Johnathan Thurston – Michmutters
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NRL icon Paul Green’s death highlights Australia’s tragic suicide rates

The shock death of Paul Green has highlighted a tragic reality for so many Australians, as the country continues to reel from the loss of the NRL icon.

The former footy star turned premiership-winning coach passed away at his home in Brisbane on Thursday morning aged 49. It has been confirmed he took his own life.

Green’s wife, Amanda, found him unresponsive at their home after returning home from doing pilates at the gym, according to the Courier Mail.

His death shines a light on a heartbreaking reality so many Australian families face every single year.

On average, male suicides make up about 75 per cent of all suicides across the country each year.

In 2019 men accounted for 2,502 out of a total 3,318 registered suicide deaths in Australia.

Awareness around mental health, particularly in men, has increased substantially over the years, but these figures show we still have a very long way to go.

Mental fitness advocate and founder of the Gotcha4Life foundation, Gus Worland, said Green’s death draws a “line in the sand” for Australians.

“Unfortunately, we lose seven blokes a day every day, two women a day every day, we have people attempting suicide at a rapid rate in Australia. So when someone famous, takes their own life, all of a sudden that shines a light on it,” he told news.com.au.

“But it also should make us realize it’s not just about this moment, but how many other families and communities that have that ripple effect that’s ripping through them right now.

“So at some point, we need to put that line in the sand and say ‘You know what? No more’. We have to really start looking after ourselves better.”

World highlighted the importance of everyone understanding who their “village” is, meaning the people around them who they love and cherish.

It is incredibly important for people to identify their support network and make sure they are investing in these relationships.

Worland said this is all part of working on your “mental fitness” so that you feel comfortable reaching out when things get difficult.

“It doesn’t mean you burst into tears every five minutes or you have a deep and meaningful conversation every time you talk. It means you’ve got that in your locker to be able to have enough emotional muscle to ask for help,” he said.

In Green’s case, Worland pointed out that there were thousands of people who would have stopped everything they were doing and done anything to help him.

“That’s the point we need to get to, where people are asking for help and not making this ultimately very, very permanent decision based on a temporary situation.”

Green had arguably endured the toughest year of his life in the lead up to his tragic death, which came 11 months after he was sacked as head coach of the Maroons following Queensland’s loss in last year’s State of Origin series.

Last February he sold his family home in Townsville for $1.85 million, and admitted it was difficult to let go of the place where his two kids, Jed and Emerson, had grown up.

“It is pretty tough to move and tough on the family,” he said at the time.

On average, one in eight men will experience depression and one in five men will experience anxiety at some stage of their lives, according to Beyond Blue.

Reaching out for help is often easier said than done. For someone who is struggling, admitting that you need help can be incredibly difficult.

For men, this struggle can be the result of societal expectations to be tough and not show emotions.

“It is a difficult conversation because we’ve told all our lives to man up and shut up or take a teaspoon of cement and harden the f**k up,” Worland said.

“Even in primary school you scratch your knee and someone says ‘Come on, up you get. You’ll be right. So it is really instilled in us from a young age.”

It can be incredibly difficult to unlearn these things, but doing so is an important step in changing the shocking statistics we see every year.

One of the key things the Gotcha4Life foundation does is encouraging people to exercise their “emotional muscles” and be “mentally fit” so they cannot only reach out when they need help, but can recognize when others need it too.

Unfortunately, because many people are so used to masking their true emotions, knowing when someone is struggling can be difficult.

“Of course we all look out for our friends and if they’re changing their behaviour, their personality changes, they’ve gone quiet, or they’re just looked like they’re not well, that’s easy. But we don’t we don’t get to that stage very often,” the Gotcha4Life founder said.

“Paul Green last weekend was at the Cronulla reunion and he was the life of the party. He was playing golf the day before and he was the life of the party.

“My friend that started this whole journey for me. He had the most fantastic day on a Friday. His third and final child of him had just finished the HSC. He was buoyant. And then half an hour later he went and did what he did.”

Green looked delighted as he chatting with journalists during the meeting last weekend.

Former Cowboys chairman Laurence Lancini told News Corp that Green seemed fine three days ago when he spoke to him to say they should catch up for a beer soon.

But Lancini did say that “the last few years had been tough on” the coach.

“The last few years have been a bit tough on him because he hasn’t been coaching in the NRL,” he said.

“I said to Greeny, just take your time and the right opportunity will come along.”

Yes, speaking about these emotions can be uncomfortable, but Worland said if more people focus on getting mentally fit, then they are more likely to start having these awkward conversations and possibly save lives.

World said the simplest message he can give people is “don’t worry alone”.

“That’s a really simple key message to get away from this. So if you don’t worry alone, it means you’ve told someone whether it’s a friend or a family member, or it’s a professional,” he said.

“If you don’t worry alone, you’re more likely to get the help that you need to get through the type of stuff that life throws at you.”

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Paul Green’s sudden death leaves Johnathan Thurston ‘absolutely devastated’

North Queensland Cowboys great Johnathan Thurston flew back home to be with his family after he was left “absolutely devastated” by the news that his former coach, Paul Green, had died aged 49.

On Channel Nine’s coverage of the Panthers-Storm game in Penrith on Thursday night, Thurston, the co-captain and Clive Churchill medalist of Green’s premiership-winning Cowboys side, was absent.

After hearing the news of Green’s death, Cameron Smith said he spent a few hours with Thurston in Sydney on Thursday afternoon before his friend, colleague and former Maroons teammate returned home to be with his family and his beloved North Queensland community.

“[Thurston] was absolutely devastated, as were many of the players and his teammates in that Cowboys outfit led by Paul Green,” Smith said.

“We just want to send our best wishes to all those players and particularly our mate JT. We feel for you, as the entire rugby league community do.

“For everyone that was involved with Paul Green and his family, we wish you all the very best.”

Many other Cowboys premiership players posted messages of sadness on social media, including Michael Morgan, John Asiata and Ben Hannant.

A minute’s silence was observed before Thursday’s game at Penrith Stadium and others will be held before every NRL game this round.

Paul Green's image is displayed on the big screen during a minute's silence before an NRL game at Penrith Stadium.
A minute’s silence was held before the Panthers vs. Storm game on Thursday night, just hours after news of Green’s death emerged.(Getty: Cameron Spencer)

Cowboys coach reflects on opportunities Green gave him

North Queensland plays the Roosters in Sydney on Saturday afternoon.

Cowboys coach Todd Payten said the club had to “put our arms around each other” after a difficult 24 hours.

“It’s a good reminder of how fortunate we are to do what we are able to do,” he said.

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Todd Payten, Johnathan Thurston, Face-to-face with Matty Johns, Cowboys, Tigers, 2005 grand finale

Watch Todd Payten on Face-to-face with Matty Johns on Tuesday night at 7.30pm on Fox League.

Cowboys coach Todd Payten revealed Johnathan Thurston originally didn’t want him at the club due to the fact he beat him in the 2005 Grand Final, while playing for the Tigers.

Payten’s Tigers beat Thurston’s Cowboys 30-16 in the 2005 decider and the future Immortal took the loss as hard as anyone on the night.

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However, even nearly 10 years later when Payten joined the Cowboys as an assistant, Thurston wasn’t interested in having a player who beat him in a grand final coaching at his club.

“A funny story he (Thurston) didn’t want me at the club,” Payten said on Face-to-face with Matty Johns.

“Obviously we had a history, Tigers vs. Cowboys in the 2005 Grand Final.

“Peter Parr brought it up with Johnno and he said, no way he is not at our club.

“In the end he had to be talked around and I’m grateful that they talked him around.”

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Johnathan Thurston was shattered after the Cowboys lost the 2005 decider.Source: News Limited

Johns asked if the rivalry between the Tigers and the Cowboys was that strong to last nearly a decade after the 2005 Grand Final.

“Was the rivalry that bitter?” Johns asked.

“No, it wasn’t bitter,” Payten said.

“It just typifies the type of competitor Johnno is. He doesn’t like to lose.

“I’d run across Johnno at different times in different places and he was always a decent fella to talk to, but losing grand finals is hard to get over.”

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Cowboys coach Todd Payten.Source: News Corp Australia

However, Thurston welcomed Payten to the club and they made two grand finals and won the 2015 decider together 10 years after that fateful 2005 match.

“It was enjoyable,” Payten said of coaching Thurston and the Cowboys of that era.

“I was a little bit gun shy with Johnno (Thurston) at first. He was one of the best players in the world and my thought process was, how am I going to tell him what to do?

Wests Tigers opt not to take legal action | 00:47

“But after a while he pulled me aside and said, mate tell me the truth, I want to know.

“That’s when I worked out that the elite players want to be coached and they want some information.

“He put me at ease with that.”

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