing NRL clubs. On 22 March 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic , the NRL became one of the last major sports in the world to continue playing games. Following
825-571: A game of rugby league. 107,999 spectators saw the Melbourne Storm defeat the newly created St. George Illawarra Dragons in the decider at Stadium Australia . Balmain and Western Suburbs formed the joint-venture club, the Wests Tigers at the end of 1999, while North Sydney and Manly Warringah created the ill-fated Northern Eagles . As part of another image makeover, a number of teams also released new club logos. The most notable of these
990-605: A goal in the 16–0 win at Hunter Stadium . In Round 11 against Queensland rivals the Brisbane Broncos , Thurston played his 250th club career match for the North Queensland Cowboys in front of a home crowd at 1300SMILES Stadium, where he kicked the winning field goal with 5 minutes remaining to achieve victory for the Cowboys, 19–18. He received man of the match honours at Full-Time. Thurston later in 2016 announced that he
1155-506: A group of men in Woodridge, a suburb south-east of Brisbane. Saunders later died in hospital, with eight people subsequently jailed in connection with the attack. Thurston is a shareholder of Collings Aviation Holdings which in March 2015 bought out Cairns based airline Skytrans after it fell into administration. Since 2008, Thurston has been in a relationship with Samantha Lynch. In June 2013,
1320-637: A match in Round 12 against Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles , Thurston was found guilty of swearing at the referee 8 times in regards to a forward pass decision against the Cowboys which aided in Manly winning 24–20. In Round 18 against the Parramatta Eels , Thurston played his 150th NRL career match in the Cowboys 36–24 loss at Parramatta Stadium . Thurston finished the 2010 NRL season with him playing in 17 matches, scoring 2 tries, kicking 43 goals and kicking 1 field goal for
1485-569: A member of the British Empire, members of the colonies and later federated nation of Australia were able to have achievement awarded under the British Imperial Honours system . However, existing criticism of the aristocratic nature of the awards grew following a cash-for-honours corruption scandal in the UK in 1922. Moves to abolish the awards federally and the states were unsuccessful; however
1650-488: A possible Cowboys finals appearance. At the time of his injury, Thurston was leading the Dally M Medal ladder by two clear man-of-the-match performances (six points ahead of nearest rival Kieran Foran ). After having scans the following day it was discovered that Thurston would miss 5–6 weeks and would have to wear a leg brace after the scans showed he had suffered a grade two medial ligament damage but would not require surgery. This
1815-573: A representation of the states (with whom Whitlam's government was constantly in dispute) through the state badges within the Commonwealth Coat of Arms . The original three-level structure of the Order of Australia was modelled closely upon the Order of Canada , though the Order of Australia has been awarded rather more liberally, especially in regard to honorary awards to non-citizens. As of July 2024 only 30 non-Canadians have been appointed to
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#17330847992871980-421: A row, and winning the 2010 series by a scoreline of 3–0, their first Origin whitewash since 1995. In 2010 the NRL set a record total season average attendance of 17,367 per game and a record total season aggregate attendance of 3,490,778. During the 2010 finals series, the second qualifying match between the Wests Tigers and Sydney Roosters became the first McIntyre system final to go into extra time, with
2145-544: A scholarship deal with the South Queensland Crushers . Later during his youth he moved to Toowoomba where he attended St. Mary's College , playing rugby league and also a great success playing Rugby Union for the school and the Toowoomba Rugby League's All Whites club. Although a stand-out player at school and club level at 18 years of age, none of the National Rugby League clubs were willing to sign
2310-624: A season-ending shoulder injury ruling him out for the remainder of the 2017 NRL season, including the round 14 game (which would have been his 300th NRL First Grade Games milestone), game 3 of the 2017 State of Origin Series (which would have been his final Origin game), The Cowboys' grand final defeat by the Melbourne Storm and the World Cup . Following Queensland's 22–6 win over New South Wales in Game 3 of
2475-602: A shoulder injury. On 13 February 2015, Thurston was selected to play at halfback for the Indigenous All Stars in the 2015 All Stars match at Cbus Super Stadium. The Indigenous side won 20–6 over the NRL All Stars . After beginning the season with 3 straight losses, many doubted the premiership credentials of the North Queensland Cowboys in 2015. However, after snatching victory in a dramatic round 4 win over
2640-544: A single flower of mimosa . At the centre is a ring, representing the sea, with the word Australia below two branches of mimosa. The whole disc is topped by the Crown of St Edward . The AC badge is decorated with citrines , blue enamelled ring, and enamelled crown. The AO badge is similar, without the citrines. For the AM badge, only the crown is enamelled, and the OAM badge is plain. The AK/AD badge
2805-586: A special Heritage round held in mid-April, coinciding with the first round of competition played in 1908. At a Gala event on 17 April 2008 the Team of the Century was announced, being: For the second year in a row, the grand final was played between the Melbourne Storm and the Manly Warringah Sea Eagles, in the NRL's first ever twilight decider. The Manly club took out the premiership game 40–0, setting
2970-653: A staggering four-year $ 5 million contract to retain the Queensland Maroons and Australia Kangaroos star half at the club. It was later revealed he was very close to leaving the Cowboys and signing with the Penrith Panthers, but chose to in Townsville for the birth of his first child. In Round 3 against the Newcastle Knights , Thurston played his 200th NRL career match in the Cowboys 34–6 loss at Hunter Stadium . In
3135-495: A thank you. Price was then able to give Thurston another ring in return. Towards the end of the season it was announced that 2004 would be his final year for the Sydney club as he was signed by the North Queensland Cowboys for 2005. Thurston played 7 matches and scored 4 tries for the year. At the end of the season, Thurston was approached by New Zealand but turned them down in favour of representing Australia and Queensland. In 2015, it
3300-468: A try and 17 goals. On 13 February 2010, Thurston was selected for the inaugural Indigenous All Stars team against the NRL All Stars at halfback, kicking 2 goals and was named the Preston Campbell Medal man-of-the-match in the 16–12 win at Cbus Super Stadium . A shoulder injury in Round 5 against the Wests Tigers in the Cowboys 23–16 loss at Dairy Farmers Stadium made Thurston sidelined for
3465-550: A try and kicked 5 goals in the Cowboys' 36–4 victory and he was named the man of the match, being awarded the Graham Murray Medal. In Round 7, Thurston scored his 1000th point at 1300SMILES Stadium when he kicked a conversion against the South Sydney Rabbitohs as Cowboys went on to blow out the Rabbitohs in a 44–18 victory. On 6 May 2016, Thurston played for Australia against New Zealand , playing at five-eighth and kicking
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#17330847992873630-588: A week after the 2016 NRL Grand Final. Thurston played in the warmup match against New Zealand in Perth on 15 October in a 26–6 victory. In the Four Nations final in which Australia won 34–8 against New Zealand, Thurston played a central figure in the win, starting the game at five-eighth and kicking five goals. Thurston ended the series as the highest point scorer with 32 points from his three games. Thurston had been nagged by injury troubles all through 2017. In round 6 of
3795-483: A year of turmoil and disgrace at the aftermath of the alleged rape scandal to hold aloft the NRL trophy and give the club their first premiership since 1995. In 2005, a record national audience of 4.1 million tuned in to watch the grand final between the Wests Tigers and the North Queensland Cowboys . The 2006 Grand Final was won by the Brisbane Broncos over the Melbourne Storm , 15–8. The matchup
3960-751: A young member of the crowd at the end of a match. In December 2017 Thurston was awarded the Australian Human Rights Commission Medal for his work with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders. In 2017 Thurston Also won the Queenslander of the Year award and in 2018 was nominated for the Australian of the Year award. Member of the Order of Australia The Order of Australia is an Australian honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. It
4125-485: Is a Catholic and once offered a priest free air-travel to Coen to conduct Mass. In 2022, Thurston provided a voice cameo in an episode of Australian children's show Bluey , entitled "The Decider", in which he provided sideline analysis for a fictional State of Origin match between Queensland and New South Wales . In late 2005, Thurston was one of 13 NRL players who posed for the League of Their Own 2006 calendar that
4290-434: Is a registered charity, whose stated purpose is "[t]o celebrate and promote outstanding Australian citizenship". It also supports the "community and social activities" of members and promotes and encourages the nomination of other Australians to the Order. The Order also runs a foundation that provides scholarships to tertiary students that show potential as future leaders and are involved in community activities. Branches of
4455-649: Is he now the Managing Director. The JTAcademy provides a forum which encourages Australian youths to access the educational and vocational resources needed to secure meaningful employment. Thurston was born in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia , to a Gunggari ( Indigenous Australian ) mother and a New Zealand Māori father who also has English heritage. He began playing rugby league at a very young age for Souths Sunnybank RLFC in Brisbane's southside. At 12, Thurston signed
4620-473: Is issued with each badge of the order at the time of investiture; AK/AD and AC lapel pins feature a citrine central jewel, AO and AM lapel pins have a blue enamelled centre and OAM lapel pins are plain. The different levels of the order are awarded according to the recipients' levels of achievement: Since 1976 any Australian citizen may nominate any person for an Order of Australia award. People who are not Australian citizens may be awarded honorary membership of
4785-553: Is likely to feel a bit second-rate, and the public is likely to agree. We hate to be the first to say it, but there is no doubt that the Order of Australia (OA) will be labelled as the Ocker Award. Satire and mockery also greeted the awards, being dubbed "Gough’s Gongs" and "the Order of the Wombat". The newly elected Liberal Fraser government decided to once again make recommendations for imperial awards, whilst maintaining and expanding
4950-488: Is likely to retire at the end of the 2018 season. At the 2016 Dally M Awards, Thurston was nominated for four awards including; Captain of the Year, Representative of the Year, Halfback of the Year and Provan Summons Medalist. Thurston also finished equal second in the Dally M Player of the Year voting with 22 points. Thurston was named in the Australian Kangaroos test squad of 24 for the 2016 Four Nations tournament
5115-482: Is similar to that of the AC badge, but with the difference that it contains at the centre an enamelled disc bearing an image of the coat of arms of Australia . The colours of royal blue and gold are taken from the livery colours of the Commonwealth Coat of Arms , the then national colours . The star for knights and dames is a convex golden disc decorated with citrines, with a blue royally crowned inner disc bearing an image of
Johnathan Thurston - Misplaced Pages Continue
5280-463: The 2005 State of Origin series at Suncorp Stadium, Thurston was voted Player's Player after being in the top 4 tacklers and kicking a field goal to force the game into extra time with Queensland eventually winning 24–20 after Cowboys teammate Matt Bowen scored an intercept try. In Game 3, Thurston scored a try in the Maroons 32–10 2005 State of Origin series loss at Suncorp Stadium. At club level Thurston
5445-590: The 2006 Anzac Test against New Zealand off the interchange bench in the Kangaroos 50–12 win at Suncorp Stadium. In the 2006 State of Origin series , Thurston was instrumental in Queensland's series win as the Maroons recovered from defeat in the first game to take the series 2–1. Thurston played in all 3 matches and kicked 7 goals. After the series, the Cowboys hit a mid-year slump and Thurston dislocated his knee in Round 20. The Cowboys suffered without Thurston and missed
5610-554: The 2008 State of Origin series in game three, Thurston set up a try for Billy Slater which would ultimately win the game and the series for Queensland 16–10 at ANZ Stadium . Thurston was also named the Wally Lewis Player of the Series. Thurston would not replicate the previous year's successes in 2008, as the Cowboys seemed to lose all of their exciting spark that saw them renovate the club's reputation in recent years. Three wins at
5775-443: The 2010 Anzac Test . In Game 1 of the 2010 State of Origin series , Thurston was named man-of-the-match in Queensland's 28–24 victory, giving him a total of three Origin man-of-the-match awards. Thurston's great individual performance made headlines referring to him as being Queensland's Greatest Halfback and with ex-players from both sides of the border making comments on his performance rivalling that of Andrew Johns in 2005. During
5940-484: The 2011 State of Origin series , Thurston suffered what at first appeared to be a horrific anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) knee injury, in the second half of the 34–24 series win at Suncorp Stadium. Thurston, who had to be driven off the field on the Medi-Cab initially feared he would be out for the rest of the season, however early prognosis claimed that with immediate surgery, he could be back by Round 25, and in time for
6105-409: The 2013 Anzac Test against New Zealand, Thurston played for Australia at five-eighth in the 32–12 victory at Canberra Stadium . Thurston was Queensland's five-eighth in the 2013 State of Origin series , in whose third and deciding game he scored a try and kicked two goals in the 12–10 win at ANZ Stadium, helping the Maroons extend their record to eight consecutive series victories. Thurston also led
6270-669: The 2014 Dally M Awards , Thurston and Parramatta Eels captain Jarryd Hayne were the joint winners of the 2014 Dally M Player of the Year Award. For Thurston, it was his third Dally M Player of the Year award following his win in 2007 and he was also a multiple award winner on the night, also claiming the Five-eighth of the Year and the Provan-Summons Medal awards. Thurston was ruled out of Australia's 2014 Four Nations campaign due to
6435-522: The 2014 State of Origin series . Despite Queensland losing both Game 1 at home and Game 2 away in Sydney as well as the 2014 Origin Series, Thurston broke Mal Meninga 's record of 161 points as 'Top Point-Scorer in State of Origin' when he kicked his 2nd penalty goal in the 1st half of Game 2 in the Maroons 6–4 loss. In Game 3, Thurston retained his position at five-eighth kicking all 6 goals in Queensland's 32–8 win over New South Wales at Suncorp Stadium. Following
6600-556: The 2015 Dally M Awards , Thurston won the 2015 Dally M Player of the Year by a record margin of 11 points. In addition, he was also awarded 2015 Dally M Halfback of the Year and, along with Cowboys co-captain Matthew Scott , the Dally M Captain of the Year. On 4 October 2015, at the 2015 NRL Grand Final against Queensland rivals the Brisbane Broncos, after North Queensland Cowboy's winger Kyle Feldt scored an 80th minute try to tie
6765-503: The 2017 NRL season , he suffered a calf injury during the Cowboys' 16–26 loss to the Tigers. He recovered from that injury in-time to play in the 2017 ANZAC Test for Australia . During the Test match, he picked up a shoulder injury which kept him out of action for 8 weeks. He failed to recover in-time for State of Origin game 1; but he returned from injury in round 14, in the Cowboys 32–6 win over
Johnathan Thurston - Misplaced Pages Continue
6930-747: The Australian Capital Territory and New Zealand . Tracing its origins back to the New South Wales Rugby League , which formed in 1908, rugby league competition in Australia had gone through numerous iterations, including the 1990s Super League war , by the time the NRL formed in 1998 as a joint partnership between the Australian Rugby League (ARL) and the News Corporation -controlled Super League . The partnership
7095-478: The Australian Labor Party remained opposed and generally refused to recommend awards whilst in office, with this a part of the party's platform since 1918. This was confirmed in a resolution adopted unanimously by the party conference in 1921. However, the non-Labor parties remained supportive, with the long running Menzies government making significant use of the imperial system. The Order of Australia
7260-753: The Australian test team : 334 (2006–2017) Most career goals for the Australian test team: 143 (2006–2017) Most consecutive games in State of Origin : 36 (2005–2017) Most career points in State of Origin: 224 (2005–2017) Most career goals in State of Origin: 101 (2005–2017) Most North Queensland Cowboys Player of the Year Awards: 4 (2005, 2012, 2014, 2015) Thurston was a finalist in Cleo magazine's Most Eligible Bachelors for 2006. On 25 October 2008, Thurston's uncle Richard Saunders and two friends were assaulted by
7425-481: The Brisbane Broncos at Suncorp Stadium at five-eighth in the club's 29–16 loss. In round 4, against the Newcastle Knights , Thurston scored his first club try for the Cowboys in the 52–18 win at Dairy Farmers Stadium. Thurston's return to Queensland proved to be a major turning point in his career. He became the starting halfback for the Cowboys, and his consistency earned him his first Queensland State of Origin jersey. In his debut match for Queensland in Game 1 of
7590-550: The Canterbury Bankstown Bulldogs , where he won the 2004 NRL premiership . He moved to the North Queensland Cowboys in 2005, playing in that year's grand final . In that year, he made his debut for Queensland, before making his Australian debut in 2006. He was the 2008 Wally Lewis medalist for State of Origin player of the series. Also in 2008, he was named as halfback of the Australian Aboriginal team of
7755-461: The Council for the Order of Australia . Members of the government are not involved in the recommendation of appointments, other than for military and honorary awards. The King of Australia is the sovereign head of the order, and the governor-general is the principal companion and chancellor of the order. The governor-general's official secretary , Paul Singer (appointed August 2018), is secretary of
7920-517: The Melbourne Storm , who were created by Super League for their 1998 season. Clubs on both sides of the war were shut down. Super League decided to close the Hunter Mariners and the financially ruined Perth Reds , who were $ 10 million in debt at the end of 1997, while the ARL decided to close down the South Queensland Crushers , who were also in severe financial trouble. Additionally, at the end of 1998
8085-482: The National Rugby League announced that Thurston was an inductee into the National Rugby League Hall of Fame . Thurston, who was ascribed Hall of Fame number 121, was amongst eleven male players in the 2024 Class. Most Dally M Medals : 4 (2005, 2007, 2014, 2015) Most Golden Boot Awards : 3 (2011, 2013, 2015) Most RLPA Players' Player Medals: 4 (2005, 2013, 2014, 2015) Most career points for
8250-423: The North Queensland Cowboys going from 11th position in 2003 to third in 2004, narrowly missing out on a maiden Grand Final berth. Crowd average records were broken in 2003, 2004 and 2005. In 2005, the NRL reached record levels of popularity for its competition. Total crowds for the competition season almost reached the figures for the last year of the competition conducted by the ARL competition of 1995, prior to
8415-489: The North Queensland Cowboys , Thurston scored his first and second NRL career tries in Canterbury-Bankstown's 34–26 win at Dairy Farmers Stadium . Thurston scored 2 tries from 7 games in his debut season. As a specialist in the halves, Thurston was behind established Canterbury halves pairing Brent Sherwin and Braith Anasta and many of his critics still believed he was still too small in stature to be competitive in
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#17330847992878580-465: The 16–12 series-winning try for The Kangaroos finishing his year on a high note. As Thurston entered his third year with the Cowboys in the 2007 NRL season , he was appointed the Captain of the team following the retirement of Travis Norton . Thurston was again selected to play for the Australian national team at halfback in the 2007 Anzac Test match against New Zealand, kicking 5 goals from 6 attempts in
8745-461: The 2005 NRL season. This was a start to a flourishing career. Thurston started the 2006 NRL season with a bang in Round 1 against the Brisbane Broncos; Thurston scored a hat trick of tries and kicked 6 goals in the Cowboys Queensland derby match 36–4 win at Suncorp Stadium. This was the start of a 6-match winning streak. Thurston was selected to make his international debut for Australia in
8910-673: The 2014 State of Origin Series, Thurston switched from five-eighth to halfback in Round 19 against the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks in the Cowboys 36–18 win at Remondis Stadium . Thurston continued playing at halfback throughout the back end of the season, up to the Cowboys Finals Week 2 controversial match against the Sydney Roosters at the Sydney Football Stadium. Thurston inspired the Cowboys to comeback from 30–0 down after 34 minutes to even at 30–30 after 56 minutes, scoring
9075-412: The 2015 Grand Final. The 2015 Grand Final is considered by many to be the greatest grand final of all time as a high intensity match ended in dramatic circumstances when North Queensland scored as the full-time siren sounded. Johnathan Thurston would miss the conversion from the sideline as the ball hit the post thus sending the match into golden point, the first golden point grand final. Ben Hunt would drop
9240-468: The 2017 State of Origin Series, captain Cameron Smith invited Thurston to lift the Origin Shield with him in Thurston's send-off from State of Origin competition. Thurston returned to the Cowboys at the beginning of the new season, finally playing his 300th match in Round 1 against the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks after missing the back end of the 2017 season. Given their Grand Final appearance in 2017 and Thurston's retirement from representative football,
9405-474: The 435 people who have received the nation's top Order of Australia honours since they were first awarded in 1975, shows they disproportionately attended a handful of elite Victorian secondary schools. Scotch College alumni received the highest number of awards, with 19 former students receiving Australia's [then] highest honour". On 26 January 1980 the Order of Australia Association was created as an incorporated body with membership open to award recipients. It
9570-459: The Aboriginal community. The first match saw the Indigenous All Stars beat the NRL All Stars 16–12. The success of this event has seen it become a recurring fixture on the rugby league calendar with Queensland awarded the hosting rights for the next three years. The 29th State of Origin series was also played featuring the world's first live free-to-air 3D TV broadcast. Queensland later made further history by winning an unprecedented fifth series in
9735-462: The Australian Rugby League and News Corporation agreed upon a constitutional framework paving the way for the establishment of a new and independent commission to govern the sport in Australia. The negotiations of such a framework became drawn out over establishing details, primarily of sponsorship, media rights, funding of state bodies, funding of the Melbourne Storm , debate over News Ltd private ownership of clubs, and also of individual appointments to
9900-463: The Australian Rugby League gathered at the Sydney Football Stadium to decide whether to accept News Limited's offer of a settlement – eventually voting in favour by 36 votes to 4. As a result, in the following months the National Rugby League, jointly owned by the ARL and News Limited, was formed. It was announced that the inaugural National Rugby League (NRL) season of 1998 would have 20 teams competing, 19 remaining Super League and ARL teams plus
10065-405: The Cowboys 36–18 loss at the Titans first match at their home ground of Robina Stadium . In Round 3 against the Brisbane Broncos, Thurston played his 100th NRL match in the Cowboys 36–2 loss at Suncorp Stadium. Thurston was selected at halfback in the Australian team for the Centenary Test against New Zealand, Thurston kicked 4 goals in the Kangaroos 28–12 win at the SCG . In the deciding match of
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#173308479928710230-412: The Cowboys alongside Matt Bowen and Brent Tate to the 2013 finals with a run of 6 consecutive wins. However the Cowboys were knocked out in the first week in a controversial match against the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks at the Sydney Football Stadium. In this match, a seventh tackle try was awarded to Sharks player Beau Ryan , making the end result 20–18. In a later interview, Thurston then claimed there
10395-446: The Cowboys in the 2012 NRL season . At the 2012 Dally M Awards Thurston was named the NRL's five-eighth of the year. On 13 October 2012, Thurston played in the one off October Trans-Tasman test at 1300SMILES Stadium , kicking 3 goals in the 18–10 win over the New Zealand Kiwis. On 11 March 2013, Thurston signed the richest deal in rugby league's history, ensuring he would stay at the North Queensland Cowboys. North Queensland announced
10560-439: The Cowboys in the 2007 season. At the conclusion of the 2007 season it was reported Thurston would require major shoulder surgery due to ongoing physical damage to his ligaments. He underwent two shoulder reconstructions. Thurston was supposed to make a return for the Cowboys in Round 5 of the 2008 NRL season following his off-season surgery, but made a surprise return in Round 1 against the Gold Coast Titans , scoring 2 tries in
10725-459: The Cowboys in the 42–18 loss at Dairy Farmers Stadium. In the 2012 Anzac Test against New Zealand, Thurston played at five-eighth, scored a try, kicked four goals from four attempts and was named man-of-the-match in the Kangaroos 20–12 win at Eden Park . Thurston helped Queensland to win a 7th consecutive Origin series win, 2–1 in the 2012 State of Origin series . Thurston played 24 matches, scored 3 tries, kicked 90 goals and kicked 1 field goal for
10890-435: The Cowboys third try in the comeback. After the Roosters five-eighth James Maloney kicked a field goal to give the Roosters a 31–30 lead at the 75th minute, Thurston scored a try that was disallowed by the video referee after the ball came forward off the arm of Cowboys five-eighth Robert Lui when winger Kyle Feldt threw an offload to him. The Cowboys lost the match 31–30, meaning the Cowboys season ended controversially for
11055-435: The Cowboys were tipped to have another tilt at the finals and potentially another Grand Final, however they fell well short, finishing 13th overall & failing to qualify for the finals. Thurston played his final game against the Gold Coast Titans , producing a masterclass in a tightly contested game that the Cowboys eventually won 30–26. Dally M Medal Player of the Year: 2005, 2007, 2014, 2015 Dally M Halfback of
11220-444: The Cowboys. On 20 November, Thurston won the Golden Boot Award for the third time. On 15 December 2015, Thurston was named at halfback and captain for the Indigenous All Stars team to play against the new World All Stars team on 13 February 2016. On 22 February 2016, Thurston was part of the North Queensland side that competed in the 2016 World Club Challenge against Super League champions Leeds , starting at halfback, scoring
11385-433: The Cowboys. Thurston missed the 2010 Rugby League Four Nations series due to an ankle injury. On 12 February 2011, Thurston was again selected for the Indigenous All Stars team for the NRL All Stars match at Cbus Super Stadium , playing at halfback in the 28–12 loss. In the 2011 Anzac Test against New Zealand, Thurston played at halfback and kicked 2 goals in Australia's 20–10 victory at Cbus Super Stadium. In Game 3 of
11550-400: The Eels. At first it was speculated that he wouldn't be ready by game 2 but was surprisingly named in the lineup for the second game after game 1 was won by New South Wales. Queensland won game 2 in a close one with Thurston injuring his shoulder but scoring the winning points by kicking a goal to convert a late try. Following Queensland's game 2 victory; it was revealed that Thurston picked up
11715-402: The Greater Sydney area (including one that also represents the Illawarra region south of Sydney), another in regional New South Wales , four in Queensland , and one each in Victoria , the Australian Capital Territory , and New Zealand. The league operates on a single group system, with no divisions or conferences and no relegation or promotion . A total of twenty-three clubs have played in
11880-477: The Kangaroos' 30–6 victory at Suncorp Stadium. In Game One of the 2007 State of Origin series , Thurston was named 'Man of the Match' for his performance in Queensland's 25–18 victory at Suncorp Stadium. Thurston led well as captain for the Cowboys and the team improved dramatically from the previous year to finish a strong third place on the ladder by the end of the regular season. Unfortunately they fell one game short of
12045-428: The Melbourne Storm, the Cowboys began their club record 11 game winning streak, with Thurston winning multiple Man of the Match awards in the process. For the 2015 Anzac Test , Thurston was selected at five-eighth for Australia against New Zealand, kicking 2 goals in the Kangaroos 26–12 loss at Suncorp Stadium. Thurston played in all 3 matches of Queensland's 2–1 2015 State of Origin series win. On 28 September 2015, at
12210-489: The NRL agreement was exclusionary, intended to unfairly exclude South Sydney, and breached the Trade Practices Act. Justice Paul Finn ruled that the agreement did not specifically exclude any club and dismissed the Rabbitohs' claims for re-instatement into the national competition. Souths appealed this decision and were re-admitted into the competition in 2002. The Auckland Warriors experienced much financial hardship in
12375-624: The NRL and the ARLC announced that the competition would expand to 17 teams, with the admission of the Dolphins , based out of the suburb of Redcliffe in greater Brisbane, for the 2023 season. Since the NRL commenced in 1998 there have been six CEOs , they are: Since the Australian Rugby League Commission was inaugurated in 2012, there have been three chairmen: The NRL currently consists of seventeen clubs. Nine clubs are based within
12540-699: The NRL decided to close down former Super League club, the Adelaide Rams and former ARL club, the Gold Coast Chargers , despite the Gold Coast franchise being one of the few clubs to make a profit during the Super League war. One condition of the peace agreement between the ARL and News Limited was that there would be a 14-team competition in 2000. The 20 clubs that played in 1998 would be assessed on various items such as sponsorship, crowds, on-field success and
12705-544: The NRL returned to having a club based on the Gold Coast , Queensland with the inclusion of the Gold Coast Titans . The Titans were the first professional sporting team to occupy the Gold Coast since 1998, when the Gold Coast Chargers were one of the teams removed during the NRL's rationalisation process between the end of the Super League war and the 2000 season. The 2007 season saw the return of Monday Night Football and
12870-575: The NRL since its first season in 1998. Eleven clubs have been members for every season. Two of the clubs currently in the NRL were founded in 1908, the first year of rugby league competition in Australia: the Sydney Roosters (founded as 'Eastern Suburbs') and the South Sydney Rabbitohs . The Wests Tigers are a merger of two other foundation clubs: The Western Suburbs Magpies and the Balmain Tigers . Penrith Stadium (22,500) Original franchise
13035-467: The NRL to continue without crowds. The competition ended up kicking off on that date, with the Parramatta Eels defeating the Brisbane Broncos 34–6 at Lang Park behind closed doors. The match drew the highest TV ratings for a regular season game since 2014. The NRL returned a full two weeks before any other sport in Australia, and were the first sport to return to play worldwide that actually ceased play. In October 2021, after months of speculation,
13200-486: The NRL. Thurston was limited to 7 appearances for the 2002 season due to the Bulldogs' salary cap breach , as his payments for first-grade matches would have continued to breach the NRL's salary cap. Thurston played in 15 matches and scored four tries in 2003 . Although Thurston never cemented a starting position and only took part in 29 matches throughout three seasons at Canterbury-Bankstown, in his final year in 2004 , he
13365-480: The National Rugby League was born, incorporating the traditional Sydney clubs, successfully coompelling the Sydney market to follow the newly created national competition. The prospect of a truly national rugby league competition in addition to the introduction of pay television in Australia attracted the attention of global media organisation, News Corporation , and it followed that professional rugby league
13530-613: The One Hundred Minute Epic described in media circles as one of the greatest of the modern era. The 2010 grand final was played between the St. George Illawarra Dragons and the Sydney Roosters . St. George Illawarra won 32–8. This was the first premiership won by the club in its eleven-year existence and the first time in 31 years for the St. George part of the joint venture. After several years of preparation and build up, on 14 December 2010
13695-418: The Order of Australia and the award of 199 Honorary Medals of the Order of Australia. Notable honorary awards include: Since 1975, just over 30 per cent of recipients of an Order of Australia honour have been women. The number of nominations and awards for women is trending up, with the 2023 Australia Day Honours resulting in the highest percentage of awards for women to date (47.1 per cent, 47.9 per cent in
13860-578: The Order of Australia. This was done by with the addition of two additional award levels: Knight or Dame (AK or AD) above the level of Companion, and the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) below Members. The Civil Division was also renamed the General Division, so that awards could be given to those in the Defence Force for non-military achievement. These changes were made on 24 May 1976. The reaction to
14025-481: The Order of Canada, while 537 non-Australians have been appointed to the Order of Australia, with 46 to the Companion level. Public reaction to the new awards was mixed. Only the state Labor governments of Tasmania and South Australia agreed to submit recommendations for the new awards, with the remaining governments affirming their committent to the existing imperial honours system. Newspaper editorials similarly praised
14190-439: The Order were gazetted on 22 December 2015. Yvonne Kenny AM represented the Order at the 2023 Coronation . King Charles III , when he was Prince of Wales , was appointed a Knight of the Order of Australia (AK) on 14 March 1981. As he is not an Australian citizen, even though he was the heir to the Australian throne at the time, this would have required the award to be honorary. To overcome this issue, his appointment
14355-581: The Order would be determined by the Council of the Order of Australia. Awards of the Order of Australia are sometimes made to people who are not citizens of Australia to honour extraordinary achievements. These achievements, or the people themselves, are not necessarily associated with Australia, although they often are. On 1 July 2024, the Australian Honours website listed appointments for 46 Honorary Companions, 118 Honorary Officers, 174 Honorary Members of
14520-514: The Prime Minister's team defeated Papua New Guinea 42–18 in Port Moresby . Thurston travelled with the Australian national team to Europe for the 2009 Rugby League Four Nations tournament. In the Four Nations final match against England , Thurston was awarded was man-of-the-match in the Kangaroos 46–16 victory at Elland Road . Thurston was the tournament's top point-scorer with 36 points from
14685-441: The Queen to reinstate the level of knight or dame and the Queen co-signed letters patent to bring this into effect. The change was publicly announced on 25 March, and gazetted on 17 April 2014. Up to four knights or dames could be appointed each year, by the Queen of Australia on the advice of the prime minister after consultation with the chairman of the Order of Australia Council. Five awards of knight and dame were then made, to
14850-608: The Queenslander with many citing his small size as a problem. According to Thurston's manager, Sam Ayoub , a number of the clubs were not even willing to take him for free. Only St George Illawarra Dragons coach Nathan Brown was willing to sign him because he was going to play for nothing. Ultimately, Ayoub negotiated with the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs to sign him as he had promised Thurston's mother he would keep an eye on him, and Belmore (the Bulldogs' home ground)
15015-400: The Super League war. The average attendance record remained until 2010. From 2004 to 2005, there was a 39% increase in sponsorship, a 41% increase in merchandise royalties, and a 12% increase in playing participation. In 2005, Business Review Weekly ranked the NRL 497 in revenue of Australian private companies, with revenue of A$ 66.1m (+7%) with 35 employees. In 2004, Canterbury-Bankstown put
15180-520: The Year: 2005, 2007, 2009, 2015 Dally M Five-Eighth of the Year: 2012, 2013, 2014 Dally M Captain of the Year: 2015 RLPA Player of the Year 2005, 2013, 2014, 2015 RLPA Halfback of the Year 2018 RLPA Indigenous Leadership & Excellence 2018 RLIF International Back of the Year: 2007 RLIF Halfback of the Year: 2009, 2011, 2015 Rugby League World Golden Boot Award : 2011, 2013, 2015 Rugby League Week Player of
15345-561: The Year: 2007 Indigenous Halfback of the century (1908–2007) North Queensland Cowboys Player of the Year: 2005, 2012, 2014, 2015 North Queensland Cowboys Players' player of the Year: 2011, 2014 Provan-Summons Medal : 2014, 2015 Clive Churchill Medal : 2015 Alan Clarkson Trophy: 2015 Graham Murray Medal : 2016 Arthur Beetson Medal: 2017 Wally Lewis Medal : 2008 Ron McAuliffe Medal : 2012 Preston Campbell Medal : 2010, 2017 Ken Stephen Medal : 2012 Australian Representative Player of
15510-553: The Year: 2014 Rugby League World Cup (2013) 4 Man of the Match awards; in the 4 games he played State of Origin Man of the Match: 5 Awards State of Origin most consecutive matches: 36 (2005–2016) State of Origin all-time highest point scorer. All time highest point scorer in Australian test player Townsville Bulletin Fan Choice Award: 2014, 2015 In 2014, Thurston
15675-508: The association are in all the states and territories of Australia as well as the UK and the USA. Total inductees as of July 2024 . The order of wearing Australian and other approved honours is determined by the government. The award is parodied in the play Amigos , where the central character is determined to be awarded the AC, and uses persuasion, bribery and blackmail in his (ultimately successful) attempts to get himself nominated for
15840-450: The award to Prince Philip in a ReachTEL poll. The Australian Labor Party continued to oppose knighthoods and damehoods. Leader of the opposition Bill Shorten stated in March 2014 that the party would again discontinue the level if it were to win the next Australian federal election. The knighthood decision was a significant factor that caused Liberal party members to question Abbott's leadership, with Malcolm Turnbull succeeding in
16005-580: The award. During the 1996 season of the popular television programme Home and Away , the character Pippa Ross was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia for her years of service as a foster carer. National Rugby League The National Rugby League (known as the NRL Telstra Premiership due to sponsorship) is a professional rugby league competition in Australasia which contains clubs from New South Wales , Queensland , Victoria ,
16170-411: The awards as an example of Australia's greater independence, whilst also noting that the awards would likely appear second-rate. The Australian stated that There is no longer a British Empire; everyone knows that. But somehow the phrase "imperial honours" still carries a ring of regal authenticity that somehow transcends nationalism. For the time being a recipient ... of the Order of Australia
16335-554: The ball on the kick-off and hand the North Queensland side the chance to win which was converted as Johnathan Thurston successfully kicked a field goal to win the match 17–16. The 2016 season saw the Melbourne Storm return to the minor premiership position while the Canberra Raiders returned to the top four for the first time since the 2003. The Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks and reigning premiers North Queensland would fill out
16500-616: The beginning of the National Rugby League in 1998. The Manly Warringah Rugby League Football Club took over the NRL licence from the Northern Eagles franchise, after the financial bankruptcy of the North Sydney faction made the joint-venture untenable. The Penrith Panthers rose from the bottom of the table to win the Premiership, while the Brisbane club returned to Lang Park mid-year. Season 2004 proved even more successful than 2003, with
16665-487: The beginning of the demise of some of the traditional Sydney-based clubs as well as having a negative effect on the Brisbane Rugby League premiership . Following the 1983 season, Sydney foundation club Newtown Jets were ultimately forced to withdraw from the competition because of financial difficulties. Further expansion of the league followed in 1988 , with another three teams based outside Sydney introduced to
16830-492: The century. Thurston was the only player to play in all 24 games of Queensland's eight-year State of Origin winning streak from 2006, having played 36 consecutive Origin matches from his debut in 2005 . Thurston broke the record for most points in State of Origin history during the 2015 State of Origin series when smashing New South Wales 52–6. Also in 2015, Thurston co-captained the North Queensland Cowboys, along with teammate Matt Scott , to their inaugural NRL Premiership . He
16995-519: The changes to the awards were similarly split along party lines. Following the 1983 federal election , Labor Prime Minister Bob Hawke recommitted to the end of recommendations for imperial awards. No knighthoods were awarded during his first term in office and he advised the abolition of the knight/dame level after being re-elected in 1986. During the time the division was active from 1976 to 1983, twelve knights and two dames were created. On 19 March 2014, monarchist prime minister Tony Abbott advised
17160-581: The club's second grand final appearance losing 28–6 to the second-placed Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles in what was otherwise a successful year. On 4 September 2007, Thurston won the Halfback of the Year and the Dally M Medal Player of the Year Award for the second time in three years, narrowly edging out Wests Tigers ' Robbie Farah due to his strong performances in the final rounds of the regular season. Thurston played in 25 matches, scored 10 tries and kicked 78 goals for
17325-463: The coat of arms of Australia. The ribbon of the order is royal blue with a central stripe of mimosa blossoms. Awards in the military division are edged with 1.5 mm golden bands. AKs, male ACs and AOs wear their badges on a necklet and male AMs and OAMs wear them on a ribbon on the left chest. Women usually wear their badges on a bow on the left shoulder, although they may wear the same insignia as males if so desired. A gold lapel pin for daily wear
17490-587: The competition's name becoming the NRL Telstra Premiership, while in 2002 David Gallop took over the CEO role from David Moffett , and the competition has become more and more popular each season. In 2001 the NRL Grand Final started to be played on Sunday nights, a shift from the traditional Sunday afternoon slot used for over a decade prior. The 2003 season was widely regarded as the most successful since
17655-566: The competition; the Newcastle Knights and the first two Queensland teams, the Brisbane Broncos and Gold Coast-Tweed Giants . The Brisbane and Newcastle sides proved to be successful and popular and paved the way towards a push for a truly national competition. This was attempted in 1995 with control of the premiership passing from the NSWRFL to the Australian Rugby League (ARL), who invited four more teams from outside NSW to participate in 1995. Ultimately this competition failed, but in its demise
17820-499: The couple had their first child together; a daughter. In March 2015 the pair welcomed their second daughter. On 3 November 2015, Johnathan and Samantha 'eloped' to Hamilton Island to marry in a private ceremony with their daughters and parents present. This news was broken by Sam on her Instagram. The couple welcomed a third daughter, Lillie Rose Thurston, on 22 March 2017. Their fourth daughter, Remie Lee, arrived in February 2019. Thurston
17985-467: The early part of the decade, ultimately collapsing before being resurrected as the New Zealand Warriors for the 2001 season. They made the grand final in 2002 and then again in 2011, losing both encounters to the Sydney Roosters and the re-instated Manly Warringah Sea Eagles, respectively. In 2001, Australia's largest telecommunications provider Telstra became naming rights sponsor of the NRL, with
18150-675: The eight highest-placed teams from the regular season. The season culminates in the premiership-deciding grand final . The winners compete in the World Club Challenge against the champions of the English Super League . The reigning premiers are the Penrith Panthers , having won their sixth premiership, and fourth consecutive, in 2024. The New South Wales Rugby League ran the major rugby league competition of New South Wales from its inception in 1908 until 1994 . Following
18315-458: The exception of awards recommended by the soon to be independent government of the Territory of Papua and New Guinea ); however this did not affect the constitutional right of state governments to recommend imperial awards. According to the governor general's then-secretary Sir David Smith , Whitlam was furious when he first saw Devlin's design for the insignia of the order, due to the inclusion of
18480-525: The finals coming at 9th place, Thurston finished the year with him playing in 17 matches, scoring 11 tries and kicking 49 goals. Thurston later recovered from his injury at the end of the regular NRL season and played for the Prime Minister's XIII before making the Australian squad for the Tri-Nations tournament . Thurston was chosen to play halfback for the first and second games against New Zealand where he
18645-577: The finals finishing 7th on the ladder before getting destroyed by the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles in the second half in the 42–8 loss after leading 8–0 at half time at the Sydney Football Stadium. Thurston played in 19 matches, scored 10 tries and kicked 61 goals for the Cowboys in the 2011 NRL season . In the post-season, Thurston travelled with the Australian national team to England for the 2011 Four Nations tournament, where he starred in all four games for Australia. Thurston picked up man of
18810-406: The first side to win four consecutive series. Thurston played in the third match as well, which Queensland lost 28–16 at Suncorp Stadium. In Round 17 against the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks , Thurston played his 100th club match for the Cowboys in the 24–4 win at Dairy Famrers Stadium. This year also saw Thurston the front runner for his third Dally M 'Player of the Year' Award, only to be surpassed in
18975-433: The game, replacing former state based boards and assuming full control of the NRL from the NRL partnership (comprising the previous ARL board and News Limited ). The current Chairman is Peter V'landys AM. The 2012 Grand Final involved the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs and the Melbourne Storm , this was the first time since 2008 that the first and second placed teams contested the grand final. The Melbourne Storm recorded
19140-625: The game. Thurston then missed the conversion to win the premiership, resulting in golden point extra time. North Queensland won the toss, electing to kick, and following a knock on by Ben Hunt from the kick-off, Thurston kicked a field goal in the 82nd minute, securing the North Queensland Cowboys' first ever premiership. Thurston was named the Clive Churchill Medal man-of-the-match in the Cowboys 17–16 win. Thurston finished his brilliant 2015 NRL season with him playing in 24 matches, scoring 4 tries, kicking 93 goals and kicking 6 field goals for
19305-476: The general division). Advocacy groups such as Honour a Woman and the Workplace Gender Equality Agency have called for greater effort to be made to reach equal representation of men and women in the order. In December 2010, The Age reported a study of the educational backgrounds of all people who had received Knight/Dame and Companion level awards at that time. It reported: "An analysis of
19470-657: The governments of each respective state and territory, and three ex officio members (the chief of the Defence Force , the vice-president of the Federal Executive Council and a public servant responsible for honours policy). The Council chair as of August 2024 is Shelley Reys. The Council makes recommendations to the governor-general. Awards are announced on Australia Day and on the King's Birthday public holiday in June, on
19635-572: The governor-general to remove an individual from the order, who may cancel an award. Announcements of all awards, cancellations and resignations appear in the Commonwealth Gazette . Nomination forms are confidential and not covered by the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (Cth) . The reasoning behind a nomination being successful or unsuccessful—and even the attendees of the meetings where such nominations are discussed—remains confidential. As
19800-468: The grand final contested between Manly and Melbourne. Melbourne won the title 34–8 and the grand final achieved the honour of being the most watched television show in Australia in 2007. Throughout 2008, the NRL celebrated 100 years since rugby league was introduced into Australia, with several initiatives to recognise the important milestone, including an extensive marketing campaign called the 'Centenary of Rugby League'. The competition began in March, with
19965-448: The imposition of the first COVID-19 restrictions, the NRL initially announced it would be moving forward with the season. The decision prompted a wave of condemnation online, including from Australian personalities and sport people. The following day after Queensland closed its borders, the NRL announced that the season would have to be suspended indefinitely. It was feared that some teams would not survive this period without income, as it
20130-419: The inclusion of two Friday night games. Both of which turned out to be ratings successes. Another change from the previous seasons was a reduction in the number of byes per team in the season. With an odd number of teams contesting between 2002 and 2006, the draw meant that at least one team would have to have a bye each weekend. With the inclusion of the 16th team for the 2007 season, the National Rugby League had
20295-591: The introduction of a new format for interstate rugby league, the State of Origin series in 1980, the decade of the 1980s brought about expansion of the NSWRL premiership , with the introduction of commercial sponsorship, the Winfield Cup , and the addition of non-Sydney-based teams, Canberra and Illawarra in 1982. Although this move brought more interest in the competition statewide in New South Wales , it would spell
20460-479: The like. It was also announced that clubs that merged would receive a large sum of money, as well as a guaranteed position in the 2000 NRL Competition. The St. George Dragons and the Illawarra Steelers were the first clubs to take up the offer, forming the joint-venture St. George Illawarra Dragons at the end of the 1998 season. The 1999 Grand Final brought about a new official world record attendance for
20625-462: The match honours on three occasions whilst in the U.K, including the final in which Australia won 30–8 at Elland Road. Thurston tallied 52 points during the tournament, scoring 3 tries and converting 22 goals from 25 attempts. Thurston was rewarded for a fantastic 2011 season with the Golden Boot Award . In Round 6 against the Melbourne Storm , Thurston played his 150th NRL career club match for
20790-477: The new body. The 2011 grand final was contested between the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles and the New Zealand Warriors . This was the second grand final involving the New Zealand Warriors. Manly recorded a 24–10 win claiming their second premiership under head coach Des Hasler . On 10 February 2012, the independent commission, known as the Australian Rugby League Commission assumed control of all levels of
20955-417: The occasion of a special announcement by the governor-general (usually honorary awards), and on the appointment of a new governor-general. The governor-general presents the order's insignia to new appointees. Appointments to the order may be made posthumously as long as a person was nominated for an award whilst they were still alive. Awardees may subsequently resign from the order, and the Council may advise
21120-439: The option of reverting to back to the system used between 2000 and 2001 where every team played each round. That system was not used however, with teams were given just a single bye during the year, grouped in periods that will assist clubs around representative fixtures. The opening round saw two matches at Brisbane's Lang Park , the first featuring reigning champions Brisbane against fellow Queensland side North Queensland, while
21285-649: The order at all levels. Nomination forms are submitted to the Director, Honours Secretariat, a position within the Office of the Official Secretary to the Governor-General of Australia , at Government House, Canberra , which are then forwarded to the Council for the Order of Australia . The council consists of 19 members: seven selected by the prime minister (described as "community representatives"), eight appointed by
21450-448: The order. The order is divided into a general and a military division. The five levels of appointment to the order in descending order of seniority are: Honorary awards at all levels may be made to non-citizens. These awards are made additional to the quotas. The order's insignia was designed by Stuart Devlin . The badge of the Order of Australia is a convex disc (gold for AKs, ADs and ACs, gilt for AOs, AMs and OAMs) representing
21615-453: The outgoing governor-general , Quentin Bryce ; her successor, Peter Cosgrove ; a recent chief of the Defence Force , Angus Houston ; a recent governor of New South Wales , Marie Bashir ; and Prince Philip . This last award was widely met with ridicule and dismay by many in the Australian media. The award was also heavily criticised in the community, with 72% disapproving and 12% in favour of
21780-465: The points tally by a late season run by Jarryd Hayne from the Parramatta Eels. Although missing out marginally on the top accolade Thurston had still maintained enough points to be named 'Halfback of the Year'. Thurston played in 23 matches, scored 11 tries and kicked 79 goals for the Cowboys in the 2009 NRL season . After the NRL season had ended, Thurston kicked seven goals from as many attempts as
21945-672: The prime minister alone, rather than by the Council of the Order of Australia, as is the case with all lower levels of the order. In accordance with the statutes of 2014, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh , was created a Knight of the Order by letters patent signed by the Queen on 7 January 2015, on Abbott's advice. Prince Philip's knighthood was announced as part of the Australia Day Honours on 26 January 2015 and his appointment attracted criticism of what Abbott described as his "captain's call". Abbott responded by announcing that future recommendations for appointments as Knights and Dames of
22110-432: The record for the highest winning margin in a grand final (although the club formerly known as St. George Dragons were beaten 38–0 in 1975 and using the modern point scale of 4-point tries, this would amount to 46–0.) Furthermore, it was the first time a team had been kept scoreless in a Grand Final since 1978. The 2009 season marked the beginning of the second century of rugby league in Australia. The grand final that year
22275-405: The second match featured the new club, the Gold Coast, playing St. George Illawarra. The weather during the middle of the season was less than ideal, with cyclonic conditions severely affecting many NRL games played in Sydney and Newcastle. The 2007 finals series saw the South Sydney Rabbitohs return to finals football for the first time in decades. The season culminated on 30 September 2007, with
22440-424: The start of the year held promise, but after a record-breaking 15-match losing streak, all hope faded. Thurston played 17 matches, scored 4 tries and kicked 39 goals for the Cowboys in the 2008 NRL season. In August 2008, Thurston was named in the Australia training squad for the 2008 Rugby League World Cup . On 7 October 2008, Thurston was confirmed in the final 24-man Australian squad. In Australia's first match of
22605-485: The third year in a row. The switch to halfback following the Origin series, Thurston produced a lot of great and strong playing performances every week until their elimination from the finals, winning 8 from 10 games while playing in the halfback position. Thurston finished off the 2014 NRL season with him playing in 24 matches, scoring 11 tries, kicking 93 goals and kicking 4 field goals for the Cowboys. On 29 September 2014, at
22770-586: The top four. The season continued a trend of the minor premiership not being decided to the final round, the fourth consecutive year. The 2016 Grand Final was contested between the Melbourne Storm and the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks , it was the Cronulla's fourth grand final appearance while it was the seventh for the Melbourne club. The match was a tight affair and was not settled until after the siren had sounded. The Cronulla-Sutherland claimed their first premiership ending
22935-515: The tournament Thurston, despite mourning the murder of his uncle in a Brisbane park less than 38 hours prior, put in a strong performance to be named man-of-the-match in the Kangaroos 30–6 win over the Kiwis at the Sydney Football Stadium . In the 2008 Rugby League World Cup final against New Zealand, Thurston played at halfback and kicked 2 goals in the 34–20 loss at Suncorp Stadium. Thurston
23100-443: The tournament in the Kangaroos 34–2 win at Old Trafford . Thurston also broke the 31-year-old record of Mick Cronin , passing the record of 309 test points for the Kangaroos. Thurston played in five matches, scored two tries, and kicked 33 goals in the tournament. On 17 January 2014 Thurston was announced as 2013's Golden Boot Award winner following his prominence in Australia's World Cup and Queensland's State of Origin successes. It
23265-445: The traditional clubs that had moved to the Super League competition back into a re-unified competition. Following a period of negotiation with News Corporation, on 23 September 1997 the ARL announced that it was forming a new company to conduct the competition in 1998. On 7 October News' Manaaki Ranginui announced that he was confident that there would be a single competition in 1998. On 19 December, representatives of clubs affiliated with
23430-483: Was a conspiracy in the NRL that they wanted an all Sydney grand final. Thurston played in 22 matches, scored 2 tries, kicked 71 goals and kicked 1 field goal for the Cowboys in the 2013 NRL season . In the post-season, Thurston joined the Australian squad that travelled to Europe for the 2013 Rugby League World Cup . In the World Cup final against New Zealand, Thurston was named the man-of-the-match, his fourth such award of
23595-497: Was a significant milestone in the history of the NRL, as two interstate teams (teams not from New South Wales, the "heartland" of the NRL) contested the grand final for the first time. In the city of Melbourne, whose team was playing in their second grand final, the game's television ratings were higher than in Sydney where the game was played. Crowds were down on 2005, however were better than any other year prior to that. In its tenth season
23760-542: Was also the 2015 Clive Churchill Medallist for grand final man of the match. In 2015, he became the first ever four-time Dally M Medallist for the NRL season's best player, and later that year became the first ever three-time winner of the Golden Boot Award for the World's best player. In 2018, Thurston retired from playing rugby league, and founded and launched the Johnathan Thurston Academy (JTAcademy) of which
23925-474: Was awarded an honorary Doctor of Letters from James Cook University for his "outstanding service and exceptional contributions to the northern Queensland community." In the 2019 Queen's Birthday Honours, Thurston was made a Member of the Order of Australia , for significant service to rugby league, and as a role model. In 2023, he was inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame . In August 2024,
24090-406: Was awarded the Halfback of the Year award and the prestigious Dally M Medal as the 2005 NRL season's Player of the Year, helping North Queensland to the 2005 NRL Grand Final , the first for the club. The Cowboys lost 30–16 to the Wests Tigers , ending Thurston's chance of winning two consecutive grand finals. Thurston played in 26 matches, scored 5 tries, kicked 28 goals and kicked 2 field goals in
24255-498: Was closer to where he lived. The Bulldogs eventually signed Thurston in the 2001 NRL season for 'nil playing fee'. Once Thurston had the opportunity he was selected for the Queensland U-19 side that year. Thurston made his NRL debut for the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs in round 13 of the 2002 NRL season against the Penrith Panthers , coming off the interchange bench in the 38–24 win at Penrith Stadium . In round 21 against
24420-402: Was contested by the South Sydney Rabbitohs and the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs . This was South Sydney's first grand final appearance since 1971. South Sydney would break their 43-year premiership drought with a 30–6 victory. The 2015 season saw the return of the Queensland juggernauts, The North Queensland Cowboys and the Brisbane Broncos who would finish inside the top four and contest
24585-447: Was created by an amendment to the constitution of the Order of Australia by special letters patent signed by the Queen, on the recommendation of Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser . In March 2014 the knight and dame levels, which had been abolished in 1986 by Prime Minister Bob Hawke , were reintroduced to the Order of Australia by Tony Abbott . At the same time, Abbott announced that future appointments at this level would be recommended by
24750-499: Was dissolved in 2012, with control of the NRL going to the re-constituted ARL, which was re-structured with an independent board of directors and renamed the Australian Rugby League Commission. The season typically runs from March to October, with each team playing 24 matches. The first-placed team at the end of the regular season awarded the minor premiership . This is followed by a finals series contested between
24915-408: Was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II , Queen of Australia , on the advice of then prime minister Gough Whitlam . Before the establishment of the order, Australians could receive British honours , which continued to be issued in parallel until 1992. Appointments to the order are made by the governor-general , "with the approval of The Sovereign", according to recommendations made by
25080-498: Was established on 14 February 1975 by letters patent of Queen Elizabeth II , acting as Queen of Australia , and on the advice of the newly elected Labor prime minister , Gough Whitlam . The original order had three levels: Companion (AC), Officer (AO) and Member (AM) as well as two divisions: Civil Division and Military Division. Whitlam had previously announced in 1972 (on his third day in office) that his government would no longer nominate persons for British Imperial honours (with
25245-472: Was foreseen as a financial catastrophe. On 9 April 2020, ARL Commissioner Wayne Pearce announced the NRL would return on 28 May. The announcement came under heavy criticism from the Government of New South Wales and health officials, with Premier Gladys Berejiklian saying she had not approved a return. However, the NRL released documents signed by NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller, showing approval for
25410-436: Was his second Golden Boot in three years. Thurston played in the 2014 Anzac Test at five-eighth, kicking 5 goals in a man-of-the-match performance in Australia's 30–18 victory at the Sydney Football Stadium. In Round 10 against the Sydney Roosters , Thurston played his 200th club match for the Cowboys, scoring a try and kicking 7 goals in the 42–10 win at 1300SMILES Stadium. Thurston went on to play five-eighth for Queensland in
25575-472: Was made a life member of the North Queensland Cowboys. In 2015 and 2018, Thurston was named Philips Sports Dad of the Year. In 2015, Thurston was named as Big League Magazines Player of the Year, he was also named at Halfback in the magazines team of the year section. In 2015, Thurston was presented the Channel 9 Wide World of Sports Golden Kenny trophy for Australian sports star of the year. In 2015, Thurston
25740-554: Was part of the Premiership-winning side, coming off the bench in the club's 16–13 win over the Sydney Roosters in the 2004 NRL Grand Final . Thurston wore jersey #18 for the match as he had been a late inclusion for regular captain Steve Price who, in the lead up to the match, was ruled out with a knee injury. As Price had initially housed and mentored him upon his arrival in Sydney, Thurston gave his premiership ring to Price as
25905-531: Was played between the Parramatta Eels and once again Melbourne Storm . Melbourne defeated Parramatta 23 – 16 to win the premiership to make it two premierships out of the last four grand finals for the Melbourne side. In 2010 the Inaugural All Stars Match was held on 13 February, in conjunction with the Sorry Day reconciliation anniversary to promote rugby league's long association and involvement with
26070-584: Was played between the Sydney Roosters and the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles with the Roosters recording a 26–18 victory. The 2014 season started with the introduction of the Auckland Nines and was marred by the handing down of a million dollar fine to the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks for their role in the ASADA scandal while head coach Shane Flanagan was suspended for the entirety of the 2014 season. The 2014 Grand Final
26235-675: Was produced in the style of the Dieux du Stade calendars to raise money for the Koori Kids foundation. Thurston was chosen to appear on the cover of the calendar. He has also worked with the Indigenous communities of North Queensland and the Australian Red Cross Blood Service . Thurston is also known for always handing — rather than throwing — his kicking tee after a place kick to the ballboy, and for giving away his headgear to
26400-425: Was revealed that Thurston had wanted to stay at Canterbury beyond the 2004 season but the management at the club had re-signed Sherwin and Anasta. According to Thurston's manager Sam Ayoub, the player had wanted to stay at Canterbury even if it had meant a diminished salary but had been told that leaving was the best option. In round 1 of the 2005 NRL season , Thurston made his club debut for North Queensland against
26565-414: Was rewarded 'Man of Match' honours for the first game. Despite losing the jumper to Ben Hornby for the first game against Great Britain he returned for the second game against Great Britain and kept his place for the final against New Zealand. In this match, with the scores locked at 12–12 and the game into its 2nd half of golden point extra time, a Thurston break allowed him to set Darren Lockyer up for
26730-456: Was selected in the 2009 Anzac Test for Australia against New Zealand at halfback, scoring 2 tries and kicking 5 goals in the Kangaroos 38–10 win at Suncorp Stadium. In April 2009, Thurston was named in the preliminary 25 man squad to represent Queensland in the 2009 State of Origin series ' opening match and was subsequently picked at halfback for all three matches. In Game Two at ANZ Stadium, Thurston helped Queensland win 24–14, making history as
26895-660: Was shaken to its very foundations in the mid-1990s with the advent of the Super League war . Initially a conflict over broadcasting rights, it became a dispute as to who controlled the sport and which traditional clubs would survive into the new national era, as News Limited formed their own Super League and admitted some former ARL clubs, poaching players from the original ARL league with high salaries. With twenty-two teams of highly varying quality playing in two competitions that year, crowd attendances and corporate sponsorships were spread very thinly, and many teams found themselves in financial difficulty. The ARL undertook moves to invite
27060-442: Was the 21st consecutive Origin match played by Thurston since his debut in Game I 2005, breaking one of his teammates' records in Cameron Smith who played 19 consecutive Origins from his debut in Game III 2003. Thurston later returned for the Cowboys in Round 23 against the Brisbane Broncos at Dairy Farmers Stadium, The Cowboys were defeated 34–16 in Broncos legend Darren Lockyer ’s record breaking 350th career match. The Cowboys made
27225-402: Was the Sydney Roosters, dropping the City section of their name for the 2000 season and beyond. Souths were controversially axed from the competition at the end of 1999 for failing to meet the criteria. This move was highly controversial and on 12 November 2000 about 80,000 marched in protest at their continued exclusion. South Sydney challenged the decision in the Federal Court claiming that
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