Referee Career
Vital Statistics
- Full Name
- Andrew Gary Johns
- Nickname(s)
- Joey
- Born
- Sunday, 19th May, 1974
- Current Age
- 49 years and 316 days
- Place Of Birth
- Kurri Kurri, New South Wales, Australia
Awards & Accolades
- Dally M Halfback Of The Year
- 1995, 1998, 1999, 2002
- Dally M Player Of The Year
- 1998, 1999, 2002
- Provan Summons Medal
- 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002
- RLW Player of the Year
- 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002
- Golden Boot Award
- 1999, 2001
- Clive Churchill Medal
- 2001
- Dally M Representative Player Of The Year
- 2005
- Peter Frilingos Memorial - Headline Moment of the Year
- 2005
- National Rugby League Hall Of Fame
- 2008
- Immortal
- 2012
- NSWRL Hall Of Fame
- 2017
Known Family Links
- Brother
- Matthew Johns
- Nephew
- Jack Johns
- Cooper Johns
Biography
Andrew Johns’ incisive running, his ability to fire out long, bullet-like passes to his supports, his perfection of a pin-point kicking game and his resolute toughness and competitive instinct earned him unanimous recognition as the world’s best player in 2001. The Newcastle junior followed brother Matthew Johns into the Knights’ top grade in 1993 and quickly established his reputation as a match-winner at halfback. Johns’ effortless goal-kicking style also saw him set records for most points in a match, most points in a season and most career points with the club. In his initial full first-grade match, against Souths in 1994, he scored a club record 23pts (he has since broken that record, scoring 34pts in a match against Canberra in 2001). In 1994 he broke John Schuster’s record for most points in a season and has consistently bettered his own records in ensuing seasons. Johns made his State and Test debut in 1995 at the height of the Super League war (in his Test debut against South Africa in the World Cup, he scored a record-equalling 30 individual points). However, coach Bob Fulton quickly earmarked Johns for an international career as a hooker. This trend was set with Johns’ match-winning performance in the 1995 World Cup final in which he also landed 4 goals in Australia’s win against England. The following year, at a time when the ARL was isolated at international level, he broke his own world record for an international match when he scored 32pts (2t, 12g) in Australia’s 84-14 win over a second-rate Fiji team. (A charismatic player with a sharp sense of humour, his laconic comment after the match was, ‘Does that count?’) In the 1997 ARL grand final he provided one of the most thrilling finishes in rugby league history when he gave the final pass for winger Darren Albert’s try that defeated Manly, 22-16. The following year, in the absence of an injured Paul Harragon, Johns assumed the Newcastle captaincy – an early indication of his leadership qualities. Johns was selected at halfback in front of Allan Langer for the ANZac Test that year and his deeds at club, State and Test level during 1998 earned him the inaugural Provan-Summons Medal as the best and fairest player in the NRL competition. However, following Brisbane’s win in the 1998 grand final, Johns was shifted to hooker and then five-eighth in the remaining Tests of that series. Despite battling a crippling groin injury that handed rival Brett Kimmorley the Test halfback role in the Tri-series competition at the end of 1999, Johns won the international ‘Golden Boot’ award as the best player in the world. Two operations saw Johns return to the field injured in early part of the 2000 season in an effort to regain his Test position as a halfback. For the second year in succession he was chosen as hooker for the ANZac Test but withdrew at the team medical because he felt he couldn’t play a full match in the forwards. Johns made his return from an ankle injury on the bench in the final two matches of the State of Origin series. Towards the end of the season, he signed a four-year deal with the Knights after originally threatening to leave the club over its failure to sign his brother Matthew to a new deal. Overcoming the pain of losing the preliminary final to the Sydney Roosters in extraordinary circumstances (Newcastle led 16-2 before going down 20-16) Johns reverted to the hooker role in Australia’s successful World Cup campaign. After returning from an knee injury that kept him out of NSW’s State of Origin team in 2001, Johns scored a club record 279pts for the season, won a fourth consecutive Provan-Summons Medal (1998-01), captained the Knights to grand final glory against premiership favourites P’matta, won a second ‘Golden Boot’ Award as International Player of the Year and played halfback in Australia’s Ashes series win against Great Britain. The greatest point-scorer in the Knights’ history, ‘Joey’ Johns captained NSW from 2002-05 (winning three straight series after the 2002 series was drawn) and led Australia to a record 64-10 Test win against Great Britain (2002) and a crushing 48-6 defeat of NZ (2003). Career-threatening injuries ruined his 2003 finals campaign and his entire 2004 season but he turned his back on a move to RU to resume his incredible career in 2005. Newcastle finished last in 2005 after Johns was again injured in the early part of the year but after leading NSW and returning to the Test arena (Darren Lockyer retained the Australian captaincy) he announced his retirement from rep football after Australia’s 50-12 win over NZ in Brisbane in May 2006. That year, amid speculation that he may be the greatest player the game has seen, Andrew Johns set a new record for club games with the Newcastle club before surpassing Darryl Halligan’s League record for most career points.
- ALAN WHITICKER
Referee Career Statistics
All statistics shown in this section are based only on data available in the RLP database, and are not necessarily a complete and/or 100% accurate representation of a player's career. This information should be used as a guide only. If you see a question mark (?), it denotes that the figure is not available.
To view a list of corresponding matches, click on the List button.
Contributions:
Rugby League Tables, Andrew Ferguson, Shawn Dollin, Alan Katzmann, Greg Fiveash, Paul Carter, AJ Lucantonio, Nick Jones, Max Turner
Sources:
ARL Rugby League Yearbook 1996, NRL Rugby League Yearbook 2003, NRL Rugby League Yearbook 1999, NRL Rugby League Yearbook 2002, NRL Rugby League Yearbook 2004, ARL Rugby League Yearbook 1997, NRL Rugby League Yearbook 1998, NRL Rugby League Yearbook 2000, NRL Rugby League Yearbook 2001, NRL 2004 Official Rugby League Annual, 2006 Official Rugby League Annual, NSWRL Rugby League Yearbook 1994, ARL Rugby League Yearbook 1995
Your Say
27/09/2009
The greatest to ever put on a pair of boots.
Brilliant general play kicker and goal kicker, an unparalled ballplayer and one of few halfbacks who could tackle and run like a back rower. Phil Gould's quote sums it up best: "It's unfair to compare players of past eras to Andrew Johns because he's better then they were".
11/04/2012
Legend. Off-field should not tarnish the on-field dominance he had.
11/06/2012
The greatest Rugby League player the world has ever seen and ever will see. Outstanding kicking game, wonderful goal kicker, perfect passing game, always knew when to run to the line and a brilliant defender as well. One word sums him up "Legend".
18/09/2012
Without doubt, and unequivocally, the greatest player I've seen in my time watching rugby league. Had it not been for injuries, his dominance would have been even greater. In his peak years, between around 1995 and 2003, the rest were playing rugby - but Johns was playing something else.
03/10/2012
Yes this guy had it all.....danger man and nearly impossible to contain...shame he had to play hooker but he was a round I guess when there were a lot of other great half backs
05/10/2012
What a player. The best ever in my opinion.
05/01/2014
One of the greatest players to ever play the game. A massive figure for Newcastle winning those two premierships. Overall one of the greatest players I have ever seen.
11/01/2014
An absolute superstar of the game and a huge figure for the knights winning those two premierships and it was very sad to see a champion like him retire from rugby league but overall an absolute superstar of the game.
31/12/2014
He was the man who set the bar for NRL throughout an illustrious career. He is a true immortal for the game and club immortal for the Newcastle Knights.
21/08/2015
The most awe inspiring rugby league player in NRL history. The guy was simply a master and commander of the game who would weave his magic before your eyes as the entertainer that he was.
29/09/2015
The main difference between johns and thurston is the defence. Johns could hit and belt backrowers but thurston can be a speedbump. Also johns was denied a couple of dally m medals due to being suspended during the year. The rules have changed now and you can be suspended and still win. Thurstons dominance at origin is due to his opponent. Mitchell pierce. Mullen etc. Johns had to play against qld legends langer lockyer etc. When johns and locky played we dominated test football. Now nz are favourites and the poms give us a run for our money
04/04/2017
Could pass, kick, tackle, charge at the line, the most complete player ever
09/06/2017
Wow what a player & most importantly a top bloke i read his book the two of me. Fantastic read & a great laugh. i live in leeds martyn gleeson who played with andrew at Warrington was asked on tv "who is the best player you have played with" martyn said instantly andrew johns & they only played 3 games together god bless.
28/03/2020
Andrew johns was a great player but he wasnt the best player in thw world. There are better players then andrew johns like brett kenny, brad fittler, laurie daley they were the best players in the rugby league
31/10/2022
Andrew Johns is without doubt the greatest player I have ever seen,! Im a massive die hard balmain tigers fan, & my all time favourite player is the great fullback, Garry jack ( Jimmy). And I admired greatly the tough wholehearted former 1970s lock, Neil Pringle ( Bing) but Andrew Johns was a master on every aspect of the game, and had the best vision of any player I have clapped eyes on, absolute immortal, he did things that I've never seen a player do, the masters master in the rugby league world, greatest ever, without a shadow of a doubt, thankyou so much for the wonderful memories, for club state and country
02/01/2023
The undisputed GOAT
28/02/2023
Most overrated player in the history of rugby league
02/07/2023
Fantastic player, organiser, with an uncanny perception of where he should be to create opportunities for other team mates to convert
Nowadays, I look a Nathan Cleary and I can see
Andrew’s influence without taking away Nathan
own creativity
Perhaps soon will see if K Ponga dedication to the Knights produce better dividends having Andrew as a possible mentor
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