North Queensland players paid tribute to Johnathan Thurston after the Cowboys playmaker was rewarded for his grand final winning heroics with the Clive Churchill Medal as man of the match on Sunday night.
With seconds remaining on the clock, the scene was set for Thurston's Andrew Johns moment as he ran the ball to the Brisbane defensive line before throwing a long ball to five-eighth Michael Morgan, who put winger Kyle Feldt over with the most sublime grand final flick pass since Benji Marhsall's 2005 feat against North Queensland.
Thurston's sideline conversion attempt hit the uprights to send the game into extra time but there was no doubt he would be the man who would prove the difference in the Cowboys first premiership win.
"This is why we play the game," an emotional Thurston said. "I'm speechless, I can't believe it. I can't believe what we've just done."
Prop James Tamou described Thurston as a rare talent, while he said the four time Dally M Medal winner was a future immortal.
"He is so special, he is a once in a generation player and I am privileged to play alongside him," Tamou said. "I don't think we will see anyone like him for a while"
Morgan added: "He is just a legend of the club, he is just an unbelievable player and a future immortal of the game, no doubt." Thurston, who is the first Indigenous player to captain a grand final-winning team since Scott Prince led the Wests Tiger to victory over the Cowboys in 2005, was humble in his acceptance speech of the award.
"I want to thank our boys, I couldn't be standing up here without you," he said.
"I love youse to death. To the fans that show up and watch us play every week, this is why we play the game. To our coaching staff I can't thank you for what you have done over the last couple of years."
It was only the fourth grand final to go into overtime.
North Queensland coach Paul Green said he was confident Thurston would seal the golden point win. "Some of the farmers and the economy up there have been doing it tough. It's taken 20 years and we've finally brought a premiership home," he said. "When [Thurston] took that goal, I wouldn't have wanted anyone else to take it. He iced the game when he got the chance."
Discussing the pass that laid on the winning try, five-eighth Morgan said: "It was the last thing we could come up with."
Brisbane's Sam Thaiday said: "One minute, that's all it took to lose a grand final. It's the first time two Queensland teams played in a grand final. Let's hope it's not the last one."
