Alex Johnston (rugby league) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Alex "AJ" Johnston

Personal information
Full name	Alex Johnston
Born	(1995-01-14) 14 January 1995 (age 30) Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Height	185 cm (6 ft 1 in)
Weight	95 kg (14 st 13 lb)
Playing information
Position	Wing, Fullback
Club Years Team Pld T G FG P 2014– South Sydney 227 195 0 0 780 Representative Years Team Pld T G FG P 2015–21 Indigenous All Stars 4 1 0 0 4 2015 Australia 1 0 0 0 0 2015 Prime Minister's XIII 1 0 0 0 0 2019–23 Papua New Guinea 10 3 0 0 12
As of 28 July 2024

Alex Johnston (born 14 January 1995) is a professional rugby league player. He is known for playing as a winger for the South Sydney Rabbitohs in Australia's top league, the National Rugby League. Alex has also played for both Australia and Papua New Guinea at an international level.

He has represented the Indigenous All Stars and the Prime Minister's XIII. In 2014, he helped the South Sydney Rabbitohs win the 2014 NRL Grand Final. Alex Johnston is currently the second-highest try scorer in the history of Australian first-grade rugby league.

Early Life and Junior Career

Alex Johnston was born in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. He has a mixed background, with family roots in Aboriginal culture, the Lumi people of Sandaun Province, Papua New Guinea, and Saibai Island in the Torres Strait.

He started playing junior rugby league for La Perouse United. Alex went to Endeavour Sports High School, where he completed his high school studies. The South Sydney Rabbitohs club noticed his talent and signed him. As a young player, Alex was part of the New South Wales Under 16s and 18s teams. He also played for the Australian Schoolboys team. In 2013, he played for the Rabbitohs' junior teams before joining their senior reserve team, North Sydney Bears, in 2014.

Professional Playing Career

2014: NRL Debut and Grand Final Win

Alex Johnston made his first appearance in the NRL in 2014 for the South Sydney Rabbitohs. He played as a winger against the Brisbane Broncos and scored a try in his very first game. He quickly became a key player, scoring tries on both sides of the field. Some people even thought he could become the next Greg Inglis, a famous player who could play both fullback and wing.

In one game, Alex scored three tries against the Newcastle Knights. This was his first "hat-trick" (scoring three tries in one match). On 5 October 2014, Alex played in the 2014 NRL Grand Final against the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs. He scored the first try of the game, helping the Rabbitohs win the championship 30–6. Alex had an amazing first year, finishing as the top try scorer in the 2014 NRL season with 21 tries in 18 games.

Johnston at the 2014 Rugby League Four Nations

Later in 2014, Alex was chosen to be part of the Australia Kangaroos squad for the 2014 Rugby League Four Nations tournament. However, he did not get to play in any of the matches.

2015: International Appearances

In 2015, Alex played for the Indigenous All Stars team. They won their game against the NRL All Stars. He also played for the Rabbitohs in the 2015 World Club Series, where they beat the English team St. Helens.

Alex made his debut for Australia against New Zealand. He played on the wing in that game. He also signed a new contract with South Sydney to stay with the club until the end of the 2017 season. Alex finished the 2015 season as South Sydney's top try scorer with 17 tries in 25 matches. He also played for the Prime Minister's XIII team against Papua New Guinea, scoring a try in that match.

2016: Injury and Return to Form

In 2016, Alex was named in the "emerging" New South Wales Blues squad. He started the season well for South Sydney, scoring four tries in the first three games. However, he then got a hamstring injury that kept him out for several weeks. When he returned, he sometimes played at fullback, his preferred position. Alex finished the 2016 season with 11 tries from 18 matches.

2017: Top Try Scorer

At the start of the 2017 season, South Sydney's main fullback, Greg Inglis, got a serious injury. This meant Alex Johnston was moved to play fullback. He scored two tries in his first game in that position. In June, he signed another contract to stay with South Sydney until the end of the 2020 season.

On 2 July, Alex had an incredible game, scoring five tries against the Penrith Panthers. He was the first Souths player since 2011 to score five tries in a single match. He continued to score many tries and was leading the competition in tries with two rounds left. Unfortunately, he injured his hamstring again in round 24 and missed the rest of the season. Alex finished the 2017 season with 22 tries in 22 matches, making him the second-highest try scorer that year.

2018: Finals Appearance

In 2018, Alex was part of the South Sydney team that had a strong season, finishing third on the ladder. He played in 24 games and scored 8 tries. The team made it to the preliminary final but lost, just missing out on the Grand Final.

2019: Injury and Return

Alex started the 2019 NRL season as South Sydney's main fullback. The team had a great start, winning 8 of their first 9 games. However, Alex suffered a knee injury in round 14, which kept him out for a while. He returned in round 24 and scored a try.

South Sydney finished third again and made the finals. Alex scored a try in their semi-final win against Manly. The following week, he played in the preliminary final, where South Sydney lost to the Canberra Raiders.

2020: Record-Breaking Season

The 2020 NRL season was a big one for Alex Johnston. In round 12, he scored a "hat-trick" (three tries) against St. George. He continued to score multiple tries in many games. In the final round of the season, Alex scored an amazing five tries against the Sydney Roosters, helping Souths win 60–8.

He signed a new two-year contract to stay with South Sydney, ending rumors about him moving to other clubs. In the finals, Alex scored two tries in Souths' win over Newcastle. He played 22 games and finished as the year's top try scorer with 23 tries. Souths reached the preliminary final for the third year in a row but lost to Penrith.

2021: More Records Broken

Alex continued his incredible try-scoring form in the 2021 NRL season. He scored multiple "hat-tricks" throughout the year against teams like Parramatta, Newcastle, and North Queensland. In July, he had a hamstring injury that kept him out for about a month.

Johnston warming up for PNG at the 2021 RLWC

In round 24, Alex scored another "hat-trick" against the Sydney Roosters. In the finals, he scored two tries in South Sydney's preliminary final win over Manly, which sent them to the Grand Final for the first time in many years. Alex was awarded the Ken Irvine Medal for being the league's top try scorer with 27 tries. He scored his 30th try of the season (including finals) in the 2021 NRL Grand Final loss to Penrith. This broke a club record for most tries in a season that had stood for over 60 years. In October, he signed a contract extension to stay with South Sydney until at least the end of the 2025 season.

2022: All-Time Leading Try Scorer

In the 2022 NRL season, Alex continued to make history. In round 12, he scored a "hat-trick" against the Wests Tigers. This made him South Sydney's all-time leading try scorer, a huge achievement for the club. He scored another "hat-trick" in round 14 against the Gold Coast.

He played 25 matches for South Sydney and finished as the competition's top try scorer again with 30 tries. He was the first player in history to score 30 tries in a season twice! He missed the preliminary final due to injury.

2023: More Hat-Tricks

In round 10 of the 2023 NRL season, Alex Johnston played his 200th first-grade game. He celebrated by scoring two tries in South Sydney's win over Melbourne. He scored two more "hat-tricks" during the season, one against the Gold Coast and another against the Wests Tigers.

2024: Injuries and New Records

The 2024 NRL season started with some challenges for Alex. After round 3, he was ruled out for a while with a hamstring injury. He returned in round 11 and scored a try. On 25 May 2024, Alex scored his 190th try, which put him equal second with Billy Slater on the all-time try scorers list.

In round 15, he scored his 191st try. This was a new record for the most tries scored by any player for a single club in the competition's 116-year history. Unfortunately, in round 21, Alex suffered a season-ending Achilles injury.

Statistics

Year	Team	Games	Tries	Pts
2014	South Sydney Rabbitohs	18	21	84
2015		25	17	68
2016		18	11	44
2017		22	22	88
2018		24	8	32
2019		15	4	16
2020		22	23	92
2021		22	30	120
2022		25	30	120
2023		23	21	84
2024		13	8	32
	Totals	227	195	780