Man of the match Thurston turned the game early in the second half, scoring a key try before laying on an inch-perfect kick for Dane Gagai to seal the result on Friday night in front of 20,241 fans at McDonald Jones Stadium.
After Mel Meninga's World team scored two tries in the shadows of half-time to make a game of it at 16-8, the Indigenous side found another gear.
First, Parramatta speedster Bevan French, who looks set to build on his standout rookie year, put in a curling chip off the side of his boot which bounced up for Thurston.