Johnathan Thurston and Paul Green’s wife Amanda led a chorus of tributes as the NRL legend was laid to rest at a moving service in Brisbane.
Amanda revealed how the pair met in 1998 in her touching tribute at the invite-only service that was livestreamed for the public to pay their respects.
“Paul and I met at the Mad Cow in Townsville, an establishment of many relationships,” Amanda quipped.
“The day Paul proposed he said to me ‘you better strap yourself in because it’s going to be one hell of a ride’, and that it was.
“We had the deepest love and he made me feel deeply loved ... we’ve always been a team.
“As heartbroken as I am today, I’ve loved every moment with Paul. I loved you yesterday, I love you today and I will love you tomorrow.”
Their children Emerson and Jed then shared a moving TikTok compilation tribute.
The celebration of the premiership-winning coach’s life was held at Wynnum-Manly Seagulls’ home ground — the place Green emerged as one of the game’s best players.
Paul Green’s family, friends and peers said their final goodbyes at the ceremony which had 700 people in attendance.
Johnathan Thurston spoke and recalled the first time Green got angry at him after a pre-season trip went wrong.
“He organised a pre-season trip to the Gold Coast for the boys who had gone to the World Cup, to bring us up to speed with the structures,” Thurston said.
“So we went out for dinner on the first night and had a few drinks and we were in the taxi on the way back and a couple of the boys started having a bit of a barney in the back and we pull over and I go to jump out and rolled my ankle.
“The next morning it was like a balloon and we were there for five days and I couldn’t lace up the boots to do all the things so that was the first time I saw him with a little bit of steam coming out of his ears.
“But he loves to bring people together and he did an amazing job up there.”
The 49-year-old took his own life earlier this month in a death that rocked the wider community with tributes pouring in for the beloved husband and father.
Jason Taumalolo, Ethan Lowe, Kyle Feldt and Jake Granville were at the service as well as Cowboys boss Peter Parr and chief executive Greg Tonner.
John Lang, Steve Renouf, Wendell Sailor, Lote Tuqiri, Todd Payten, Neil Henry, Brad Thorn, Kevin Walters, Brad Fittler, Trent Robinson and Bryan Fletcher were also in attendance.
Green’s friends Mark Beitz and Jamie Fitzpatrick, brother Rick and former NRL and ARL teammates Andrew Gee, Craig Greenhall, Danny Grimley were the pallbearers.
“Loyalty. (It was) his key trademark and it was a word he lived by everyday,” Beitz said.
“He was a perfectionist and he was just about perfect at everything he did.
“And intelligence. Deeds not words – this is what Paul lived by.
“To Emmy and Jed, dad’s looking down on you today and is extremely proud of you both.”
It has also been revealed Green left one parting gift to the Townsville community as he prepared to coach the Maroons ahead of the 2021 series.
With Covid shutting down main cities on Australia’s east coast, Green orchestrated Townsville hosting Origin Game I.
His influence was revealed on the day of his death according to The Courier Mail’s Travis Meyn and QRL chairman Bruce Hatcher said Green outlined the “perfect opportunity”.
“He was the one that was most instrumental in getting that game to Townsville,” Hatcher said.
“Rob Moore (former QRL CEO), Paul and I were in the back of a cab going to a meeting and he said ‘you guys haven’t done enough to get Origin to Townsville, this is the perfect opportunity’.
“I texted the Premier (Annastacia Palaszczuk) and said we have to get active on this. She replied within 20 seconds and said ‘great idea’.
“The rest is history. It’s remarkable, everything else flowed from his push for it. That was Greeny.
“The odds are we won’t see another Origin game in Townsville.
“He had a passion for the game and state. He lived the values.”
