EXCLUSIVE.
MALIGNED superstar Johnathan Thurston has revealed he turned his back on overtures by a Sydney NRL club, which stood to net him $1 million a year, to see out the three-year deal he signed with the Cowboys in May.
Despite being forced to front the board after being charged with public nuisance in Brisbane in September - a charge that has since been dropped - and threatened with losing the captaincy, the 27-year-old Queensland and Kangaroos halfback said he couldn't turn his back on the club that made him a NRL star.
However, he revealed to The Sun-Herald that he seriously considered leaving the club amid all the drama and as a contingency plan went as far as flying to Sydney to speak with clubs about a shock move if the Cowboys made good on speculation that his tenure in North Queensland was over.
Veteran radio host and former South Sydney coaching director and Balmain coach Alan Jones was involved in negotiations to bring the Dally M medallist to Sydney. The friends met on more than one occasion and one prominent club indicated to Thurston that he could make more than $1 million a season after third-party deals were included.
The proposal adhered to salary cap regulations and the only thing that blocked the move was Thurston's conscience.
''Yeah, that's right,'' Thurston admitted to The Sun-Herald. ''There was all this media speculation of me getting sacked from the Cowboys and all this kind of crap. It was obviously very difficult for me at the time.
''There was a fair bit of interest and it was all going through my head. But for my long-time future, I thought the best option was to stay in North Queensland. I love living here, and I love the club, and I want to help turn the club around and hopefully stay here until I retire.''
Thurston was publicly critical of the Cowboys as an organisation earlier this year after another dismal season in 2010. And being forced to front the board after what proved to be farcical claims of public nuisance was almost the straw that broke this Cowboys steed's back.
''That captaincy speculation hurt,'' Thurston said. ''I copped a fair bit of flak for it but in the end there were no charges and now I just want to get on with training and playing footy. I had to face the board and everything and that's all sorted and is in the past.
''I definitely feel I made the right decision to stay.''
Thurston has all but recovered from the troublesome ankle injury that ruled him out of Australia's failed Four Nations campaign and will return to full training with the new-look Cowboys squad this week. And after a season to forget, he couldn't be happier.
''It's a breath of fresh air up here,'' a relieved Thurston said.
''I've been looking forward to coming to training and hanging out with the boys. I'm just really looking forward to what lies ahead at this club. I want to be part of the future here and I want to help turn the club into the force that it should be.
''We've changed a lot of things within the organisation and I think it's all been for the better.
''Training methods have completely changed. We've got new coaching staff and new training staff, and there are a lot of new faces in the playing roster. It's a healthy playing roster to be a part of.
''I've achieved a lot in the game and I would love to win a premiership here and that's what's driving me to stay and be the first captain to lift that premiership for North Queensland.''
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