Smith reveals full extent of Thurston heroics

Queensland skipper Cam Smith heaped praise on "warrior" Johnathan Thurston, following the superstar half-back's against-the-odds Origin II heroics.

Thurston, who will retire from Maroons duty after this year's matches with New South Wales Blues, missed his first Origin match since 2004 last month when Laurie Daley's side recorded a comprehensive victory in Brisbane.

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However, the Australia playmaker was back for game two in Sydney on Wednesday night and held his nerve to land a decisive kick in the 78th minute, after Dane Gagai's second try had enabled Queensland to cancel out a 10-point half-time deficit.

Smith - a long-time teammate of Thurston at state and international level - lauded the efforts of a player who defied a shoulder problem to lead the Maroons to victory.

"He's got nearly every joint in his body strapped up tonight," said Smith of Thurston in a post-match news conference. "He's a warrior, isn't he?

"Some of the things he's gone through in his career and to still be able to play at this level - it's quite remarkable. He took a couple of whacks during training this week. I really don't know how he gets up for these matches most of the time and to still be able to play the way he does, it really is quite unbelievable.

"His body's not 100 per cent, there's no doubt about that, but he just finds a way. He finds a way to get himself up for these games and makes things happen.

"He's a special talent, we all know that. And special players, they get themselves up, they find a way to get there and play well."

Blues legend Andrew Johns slammed the NSW side for not directing more traffic Thurston's way and really testing out his shoulder.

NSW coach Laurie Daley defended his side's decision not to target Thurston by reinforcing what Maroons captain Cam Smith said about the champion playmaker's ability to play through pain.

"It's amazing with JT, he's such a tough bugger," Daley said.

"He is such a great competitor, but having said that he looked like that in his last game too when he played against Parramatta, he looked like he was holding his arm.

"I think because of the strapping he's got on there it doesn't let him obviously to move his arm so it looks like it's worse than it probably is.

"He was good tonight and came up with some really good plays when they needed him to."

Top of the list of those incredible plays was of course the match-winning goal kick that, despite being on the more favourable side for left-footed Smith, was always going to be taken by JT.

"As good as the effort was tonight from everyone, the play that got us the win was that goal kick," Smith said.

"We gave him an opportunity there to put us in front and I don't know how many people would have put that over.

I couldn't hear myself think and I was waiting back on the try-line to receive the kick-off, I wasn't even having a shot at goal.

"I can't think of anyone else that you'd want to have a crack at goal there. I just said to him, 'mate, you're the best, just go and kick it', and he did and we got a victory."