Andrew Johns facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Andrew "Joey" Johns

Personal information
Full name	Andrew Gary Johns
Born	(1974-05-19) 19 May 1974 (age 51) Cessnock, New South Wales, Australia
Playing information
Height	179 cm (5 ft 10 in)
Weight	89 kg (196 lb; 14 st 0 lb)
Position	Halfback, 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
Relatives	Matthew Johns (brother) Jack Johns (nephew) Cooper Johns (nephew)

Andrew Gary Johns (born 19 May 1974), known as Joey, is an Australian former professional rugby league player. Many people consider him one of the greatest rugby league players ever. Johns was the captain of the Newcastle Knights in the National Rugby League. He led the team to two big wins in 1997 and 2001. He played a record 249 games for the Knights.

Johns also played for Australia in two World Cups. He played 21 Test matches for the national team. He also played 23 State of Origin series matches for the New South Wales Blues. He was captain when New South Wales won in 2003. He shares a record for most 'man-of-the-match' awards for New South Wales players.

Johns stopped playing rugby league on 10 April 2007, when he was 32. This was because of many injuries, including a neck injury. Doctors advised him to retire to avoid serious spinal injury. Andrew Johns is one of only four players to win the Golden Boot Award more than once. He is also one of only two players to win the Dally M Medal three times. He finished his career as the highest points scorer in Australian rugby league history with 2,176 points.

In 2008, Johns was named the Greatest Player of the last 30 years by 'Rugby League Week' magazine. On 28 September 2012, Johns was named the eighth 'Immortal' of rugby league. This is a very special honour for players.

Football Career Highlights

Starting in Rugby League

Andrew Johns started playing junior rugby league in his hometown of Cessnock. He played for the Cessnock Goannas.

When he was 19, Johns got a chance to play in the top league in 1993. He played a few games from the bench. In 1994, he got a starting spot after another player was injured.

He played his first match against the South Sydney Rabbitohs. He scored 23 points and won the 'Man of the Match' award. He soon played very well with his older brother, Matthew, who was also a player for the Knights.

Big Wins and Awards (1995–2001)

In 1995, Johns was chosen to play for New South Wales in the 1995 State of Origin series. This was his first time playing for his state. That same year, he played for the Kangaroos in the 1995 Rugby League World Cup in England. He was named 'man of the match' in the final game against England at Wembley Stadium. Australia won the World Cup.

After the World Cup, Johns was named the Most Valuable Player of the tournament. The next year, he continued to play for state and national teams whenever he was fit.

In the 1997 ARL season, Johns helped the Knights reach their first grand final. They played against the Manly Warringah Sea Eagles. Johns had been injured with broken ribs and a punctured lung, but he still played. With less than a minute left and the score tied, Johns made a famous play. He passed the ball to Darren Albert for the winning try. Newcastle won their first championship with only six seconds left!

In 1998, the Knights played even better. Johns was amazing and won his first Dally M Medal for the best player in the league. He won this award again in 1999, becoming the first player to win it two years in a row since 1978.

Johns became the captain of the Newcastle team. He led Newcastle to another Grand Final victory in 2001. They beat the Parramatta Eels 30–24. He won the Clive Churchill Medal for 'Man of the Match' in the Grand Final. At the end of 2001, he went on the 2001 Kangaroo tour. He scored the most points in Australia's winning series and was 'man of the match' in the second game. He also received the Australian Sports Medal for his great contribution to rugby league.

Injuries and More Awards (2002–2005)

After winning the 2001 NRL Premiership, the Knights played in England for the 2002 World Club Challenge. Johns was captain, but Newcastle lost. In 2002, Johns became captain for both New South Wales and Australia. He was named 'Player of the Series' against Great Britain. At his club, Johns played very well. However, he broke a bone in his back during the finals. Without Johns, the Knights lost and were out of the season. Even with his injury, Johns won the Dally M Medal for a record third time. Only one other player, Johnathan Thurston, has done this.

Johns' back injury in 2002 was the start of many injuries. He had a serious neck injury in 2003. He also had a knee injury that kept him out of most of the 2004 season. In early 2005, he broke his jaw.

In 2004, Johns thought about switching to rugby union. He received a very large offer. Many people debated what he should do. In the end, Johns decided to stay in rugby league. He said his son wanted him to stay.

In 2005, Johns returned from his injuries to play for New South Wales in the 2005 State of Origin series. He was 'Man of the Match' in Game 2, helping the Blues win. He also played well in Game 3, helping New South Wales win the series.

In August 2005, Johns joined the Super League team, the Warrington Wolves, for a short time. He played in their last two regular season games.

Final Years and Retirement (2006–2007)

In 2006, Andrew Johns broke a long-standing record. He scored 30 points in a game against the Canberra Raiders. This made him the highest points scorer for a single club, passing Mick Cronin's record.

Later in 2006, Johns broke another record. He became the highest points scorer in the 98-year history of top-level rugby league in Australia. He passed Jason Taylor's record of 2,107 points.

The 2007 season started badly for Johns. He was injured in the first game. He returned in Round 3, which was his last career match. A training injury led to doctors finding a bulging disc in his neck. Doctors advised him to retire to avoid life-threatening injury. On 10 April 2007, Johns announced he was retiring from rugby league.

The Newcastle Knights' season struggled after Johns retired. Johns said he had been thinking about retiring at the end of 2007 anyway. He felt it was the right time. After his retirement, many rugby league legends said Johns should be named an 'Immortal' of the game. In October 2008, Johns walked from Newcastle to Sydney to raise money for the Black Dog Institute, a charity that helps people with mental health issues.

Cricket Career

In June 2006, it was announced that Johns would play cricket for New South Wales in a Twenty20 series. This caused a lot of excitement. Johns made his professional cricket debut on 7 January 2007 in his hometown of Newcastle. In his second match, he scored nine runs, and his short cricket career ended.

After Retirement Activities

Johns in 2011

After retiring, Andrew Johns became a commentator for Channel 9 and Triple M radio.

On 22 April 2007, Newcastle held a special farewell for Andrew Johns. The new grandstand at EnergyAustralia Stadium was renamed the Andrew Johns Stand. His number 7 jersey was also retired for that match. Later that year, the Knights named Johns as the halfback and captain for their 'Team of the Era'.

In June 2007, Johns started working as a part-time coach. He helped the Wallabies (Australia's rugby union team) with their kicking. On 27 October 2007, Johns married Cathrine Mahoney.

When Johns returned from his honeymoon in 2008, he started coaching part-time for the Parramatta Eels. He also worked with his old club, the Newcastle Knights, and the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs, helping players improve their skills.

In February 2008, Johns was named the 'Best Player of the Last 30 Years' by a major rugby league magazine. On 17 April 2008, he was named in the Australian Rugby League's Team of the Century as a halfback. This is a huge honour. Johns said he felt "the game has forgiven me." On 1 March 2009, Johns and Cathrine welcomed their son, Louis Byron.

In 2010, the Melbourne Rebels rugby union team hired Johns to work with their players. In November 2012, Johns became an assistant coach for the Manly Warringah Sea Eagles for the 2013 season. He helped mentor players.

In 2019, Johns shared that he had been diagnosed with epilepsy. His doctors thought his playing career and head knocks might have contributed to it. Johns lost his driver's license after having a seizure in December 2018, but later got it back.

In 2022, after New South Wales lost to Queensland in the State of Origin series, Johns was visibly upset during a live TV broadcast. He made a strong comment about having to listen to Queenslanders for the next year. In September 2023, it was announced that Johns would no longer be part of the New South Wales coaching staff.

Business Life

Johns is a founder and co-owner of Steel City Beer Company. He started this company with his brother Matthew Johns and other former players.

Career Statistics

Club Career

Representative Career

Achievements, Awards, and Honours

In February 2008, Johns was named in the list of Australia's 100 Greatest Players (1908–2007). This list was made to celebrate 100 years of rugby league in Australia. Johns was also named as halfback in Australian rugby league's Australian Rugby League's Team of the Century. In 2008, New South Wales also named Johns as a halfback in their 'Team of the Century'.

Newcastle Knights Records

• Most points in a match: 34 (against Canberra, 29 July 2001)
• Most goals in a match: 11 (against Canberra, 19 March 2006)
• Most points in a season: 279 (2001 National Rugby League Season)
• Most points for the club: 2,176

Australian Premiership Records

• Retired as the highest individual point scorer in premiership history: 2,176 points (now 4th highest).
• The league's top point scorer in 2001: 279 points.
• Most points ever scored by a halfback in a single National Rugby League season (279 in 2001).

International Records

• Most points scored on international debut: 30 (against South Africa at the 1995 World Cup)
• Most points scored in a test match: 32 (against Fiji in 1996)
• Most goals in a test match: 12 (against Fiji in 1996)

Awards

• Dally M Medal (best player in the NRL): 3 (1998, 1999 and 2002)
• Dally M Halfback of the Year: 4 (1995, 1998, 1999 and 2002)
• Provan-Summons Medal (fans' favourite player): 5 (1998, 1999, 2000, 2001 and 2002)
• Golden Boot (best player in the world): 2 (1999 and 2001)
• Clive Churchill Medal (man-of-the-match in the grand final): 1 (2001)
• Dally M 'Representative Player of the Year' Award: 1 (2005)
• Player of the Series – Australia vs. Great Britain: 2001
• Most Valuable Player of the Tournament at the 1995 World Cup in England
• State of Origin man-of-the-match: 4 (Game 2, 1996; Game 1, 2002; Game 2, 2003 and Game 2, 2005)
• Voted #1 in the 'Modern Masters Top 30 Players of the Past 30 Years' poll (Rugby League Week)
• Announced as the eighth Immortal of the Australian game on 27 September 2012. This is the highest honour a professional rugby league player can receive.
• Inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame on 11 October 2012.
• Australian Sports Medal

See also

• List of cricket and rugby league players