Johnathan Thurston: The Autobiography

Description

He is Johnathan Thurston. JT, one of the greats, simply the best. His status as one of the greats of rugby league cannot be questioned - an Australian international, Queensland State of Origin and Indigenous All Stars representative. In 2015, he became the first ever four-time Dally M Medallist for the NRL season's best player, and later that year, the first ever three-time winner of the Golden Boot Award for the world's best player. When the final siren sounded on 1 September 2018 at Cbus Stadium on the Gold Coast, arguably rugby league's greatest career ended, JT walking off the field to be farewelled a legend. Fans cheered. Teammates hugged. Officials shook his hand. His family and friends shed a tear. Then came the speeches. For his adoring fans, it was the end of an era - for JT it was a moment that had been 30 years in the making. A moment that once seemed improbable. This is a story that began in a Brisbane backyard. With a boy, a ball and a big, big dream. They all said he was too skinny, too slow, and too wild to succeed. Most would have quit. This is the story of how Johnathan Thurston transformed himself into a world champion - how he went from a kid with dreadlocks to a State of Origin star and Dally M Medal winner in just three years - and went on to become rugby league's greatest player. In his autobiography, JT recounts the complete and remarkable story of his life. Of setbacks and scandals. Of agony and pain. Of love and hate. Of victories and losses. And of Clive Churchill Medals, Dally M Medals, State of Origin shields and of fairy tale premierships - and of a girl called Samantha and how love conquered all.

Johnathan Thurston made his NRL debut back in 2002 with the Bulldogs, picking up a premiership ring in the Clubs 2004 Grand Final victory. He has played in every game in each of Queensland's eight consecutive State of Origin victories, achieved the highest individual honour in Rugby League by being awarded the Golden Boot for World Player of the Year and has the rare distinction of winning three Dally M medals. In 2015 he won a premiership for his beloved North Queensland Cowboys and Townsville. James Phelps is an award-winning senior reporter for Sydney's The Daily Telegraph and The Sunday Telegraph. He began as an overnight police-rounds reporter before moving into sport, where he became one of Australia's best news-breaking rugby league journalists. James was then appointed News Corp Australia's Chief National Motorsports Writer and travelled the world chasing Formula 1 stories, as well as covering Australia's V8 Supercar races. As well as writing bestselling and critically acclaimed biographies of Dick Johnson and Johnathan Thurston, James established himself as Australia's number-one true crime writer with his bestselling prison series, including Australia's Hardest Prison, Australia's Most Murderous Prison, and Australia's Toughest Prisons. His most recent books are Australian Heist (2018), a dramatic retelling of the true story behind Australia's largest gold robbery, and Australian Code Breakers (2020), a gripping account of how Australian cryptographers helped bring about the most vital Allied naval victory of World War I.