The North Queensland Cowboys have surprised fans and pundits alike in 2022, being a popular pick for the wooden spoon before a ball was kicked – and while there’s a long way to go, a solid start to the season has given them a platform to contend for a playoff spot.
While Cowboys legend Johnathan Thurston stopped short of taking a victory lap on Wide World of Sports’ JT’s Thought Bubble, he did stress the importance of keeping their young gun enforcers, Heilum Luki and Jeremiah Nanai.
Luki re-signed for three more years at the start of this season, while Nanai opted for a one-year deal; which is a page straight out of the Thurston playbook, he said.
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“I know Jeremiah’s got the same manager as mine (Sam Ayoub), so I’ve been into his ear – he’s doing the same thing he did with me, signing one year deals and then wait for the big one.
“So hopefully we can lock them both down because no doubt in my mind, they’ll certainly play representative football.”
The Cowboys have let some of the game’s top tier talent leave in recent years – including Viliame Kikau, Kalyn Ponga, Brandon Smith and Jahrome Hughes – and have endured a torrid past few years as a result.
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But while it’s easy to say a bright future is just around the corner, with both Luki and Nanai already shining in first grade and others like Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow showing flashes of brilliance, the tide may finally be turning in Townsville.
Thurston’s prediction that the pair would play rep football comes just days after Nanai declared his loyalty to the Maroons, despite also being eligible for New Zealand.
“I have made my decision. I want to play for the Maroons, 100 per cent,” Nanai told reporters earlier this week.
“I’m glad I moved to Cairns when I was young enough. Hopefully I do get the opportunity one day to play Origin for Queensland.”
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