Andrew Johns

For the British triathlete, see Andrew Johns (triathlete). For the British sound engineer and record producer, see Andy Johns.

Andrew "Joey" Johns
Personal information
Full nameAndrew Gary Johns
Born (1974-05-19) 19 May 1974 (age 50)[1]
Cessnock, New South Wales, Australia
Playing information
Height179 cm (5 ft 10 in)[1]
Weight89 kg (14 st 0 lb)[1]
PositionHalfback, Hooker
Club
Years Team Pld T G FG P
1993–2007 Newcastle Knights 249 80 917 22 2176
2005 Warrington Wolves 3 1 12 1 29
Total 252 81 929 23 2205
Representative
Years Team Pld T G FG P
1995–2003 Country Origin 3 1 7 0 18
1995–2005 New South Wales 23 4 37 4 94
1995–2006 Australia 26 12 89 0 226
Source: [2]

Andrew Gary Johns[3] (born 19 May 1974), also known by the nickname Joey, is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1990s and 2000s. He is considered one of the greatest rugby league players of all time.[4][5] Johns captained the Newcastle Knights in the National Rugby League and participated in the team's only two premiership victories in 1997 and 2001, playing a club record 249 games for the Knights. Johns also represented his country at two World Cups, and on one Kangaroo tour, playing in total 21 Test matches for the national side. He played in 23 State of Origin series matches for the New South Wales Blues (captaining the side to a series win in 2003), and played for the Country Origin side in 1995 and 2003.[6]

Johns announced his retirement from rugby league on 10 April 2007 at the age of 32. This followed a long run of injuries, the last of which was a bulging disc in his neck which forced his retirement due to the risk of serious spinal injury from further heavy contact.[7] Andrew Johns is one of only four players to have won the Golden Boot Award more than once and is one of only two players to have won the Dally M Medal for best player in the NRL three times. He finished his career as the highest points scorer in Australian first-grade premiership history with 2,176 points.

In 2008, less than a year into his retirement, Johns was named as the Greatest Player of the last 30 years[8] by the publication 'Rugby League Week', beating the likes of Queensland legend Wally Lewis (voted #2), fellow NSW star Brad Fittler (voted #3) and then former Queensland and Australian captain Darren Lockyer (voted #4). On 28 September 2012, Johns was named as the eighth 'Immortal' of rugby league.[9]

  1. ^ a b c "Andrew Johns: Profile of a champion". The Australian. News Corporation. 10 April 2007. Archived from the original on 7 July 2014. Retrieved 2 July 2014.
  2. ^ "Statistics at rugbyleagueproject.org". rugbyleagueproject.org. 31 December 2017. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
  3. ^ "Let Joey go for the good of the game – League – Sport". smh.com.au. 3 August 2005. Retrieved 1 January 2006.
  4. ^ "Biography at NRL Sunday Footy Show". jump-in.com.au. 1 January 1970. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
  5. ^ "Bob Fulton Backs Calls For Newcastle Knights Great Andrew Johns To Join Rugby Leagues Immortals". foxsports.com.au. 28 January 2016. Retrieved 1 January 2017.
  6. ^ "HALL OF HEROES: Andrew 'Joey' Johns". warringtonguardian.co.uk. 31 December 2015. Retrieved 1 January 2016.
  7. ^ "Graham Lowe: I can see Cleary now, Warriors' reign will come ... – 23 Mar 2007 – nzherald: Sports news – New Zealand and International Sport news and results". nzherald.co.nz. 23 March 2007. Retrieved 1 January 2008.
  8. ^ "30 Greatest NRL Players". sportsbar.net.au. 19 March 2012. Archived from the original on 19 March 2012. Retrieved 1 January 2013.
  9. ^ "Andrew 'Joey' Johns named rugby league's 8th Immortal". The Australian. 28 September 2012.