Andrew Johns

Andrew Johns

Andrew Gary "Joey" Johns (born 19 May 1974) is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer of the 1990s and 2000s, who has frequently been cited as arguably the greatest player of all time. On 28 September 2012, Johns was named as the eighth 'Immortal' of rugby league.

Hailed as the best halfback in the world for many years, he captained the Newcastle Knights in the National Rugby League and participated in the team's first two premiership victories in 1997 and 2001, playing a club record 249 games for the Knights. Johns also represented his country at 2 World Cups, and on 1 Kangaroo tour, playing in total 21 Test matches for the national side. He played in 23 games for New South Wales in State of Origin (captaining the side to a series win in 2003), and twice played for the Country Origin side in 1995 and 1996.

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. Andrew Johns is one of only two players to have won the Golden Boot Award more than once and is the only player 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 in to his retirement, Johns was named as the Greatest Player of the last 30 years by the publication 'Rugby League Week.' Johns was voted the top honour beating the likes of Queensland legend Wally Lewis (voted #2), fellow NSW star Brad Fittler (voted #3) and then current Queensland & Australian captain Darren Lockyer (voted #4). The judges for the poll included league historian David Middleton, former NSW and Test player Mark Geyer and veteran sports journalist Tony Adams.