HE was the teenage petty thief who became one of rugby league’s greatest players.

In a post-career bombshell that will give every troubled teenager hope, Johnathan Thurston has revealed rugby league saved him from a life of crime.

“I was heading down the wrong path,’’ Thurston said.

“From the age of about 13 I was breaking into cars and stealing lawnmowers and whipper snippers. I don’t know where I would be if it wasn’t for the opportunity I got to play league.’’

That is just one of the stunning revelations made by the future NRL Immortal in Johnathan Thurston: The Autobiography, set to be released on Thursday.

The North Queensland Cowboys great writes about everything from his golden-point, premiership-winning field goal in 2015 to secretly seeing his future wife and then Cowboys employee Samantha for fear she would be sacked for being in a relationship with a player.

Thurston will also become the first NRL player to publicly speak about the Coffs Harbour Bulldogs rape scandal.

“I decided this book had to be open and honest,’’ he said.

“There was no point doing it if I wasn’t going to speak about things like Coffs Harbour.’’

Thurston also goes into detail about some of rugby league’s greatest moments, including the untold stories that helped the Queensland Maroons build a State-of-Origin dynasty.

The retired Queensland legend revealed he was too embarrassed to go out in public this year because he feared his final disappointing season form would ruin his legacy.

“I was hoping to finish with a fairy tale,’’ Thurston wrote in his autobiography.

“I wanted to hoist the Provan-Summons trophy into the night air.

“I wanted a victory lap with my mates. I wanted to find my wife — ANZ Stadium a sea of blue, yellow and white — and kiss her before hugging my girls Frankie, Charlie and Lillie.

“I wanted to end my career with a premiership, a kiss, and three hugs — but for me, there was no fairytale finish. My final season in the NRL ended up being one of the most difficult years in my 17 NRL seasons.

“I didn’t go out in public — unless completely necessary — since the celebrations that followed my 300th game. I had been hiding at home, too embarrassed by my personal performances to walk out the front door.’’

Thurston’s story is an incredible tale of how he walked away from a life of crime to become one of the greatest players.

He was selling stolen lawnmowers for $120 as a 13-year-old in Brisbane.

“It will be worth telling my story if I can help just one kid,’’ Thurston said.

“I am not proud of my past but I am proud that I was able to change my life and make something of it.’’