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		<title>Andrew Johns</title>
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		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;2A06:5906:2006:D400:8623:6FEE:C2D8:287C: /* Ecstasy use controversy */  grammar&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;{{Short description|Australia international rugby league footballer, cricketer, commentator &amp;amp; broadcaster}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{for multi|the British triathlete|Andrew Johns (triathlete)|the British sound engineer and record producer|Andy Johns}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2016}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{Use Australian English|date=September 2012}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{Infobox rugby league biography&lt;br /&gt;
|name           = Andrew &amp;quot;Joey&amp;quot; Johns&lt;br /&gt;
|fullname       = Andrew Gary Johns&lt;br /&gt;
|image          = Andrew Johns.jpg&lt;br /&gt;
|imagesize      =&lt;br /&gt;
|caption        = &lt;br /&gt;
|birth_date     = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1974|5|19}}&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;Australian profile&amp;quot;&amp;gt;{{cite news |title=Andrew Johns: Profile of a champion |url=http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/andrew-johns-profile-of-a-champion/story-e6frg6n6-1111113316757 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20140707005836/http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/andrew-johns-profile-of-a-champion/story-e6frg6n6-1111113316757 |url-status=dead |archive-date=7 July 2014 |access-date=2 July 2014 |work=[[The Australian]] |publisher=[[News Corporation (1980–2013)|News Corporation]] |date=10 April 2007}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
|birth_place    = [[Cessnock, New South Wales]], Australia&lt;br /&gt;
|height         = {{convert|179|cm|ftin|abbr=on}}&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;Australian profile&amp;quot;/&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
|weight         = {{convert|89|kg|lb stlb|abbr=on}}&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;Australian profile&amp;quot;/&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
|position       = {{Rlp|HB|HK}}&lt;br /&gt;
|club1          = {{nowrap|[[Newcastle Knights]]}}&lt;br /&gt;
|year1start     = 1993&lt;br /&gt;
|year1end       = 2007&lt;br /&gt;
|appearances1   = 249&lt;br /&gt;
|tries1         = 80&lt;br /&gt;
|goals1         = 917&lt;br /&gt;
|fieldgoals1    = 22&lt;br /&gt;
|points1        = 2176&lt;br /&gt;
|club2          = {{nowrap|[[Warrington Wolves]]}}&lt;br /&gt;
|year2start     = 2005&lt;br /&gt;
|year2end       =&lt;br /&gt;
|appearances2   = 3&lt;br /&gt;
|tries2         = 1&lt;br /&gt;
|goals2         = 12&lt;br /&gt;
|fieldgoals2    = 1&lt;br /&gt;
|points2        = 29&lt;br /&gt;
|teamA          = [[Country New South Wales rugby league team|Country Origin]]&lt;br /&gt;
|yearAstart     = 1995&lt;br /&gt;
|yearAend       = 2003&lt;br /&gt;
|appearancesA   = 3&lt;br /&gt;
|triesA         = 1&lt;br /&gt;
|goalsA         = 7&lt;br /&gt;
|fieldgoalsA    = 0&lt;br /&gt;
|pointsA        = 18&lt;br /&gt;
|teamB          = {{nowrap|[[New South Wales rugby league team|New South Wales]]}}&lt;br /&gt;
|yearBstart     = 1995&lt;br /&gt;
|yearBend       = 2005&lt;br /&gt;
|appearancesB   = 23&lt;br /&gt;
|triesB         = 4&lt;br /&gt;
|goalsB         = 37&lt;br /&gt;
|fieldgoalsB    = 4&lt;br /&gt;
|pointsB        = 94&lt;br /&gt;
|teamC          = [[Australian national rugby league team|Australia]]&lt;br /&gt;
|yearCstart     = 1995&lt;br /&gt;
|yearCend       = 2006&lt;br /&gt;
|appearancesC   = 26&lt;br /&gt;
|triesC         = 12&lt;br /&gt;
|goalsC         = 89&lt;br /&gt;
|fieldgoalsC    = 0&lt;br /&gt;
|pointsC        = 226&lt;br /&gt;
|retired        = yes&lt;br /&gt;
|source         = &amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;Statistics at rugbyleagueproject.org&amp;quot;&amp;gt;{{cite web|url=http://www.rugbyleagueproject.com/players/andrew-johns/summary.html|title=Statistics at rugbyleagueproject.org|publisher=rugbyleagueproject.org|date=31 December 2017|access-date=1 January 2018}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
|updated        = &lt;br /&gt;
| module       = {{infobox person&lt;br /&gt;
| embed        = yes&lt;br /&gt;
| father       = &lt;br /&gt;
| mother       = &lt;br /&gt;
| spouse       = &lt;br /&gt;
| education    = &lt;br /&gt;
| alma_mater   = &lt;br /&gt;
| relatives    = [[Matthew Johns]] (brother)&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;[[Jack Johns (rugby league)|Jack Johns]] (nephew) &amp;lt;br&amp;gt;[[Cooper Johns]] (nephew)&lt;br /&gt;
}}&lt;br /&gt;
}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;&#039;Andrew Gary Johns&#039;&#039;&#039;&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;Let Joey go for the good of the game – League – Sport&amp;quot;&amp;gt;{{cite web|url=http://www.smh.com.au/news/league/let-joey-go-for-the-good-of-the-game/2005/08/02/1122748643738.html|title=Let Joey go for the good of the game – League – Sport|publisher=smh.com.au|date=3 August 2005|access-date=1 January 2006}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; (born 19 May 1974), also known by the nickname &#039;&#039;&#039;Joey&#039;&#039;&#039;, 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.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;Biography at NRL Sunday Footy Show&amp;quot;&amp;gt;{{cite web|url=http://www.jump-in.com.au/show/nrlsundayfootyshow/team/bios/andrew-johns|title=Biography at NRL Sunday Footy Show|publisher=jump-in.com.au|date=1 January 1970|access-date=1 January 2018}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;Bob Fulton Backs Calls For Newcastle Knights Great Andrew Johns To Join Rugby Leagues Immortals&amp;quot;&amp;gt;{{cite web|url=https://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/bob-fulton-backs-calls-for-newcastle-knights-great-andrew-johns-to-join-rugby-leagues-immortals/news-story/b977cf0d9555fec35d8a056c7d5dad98?nk=dea9739f1f8959c062348584732db72b-1526504656|title=Bob Fulton Backs Calls For Newcastle Knights Great Andrew Johns To Join Rugby Leagues Immortals|publisher=foxsports.com.au|date=28 January 2016|access-date=1 January 2017}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; Johns captained the [[Newcastle Knights]] in the [[National Rugby League]] and participated in the team&#039;s only two premiership victories in [[1997 ARL season|1997]] and [[2001 NRL season|2001]], playing a club record 249 games for the Knights. Johns also represented his country at two [[Rugby League World Cup|World Cups]], and on one [[Kangaroo tour]], playing in total 21 Test matches for the [[Australian national rugby league team|national side]]. He played in 23 [[State of Origin series]] matches for the [[New South Wales rugby league team|New South Wales Blues]] (he captained the side to a series win in 2003, and shares a record 4 man-of-the-match awards for New South Wales players with [[Peter Sterling (rugby league)|Peter Sterling]]), and played for the [[New South Wales Country Rugby League|Country Origin]] side in 1995 and 2003.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;HALL OF HEROES: Andrew &#039;Joey&#039; Johns&amp;quot;&amp;gt;{{cite web|url=http://www.warringtonguardian.co.uk/sport/14623631.HALL_OF_HEROES__Andrew__Joey__Johns/|title=HALL OF HEROES: Andrew &#039;Joey&#039; Johns|publisher=warringtonguardian.co.uk|date=31 December 2015|access-date=1 January 2016}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
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.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;Graham Lowe: I can see Cleary now, Warriors&#039; reign will come ... – 23 Mar 2007 – nzherald: Sports news – New Zealand and International Sport news and results&amp;quot;&amp;gt;{{cite web|url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/4/story.cfm?c_id=4&amp;amp;objectid=10430301|title=Graham Lowe: I can see Cleary now, Warriors&#039; reign will come ... – 23 Mar 2007 – nzherald: Sports news – New Zealand and International Sport news and results|publisher=nzherald.co.nz|date=23 March 2007|access-date=1 January 2008}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; Andrew Johns is one of only four players to have won the [[Rugby League World Golden Boot Award|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.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In 2008, less than a year into his retirement, Johns was named as the Greatest Player of the last 30 years&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;30 Greatest NRL Players&amp;quot;&amp;gt;{{cite web|url=http://www.sportsbar.net.au/30-greatest-nrl-players|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120319034335/http://www.sportsbar.net.au/30-greatest-nrl-players|url-status=dead|archive-date=19 March 2012|title=30 Greatest NRL Players|publisher=sportsbar.net.au|date=19 March 2012|access-date=1 January 2013}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; by the publication &#039;[[Rugby League Week]]&#039;, 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 [[The Immortals (rugby league)|&#039;Immortal&#039;]] of rugby league.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;{{cite news| url=http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/andrew-joey-johns-named-rugby-leagues-8th-immortal/story-e6frg6n6-1226482857272| work=The Australian| title=Andrew &#039;Joey&#039; Johns named rugby league&#039;s 8th Immortal| date=28 September 2012}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Football career==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Early days ===&lt;br /&gt;
Andrew Johns began playing junior rugby league in his home town of [[Cessnock, New South Wales|Cessnock]], [[New South Wales]] for the [[Cessnock Goannas]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Four years later, at 19, the opportunity at first grade presented itself as Johns was tested off the bench during the [[New South Wales Rugby League season 1993|1993 season]] in a handful of games. The following year in the last pre-season trial for the [[New South Wales Rugby League season 1994|1994 season]], [[Matthew Rodwell]], Newcastle&#039;s then-regular {{rlp|hb}} sustained a knee injury handing Johns his opportunity.{{cn|date=February 2025}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Subsequently, he was named in the starting line-up against the [[South Sydney Rabbitohs]] and in his début match made an immediate impact as he amassed 23 points and won the Man of the Match award. He soon formed a winning partnership with his older brother, [[Matthew Johns|Matthew]], who had played {{rlp|fe}} at the Knights since 1991.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===1995–2001===&lt;br /&gt;
The [[1995 ARL season]] saw prosperous times for Johns, as in the absence of [[Super League (Australia)|Super League]]-aligned players, he was selected for the first time to represent [[New South Wales]] in the [[1995 State of Origin series]]. Incumbent New South Wales {{rlp|hb}} [[Ricky Stuart]] was not selected due to his affiliation with Super League. Also that year he was able to make his début for the [[Australia national rugby league team|Kangaroos]] in Australia&#039;s successful [[1995 Rugby League World Cup|1995 World Cup]] campaign in [[England]]. He played as a {{rlp|hk}} and was named man of the match in [[1995 Rugby League World Cup final|the decider]] against [[England national rugby league team|England]] at [[Wembley Stadium (1923)|Wembley Stadium]] as Australia once again retained the World Cup.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;{{Cite news&lt;br /&gt;
| last = Johnson&lt;br /&gt;
| first = Martin&lt;br /&gt;
| title = Nothing focuses an Aussie sportsman more than stuffing the Poms&lt;br /&gt;
| work = The Independent&lt;br /&gt;
| location = UK&lt;br /&gt;
| publisher = Independent| date = 30 October 1995&lt;br /&gt;
| url = https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/nothing-focuses-an-aussie-sportsman-more-than-stuffing-the-poms-1580199.html&lt;br /&gt;
| access-date = 28 November 2010}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
At the conclusion of the World Cup, Johns was awarded his first significant accolade, being named Most Valuable Player of the tournament. The following year Johns was moved to {{rlp|hk}} for the State of Origin, with New South Wales selectors favouring [[Geoff Toovey]] in the {{rlp|hb}} role.{{citation needed|date=October 2015}} Since then, Johns was regularly chosen for state and national representative sides when fit, only missing out on a Blues or Australian cap due to injury.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
During the [[Australian Rugby League season 1997|1997 ARL season]] Johns played a pivotal role in guiding the Knights to their first [[grand final]] appearance—against defending champions and &#039;97 minor premiers the [[Manly Warringah Sea Eagles]]. There were grave concerns leading up to the match that Johns would be unable to play the game, as he had suffered three broken ribs and a punctured lung only a fortnight earlier. However, Johns was able to play, and with less than a minute of the match to go with scores tied at 16-all Johns made a play that has gone down in rugby league folklore. He went out of position unexpectedly and into [[Rugby league positions#dummy half|dummy half]] where he ran down a narrow blind side before slipping a pass to Newcastle {{rlp|wg}} [[Darren Albert]] for the match-winning try. With only six seconds remaining in the game Newcastle had snatched victory and secured their first premiership title.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;Ten greatest grand final moments&amp;quot;&amp;gt;{{cite web|url=http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/nrl/rugby-league-courage-triumph-and-legends/news-story/31ef74e954bfa80c4782ace179ad153f|title=Ten greatest grand final moments|publisher=dailytelegraph.com.au|date=31 December 2011|access-date=1 January 2012}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The following year in the new [[National Rugby League]] the Knights performed even better during the regular season than in the previous year, losing only five matches and narrowly missing out on the minor premiership on points difference. Johns individually was brilliant and was awarded his first Player of the Year [[Dally M Medal]] award for the [[National Rugby League season 1998|1998 season]]. Unfortunately for Johns and NSW fans, he had one of his worst goal-kicking games in Game 1 of the [[1998 State of Origin series]] as NSW lost by one point despite scoring more tries than Queensland. His performances at club, state and national level were again rewarded as he received his second Player of the Year [[Dally M Medal]] award, the first time a player had won the award consecutively since [[Parramatta Eels]] great [[Michael Cronin (rugby league)|Michael Cronin]] in 1977 and 1978.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Despite initial concerns regarding the leadership of the Knights after the retirement of [[Paul Harragon]], and even more when Andrew&#039;s brother Matthew joined English [[Super League]] club the [[Wigan Warriors]], Johns was given the responsibility of captaining the Newcastle squad. The fears proved groundless: Johns led Newcastle to [[2001 NRL grand final|another Grand Final victory]], defeating the [[Parramatta Eels]] 30–24 in [[National Rugby League season 2001|2001]]. He was awarded the [[Clive Churchill Medal]] for Man of the Match in a Grand Final and at the end of the [[2001 NRL season]], he went on the [[2001 Kangaroo tour]]. He was the top points scorer in Australia&#039;s successful Ashes series campaign and was named man of the match for the second Test. Also that year he was awarded the [[Australian Sports Medal]] for his contribution to Australia&#039;s international standing in the sport of rugby league.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;{{cite web|title=Andrew Johns|url=https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/971518|publisher=Australian Honours Database|access-date=21 April 2007}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2002–2005===&lt;br /&gt;
Having won the [[2001 NRL Premiership]], the Knights travelled to England to play the [[2002 World Club Challenge]] against [[Super League]] champions the [[Bradford Bulls]]. Johns captained as a {{rlp|hb}}, scoring a [[Try (rugby)|try]] and kicking three goals in Newcastle&#039;s loss. In [[National Rugby League season 2002|2002]], Johns was awarded the captaincy of both [[New South Wales rugby league team|New South Wales]] and [[Australia national rugby league team|Australia]], going on to win the title of Player of the Series against [[Great Britain national rugby league team|Great Britain]]. At a club level Andrew Johns and the Newcastle Knights performed well, narrowly missing out on the minor premiership on points difference. Unfortunately, the Knights&#039; finals campaign derailed as Johns broke a bone in his back in the first week of the finals{{cn|date=March 2025}}, and the Knights without Johns ended up losing to eventual premiers the [[Sydney Roosters]] 38–12 to be knocked out of the season. Before his injury Johns&#039; season had been marvellous and despite his lack of involvement in the finals series he was named the Player of the Year [[Dally M Medal]] for a record third time, a feat achieved by only one other player, [[Johnathan Thurston]], to date.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Johns&#039; back injury at the tail-end of 2002 was the first of what seemed like a plague of injuries over the next few seasons: he had a serious neck injury that threatened his career in 2003, sustained an [[anterior cruciate ligament]] (ACL) knee injury which kept him out of most of the [[National Rugby League season 2004|2004 season]], and broke his jaw in early 2005.{{citation needed|date=October 2015}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
During the [[2003 Rugby Union World Cup]], Wales assistant coach Scott Johnson got Johns to assist with pre-match preparation by speaking to the players and presenting them with their jerseys.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;{{cite book|last=McBryde|first=Robin|title=Staying Strong|year=2007|publisher=Y Lolfa|location=Wales|page=154|isbn=9780862439927|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=V5dObUfT2jYC}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Johns was the centre of controversy in 2004 after receiving a massive offer from [[rugby union]] to switch codes.{{citation needed|date=October 2015}} Numerous past legends of both codes expressed their opinions. Debate continues about what happened during the negotiations with rugby union, since the contractual offers were made by the [[New South Wales Waratahs|Waratahs]] without the salary top-ups from the [[Australian Rugby Union]] that had been usual in contractual negotiations with previous potential converts from rugby league. The ARU&#039;s formal reasons for not supporting the Waratahs&#039; bid to secure Johns were his age (30) and injury history. These were later retracted after the &amp;quot;ecstasy controversy&amp;quot; (see below).&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;news2007&amp;quot;&amp;gt;{{cite news|title=ARU knew about Johns drugs|url=http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,22359766-5006067,00.html?from=public_rss| work = Daily Telegraph| publisher=News|date=4 September 2007|access-date=4 September 2007| first1=Jim| last1=Morton| first2=David| last2=Beniuk}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Even without the additional monetary support from the ARU, the Waratahs were able to table an offer to Johns that was far larger than any rugby league club could offer on its own. After [[David Gallop]], the [[Chief executive officer|CEO]] of the [[National Rugby League|NRL]] and [[Nine Network|Channel Nine]] contributed money and a promise of a commentary position after his career ended, Johns finally decided to stay in league, ending months of speculation and debate.{{citation needed|date=October 2015}} He says his decision was greatly affected by his son, who wanted him to stay in league. He was also approached by the [[Welsh Rugby Union]] because of his Welsh heritage.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;Wales launch Johns bid&amp;quot;&amp;gt;{{cite news|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/rugby_union/international/3390523.stm|title=Wales launch Johns bid|publisher=BBC|date=14 January 2004|access-date=4 March 2008}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
As Game 2 of the [[2005 State of Origin series]] approached, the Blues were down 0–1 and Johns was selected to replace [[Brett Kimmorley]] in the [[New South Wales Rugby League|New South Wales]] squad. The second game in the series was his first match since returning from a series of injuries that sidelined him for a number of weeks. Johns did not have to struggle to regain his form, receiving Man-of-the-Match honours in the Blues&#039; 32–22 win over Queensland. He was again chosen as the first-choice {{rlp|hb}} for Game 3 and performed well, sealing the series for the Blues with a strong 32–10 win, their last series win for quite some time.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In August 2005, it was announced that Johns would join the [[Super League]] side the [[Warrington Wolves]] on a short-term deal, playing in the final two games of the regular Super League season and any playoff games the Wolves might reach.{{citation needed|date=October 2015}} The Knights agreed to these terms only after Johns first signed a new contract, making him available to captain the Knights until the end of 2008.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===2006–2007===&lt;br /&gt;
Andrew Johns broke one of the longest-standing records in Round 2 of the [[National Rugby League season 2006|2006 season]] as he amassed 30 points against the [[Canberra Raiders]] and in doing so claimed the points-scoring record for a player at a single club, surpassing [[Mick Cronin (rugby league footballer)|Mick Cronin&#039;s]] 1,971 points for [[Parramatta Eels|Parramatta]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Back in the NRL, playing for Newcastle during a Round 18 match against the Parramatta Eels, Johns&#039; name entered the NRL record books for the second time in the year. A Johns conversion of a Newcastle try made Johns the highest points scorer in the 98-year history of first-grade rugby league in Australia, eclipsing [[Jason Taylor (rugby league footballer)|Jason Taylor&#039;s]] previous record of 2,107 points. He rather coincidentally scored the record-breaking conversion in a 46–12 loss to the Eels, who were coached at the time by Jason Taylor.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Things did not start well for Johns in the [[National Rugby League season 2007|2007 season]] as he lasted only four minutes into Round 1. As [[Canterbury Bulldogs]] forward [[Sonny Bill Williams]] went to perform one of his trade-mark hits on Johns, the tackle strayed high leaving Johns lying concussed.{{cn|date=February 2025}} Williams pleaded guilty at the judiciary to a reckless high tackle, and received a two-week suspension for the hit.{{cn|date=February 2025}} Johns missed the following match but returned in Round 3 against the [[Canberra Raiders]]—which would be his last career match in the NRL. On the Thursday after the Canberra match, a tackle with Newcastle teammate [[Adam Woolnough]] in a training session resulted in his referral to a specialist to examine a neck injury.{{cn|date=February 2025}} It was revealed that Johns had a bulging disc in his neck. It was confirmed that this had been present for some time and was not related to the training incident. All medical advice was that Johns should retire from professional football, since any further neck injury could prove life-threatening and on 10 April 2007, Johns announced his retirement from rugby league.{{citation needed|date=October 2015}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The Newcastle Knights&#039; season would fall apart: they finished 15th of 16 teams on the ladder, narrowly missing out on the [[Wooden spoon (award)|Wooden Spoon]] with a narrow two-point victory in their last match of the season. Johns tried to soften the blow of his retirement by saying he had been seriously considering retirement at the end of the 2007 season and was quoted in the press as saying &amp;quot;I knew this year would be my last year, it&#039;s just unfortunate it&#039;s stopped five months before the end of the season.&amp;quot; Commenting on his teammates&#039; reaction to his retirement, Johns noted: &amp;quot;They were sort of relieved I think, after a couple of injuries this year ... I think the time&#039;s right.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;Joey gives the game away&amp;quot;&amp;gt;{{cite web|url=http://www.leaguehq.com.au/news/news/league-legend-calls-it-a-day/2007/04/10/1175971071885.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071016002842/http://www.leaguehq.com.au/news/news/league-legend-calls-it-a-day/2007/04/10/1175971071885.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=16 October 2007|title=Joey gives the game away|publisher=leaguehq.com.au|date=31 December 2017|access-date=1 January 2018}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On his retirement a chorus of past league greats called for Johns to be immediately honoured as an immortal of the game. In the preceding 13 years, the former Cessnock junior had changed the game like few others before him. In October 2008 Johns completed a walk from Newcastle to Sydney to raise funds for the Black Dog Institute.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Cricket career==&lt;br /&gt;
{{see also|List of cricket and rugby league players}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{Infobox cricketer&lt;br /&gt;
| image =&lt;br /&gt;
| batting = Right-handed&lt;br /&gt;
| bowling = Right-arm [[off break]]&lt;br /&gt;
| role =&lt;br /&gt;
| club1 = [[New South Wales cricket team|New South Wales]]&lt;br /&gt;
| year1 = 2006/07&lt;br /&gt;
| columns = 1&lt;br /&gt;
| column1 = [[Twenty20 cricket|Twenty20]]&lt;br /&gt;
| matches1 = 2&lt;br /&gt;
| runs1 = 9&lt;br /&gt;
| bat avg1 = 9.00&lt;br /&gt;
| 100s/50s1 = 0&lt;br /&gt;
| top score1 = 9&lt;br /&gt;
| deliveries1 = 6&lt;br /&gt;
| wickets1 = 0&lt;br /&gt;
| bowl avg1 = -&lt;br /&gt;
| fivefor1 = –&lt;br /&gt;
| tenfor1 = –&lt;br /&gt;
| best bowling1 = 0/9&lt;br /&gt;
| catches/stumpings1 = 0/0&lt;br /&gt;
| date = 6 Jan&lt;br /&gt;
| year = 2025&lt;br /&gt;
| source = https://www.espncricinfo.com/cricketers/andrew-johns-266217 Cricinfo&lt;br /&gt;
}}&lt;br /&gt;
In June 2006 it was announced that, while still playing rugby league, Johns would play cricket for [[New South Wales cricket team|New South Wales]], in its [[Twenty20]] series.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;Joey&#039;s surprise code switch&amp;quot;&amp;gt;{{cite web|url=http://www.smh.com.au/news/cricket/joeys-surprise-new-balls-please/2006/06/28/1151174246304.html|title=Joey&#039;s surprise code switch|publisher=smh.com.au|date=28 June 2006|access-date=1 January 2018}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; The announcement sparked much media interest and many critics and the public suspected a public relations stunt as his first match was to be played in Johns&#039; home town of [[Newcastle, New South Wales|Newcastle]]. Despite this, Johns made his professional cricket debut for NSW on 7 January 2007 against [[South Australia cricket team|South Australia]] in front of a record crowd at [[Newcastle Number 1 Sports Ground]]. He had a missed opportunity to take a wicket: a short-pitched delivery was pulled to the boundary but much to the dismay of the large Newcastle crowd, the catch was put down.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;No cricket fairytale for Johns&amp;quot;&amp;gt;{{cite web|url=http://www.smh.com.au/news/cricket/no-cricket-fairytale-for-johns/2007/01/07/1168104864343.html|title=No cricket fairytale for Johns|publisher=smh.com.au|date=7 January 2007|access-date=1 January 2018}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; In his second match, against [[Tasmania cricket team|Tasmania]] at [[Stadium Australia]] in Sydney, Johns scored only nine runs and with that his short cricket career was over.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==After retirement==&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Andrew Johns 2011.jpg|thumb|left|Johns in 2011]]&lt;br /&gt;
Johns sought to celebrate the inclusion of Australia&#039;s [[Dally Messenger]] in the original [[2007 All Golds Tour|All Golds]] tour, Johns had been invited to join the New Zealand team for the match against the Northern Union.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;Legend Johns to represent Kiwis&amp;quot;&amp;gt;{{cite news|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/rugby_league/6375317.stm|title=Legend Johns to represent Kiwis| publisher=BBC|date=1 March 2007|access-date=29 July 2007}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; Despite his neck injury, he was able to play with the squad, and completed the match uninjured, but declined another offer from the New Zealand team.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;Neck injury forces Johns to quit&amp;quot;&amp;gt;{{cite news|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/rugby_league/6540309.stm|title=Neck injury forces Johns to quit|publisher=BBC|date=10 April 2007|access-date=29 July 2007| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20070717173820/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_league/6540309.stm| archive-date= 17 July 2007| url-status= live}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; Queensland and Australia {{rlp|fe}} [[Darren Lockyer]] was invited to take Johns&#039; place&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;Lockyer to star in All Golds game&amp;quot;&amp;gt;{{cite news|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/rugby_league/6281916.stm|title=Lockyer to star in All Golds game|publisher=BBC|date=8 July 2007|access-date=29 July 2007| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20070824080735/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_league/6281916.stm| archive-date= 24 August 2007| url-status= live}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; but then Lockyer himself was ruled out after suffering a season-ending knee injury.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;Lockyer faces long injury lay-off&amp;quot;&amp;gt;{{cite news|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_league/6898915.stm|title=Lockyer faces long injury lay-off|publisher=BBC|date=14 July 2007|access-date=29 July 2007| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20070821005329/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_league/6898915.stm| archive-date= 21 August 2007| url-status= live}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; [[New Zealand Warriors]] captain and [[Queensland state rugby league team|Queensland]] front rower [[Steve Price (rugby league)|Steve Price]] was the eventual replacement for the match.&lt;br /&gt;
Andrew became a commentator for Channel 9 and [[Monday Night Football on Triple M]] radio.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On 22 April in Round 6 of 2007, Newcastle held special farewell celebrations for Andrew Johns in the Knights&#039; home game against Brisbane. The Knights board renamed the new $30 million East grandstand of [[EnergyAustralia Stadium]] the Andrew Johns Stand. In addition, in a first for the NRL, his number 7 jersey was retired for the match with new young {{rlp|hb}} [[Jarrod Mullen]] wearing number 18.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;Joey&#039;s one last good Knight&amp;quot;&amp;gt;{{cite web|url=http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,8659,21602616-23214,00.html|title=Joey&#039;s one last good Knight|publisher=foxsports.com.au|date=13 November 2008|access-date=1 January 2009}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; Later in the year the Knights named Johns as {{rlp|hb}} and [[Captain (sports)|captain]] for their commemorative Team of the Era.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In June 2007, in what would be the first of his involvements as a specialist part-time coach, rival code the [[Australian Rugby Union]] hired Johns as the [[Australia national rugby union team|Wallabies]] in-play kicking coach for the duration of the [[2007 Tri Nations Series]]. On 27 October 2007, Johns married his partner Cathrine Mahoney in a secret wedding on a Sydney island.{{citation needed|date=October 2015}} When Johns returned from his honeymoon at the beginning of the [[National Rugby League season 2008|2008 Pre-season]], he began a part-time coaching role with the [[Parramatta Eels]], working one on one with Eels halves [[Brett Finch]] and [[Tim Smith (rugby league)|Tim Smith]]. In the same time frame Johns worked with his old club the [[Newcastle Knights]] in a similar skills specific coaching role. The third club to hire Johns for his coaching services was the [[Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs]], who signed Johns for the 2008 season. The role involved him in specifically working with the halves, {{rlp|hk}}s and backs.{{citation needed|date=October 2015}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In February 2008, a year after his retirement, Johns moved a step closer to becoming rugby league&#039;s next Immortal after being named the Best Player of the Last 30 Years by a major rugby league magazine. On 17 April 2008 he was named in [[Australian Rugby League&#039;s Team of the Century|Team of the Century]] as a {{rlp|hb}} by a 28-man judging panel, who voted in a secret ballot and chose the team from an original list of the [[List of Australian rugby league&#039;s 100 greatest players|&#039;&#039;100 Greatest Players&#039;&#039;]] named earlier in the year. Later, Johns said he felt &amp;quot;the game has forgiven me&amp;quot;. On 9 September 2008 at the Dally M awards in Sydney, Johns and his wife Cathrine announced they were expecting their first child in March 2009 (Johns has a son from his previous marriage).&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;Baby boy for Andrew Johns and Cathrine&amp;quot;&amp;gt;{{cite web|url=https://www.newcastleherald.com.au/story/495325/baby-boy-for-andrew-johns-and-cathrine/|title=Baby boy for Andrew Johns and Cathrine|publisher=theherald.com.au|date=31 December 2009|access-date=1 January 2010}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; On 1 March 2009, Johns and Cathrine welcomed their first child and son, Louis Byron&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;Baby boy for Andrew Johns and Cathrine&amp;quot;/&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In 2010 the [[Melbourne Rebels]] announced they had secured the services of Johns to work with the [[Super Rugby]] club&#039;s inside backs.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;{{cite web|work= Herald Sun| publisher = News|title= Andrew Johns breaks the code to help Melbourne Rebels and Melbourne Storm| url= http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/nrl/andrew-johns-breaks-the-code-to-help-melbourne-rebels-and-melbourne-storm/story-e6frfgbo-1225959697403|access-date= 6 March 2012}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; Recent Rebels signing [[James O&#039;Connor (rugby)|James O&#039;Connor]] said &amp;quot;Obviously he comes from a league background but there was nobody better at taking the ball to the line and pulling those balls back ... the chance to work with him was pretty awesome.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;{{cite web|work= The Daily Telegraph website|title= Melbourne Rebels run silent on Andrew Johns&#039; involvement|url= http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/rugby-gold/melbourne-rebels-run-silent-on-andrew-johns-involvement/story-fn8ti7yn-1226286625426|access-date= 6 March 2012}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Despite Johns&#039; ecstasy use controversy, he was officially announced as the eighth [[The Immortals (rugby league)|&#039;Immortal&#039;]] of the game on 28 September 2012, after [[Rugby League Week|Rugby League Week magazine]] stated the voting criteria were to be based solely on a player&#039;s &amp;quot;on field performance&amp;quot; (despite admitting to using ecstasy while playing).&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;Criteria for Selection of Rugby League&#039;s Next Immortal Released&amp;quot;&amp;gt;{{cite web|url=http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/nrl/criteria-for-selection-of-rugby-leagues-next-immortal-released/story-e6frexnr-1226326180904|title=Criteria for Selection of Rugby League&#039;s Next Immortal Released|publisher=dailytelegraph.com.au|date=28 January 2016|access-date=1 January 2017}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;Andrew &#039;Joey&#039; Johns named rugby league&#039;s 8th Immortal&amp;quot;&amp;gt;{{cite web|url=http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/andrew-joey-johns-named-rugby-leagues-8th-immortal/story-e6frg6n6-1226482857272|title=Andrew &#039;Joey&#039; Johns named rugby league&#039;s 8th Immortal|publisher=theaustralian.com.au|date=28 January 2016|access-date=1 January 2017}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; In early November 2012, Johns signed on as assistant coach of the [[Manly Warringah Sea Eagles]] for the 2013 Rugby League season, mentoring and ambassadorial roles.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;Andrew johns signs on as assistant coach with manly Sea Eagles&amp;quot;&amp;gt;{{cite web|url=http://www.news.com.au/tablet/andrew-johns-signs-on-as-assistant-coach-with-manly-sea-eagles/news-story/93a26f11b5f8b5653eb0a405b4d538ee|title=Andrew johns signs on as assistant coach with manly Sea Eagles|publisher=news.com.au|date=31 December 2012|access-date=1 January 2013}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Ecstasy use controversy===&lt;br /&gt;
On 26 August 2007, Johns was arrested for [[fare evasion]] on the [[London Underground]], and subsequently found to be in possession of one [[methylenedioxymethamphetamine|ecstasy]] tablet. He was cautioned and released with no further charges. Johns initially claimed that an unknown person had pushed the tablet into his pocket which he later forgot to remove before leaving the crowded venue.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;{{cite web|title=Joey busted for ecstasy |url=http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,8659,22332367-5013519,00.html |publisher=Daily Telegraph |date=30 August 2007 |access-date=30 August 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070906100718/http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0%2C8659%2C22332367-5013519%2C00.html |archive-date=6 September 2007 |url-status=live}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; This initial statement was met with a great deal of cynicism from both the press and the public. On 30 August, Johns revealed, live on the &#039;&#039;[[The Footy Show (rugby league)|Footy Show]]&#039;&#039;, that he had regularly taken ecstasy throughout his playing career, mainly during the off-season. He claimed he had suffered from depression and bipolar disorder and the drugs helped him in dealing with the high level of psychological &#039;pressure&#039; associated with his career as an elite sportsman.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;{{cite news|title=Andrew Johns admits being foolish over drug arrest|url=http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,22332422-5001021,00.html|publisher= Daily Telegraph|date=30 August 2007|access-date=30 August 2007}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; Not long after the incident he released his &#039;tell-all&#039; autobiography that went into further details regarding his depression and [[Recreational drug use|drug use]] while playing in the NRL.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The [[Australian Rugby Union|ARU]] released a press statement shortly after the controversy arose, stating that Johns&#039; drug use was known to the ARU and was a key factor in its decision not to proceed with contractual negotiations in 2004. Brett Robinson, then high-performance unit manager, said that, as well as Johns&#039; age and injury history, the knowledge of his drug taking had been influential in the ARU making its final decision.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;news2007&amp;quot;/&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Racism controversy===&lt;br /&gt;
In June 2010, during the lead-up to Origin II, New South Wales {{rlp|ce}} [[Timana Tahu]] withdrew mid-week from the NSW squad following reports Johns referred to Queensland player [[Greg Inglis]] as a &amp;quot;black c*nt&amp;quot; during a training session.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;{{cite news|author=Kerry O&#039;Keeffe|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/06/15/2927682.htm|title=ABC Sport – Race row deepens around Johns|newspaper=ABC News|date=15 June 2010|publisher=Abc.net.au|access-date=13 August 2010| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20100812225118/http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/06/15/2927682.htm| archive-date= 12 August 2010| url-status= dead}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; Johns was subsequently fired from his role as NSW assistant coach. Though he apologised for the incident on Tuesday 15 June,&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;The Courier-Mail (Qld), Sunday 13 June 2010; ninemsn.com.au&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; it is alleged it was not the first time Johns had used racist language in a football environment.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;The Andrew Johns racism controversy&amp;quot;&amp;gt;{{cite web|url= http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/league-news/if-johns-is-a-redneck-he-needs-to-get-out-of-the-game-20100619-ynud.html|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20100819114051/http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/league-news/if-johns-is-a-redneck-he-needs-to-get-out-of-the-game-20100619-ynud.html|url-status= dead|archive-date= 19 August 2010|title=The Andrew Johns racism controversy|publisher=smh.com.au|date=20 June 2010|access-date=1 January 2011}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; Inglis demanded Johns be barred from any involvement in rugby league.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;Kick Joey out of league: Inglis – State of Origin&amp;quot;&amp;gt;{{cite web|url=http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,8659,27312560-5018993,00.html|title=Kick Joey out of league: Inglis – State of Origin|publisher=foxsports.com.au|date=23 June 2010|access-date=1 January 2011}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===More Joyous Scandal===&lt;br /&gt;
Johns was the catalyst to the [[More Joyous]] Scandal, engulfing leading Sydney horse trainer [[Gai Waterhouse]], advertising figure [[John Singleton (Australian entrepreneur)|John Singleton]] (racehorse More Joyous&#039;s owner) and bookmaker and son of the horse trainer [[Tom Waterhouse]]. Johns passed information from Tom Waterhouse that horse More Joyous was &amp;quot;off&amp;quot; on to brothel owner Eddie Hayson and former jockey Allan Robinson. Singleton received word of this and verbally attacked Gai Waterhouse on live television. Johns feared his [[Nine Network|Channel 9]] commentating career would be over due to the trouble he caused Tom Waterhouse, a Channel 9 advertiser. Johns&#039;s commentating career survived, although his reputation was further damaged. Both Waterhouses were cleared of any major wrongdoing by a [[Racing NSW]] inquiry, however, Singleton and Gai&#039;s longstanding partnership ceased&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;John Singleton dumps Gai Waterhouse in public spat&amp;quot;&amp;gt;{{cite web|url=http://www.theaustralian.com.au/sport/turf-thoroughbreds/john-singleton-dumps-gai-waterhouse-in-public-spat/news-story/409cd4e8666f17f71a9c31413bfeba52|title=John Singleton dumps Gai Waterhouse in public spat|publisher=theaustralian.com.au|date=31 December 2013|access-date=1 January 2014}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;  until 2016.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;{{cite news| work= Sydney Morning Herald | title=How Gai Waterhouse and John Singleton got back to business|author=Patrick Bartley | url=https://www.smh.com.au/sport/racing/gai-waterhouse-and-john-singleton-have-kissed-and-made-up-20160219-gmyo4i.html}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
On 28 September 2023, it was announced that Johns would be stepping down from his role within the New South Wales coaching staff after the NSWRL board informed him his contract would not be renewed after another series loss.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;{{cite web|url=https://www.nrl.com/news/2023/09/28/fittler-quits-nsw-on-lookout-for-new-origin-coach/|title=Fittler quits: NSW on lookout for new Origin coach|website=www.nrl.com|date=28 September 2023 }}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Epilepsy ===&lt;br /&gt;
In 2019, Johns revealed that he had been diagnosed with epilepsy. His doctors were of the view that his playing career could have contributed to the diagnosis. In an interview with his brother, Matthew Johns on [[Fox League]] on Sunday night,{{when|date=October 2020}} he said, “They think maybe a contributor could be some of the concussions I’ve had and ... continual head knocks”.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;{{Cite web|url=https://www.smh.com.au/sport/nrl/andrew-johns-shock-admission-on-contributing-cause-to-his-epilepsy-20190317-p514zf.html|title=Andrew Johns&#039; shock admission on contributing cause to his epilepsy|last=Pengilly|first=Adam|date=2019-03-17|website=The Sydney Morning Herald|language=en|access-date=2020-01-09}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; Johns lost his driver licence after suffering an epileptic seizure at a cafe in Yamba on the New South Wales north coast in December 2018.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;{{Cite web|url=https://wwos.nine.com.au/nrl/andrew-johns-epilepsy-battle-revealed/a8befa56-9447-4e01-8290-7fedd540ae63|title = &#039;I fell over in a cafe and smashed my head&#039;| date=17 March 2019 }}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; The Roads and Maritime Service (RMS) initially refused to return his licence but later did so on appeal.{{cn|date=February 2025}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Live State of Origin rant===&lt;br /&gt;
Following the NSW loss to QLD in game 3 of the 2022 State of Origin series, resulting in a QLD series win, Johns was visibly upset while part of a commentary panel during the family friendly Channel 9 live broadcast. In an incident after the game, in which media speculated at the time might have been his unofficial resignation, Johns made the out of context statement in response to a question about the game, “Now we have to listen to all the bullshit from you (Queenslanders) in the next 12 months. It drives you mad.”&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;{{Cite web|url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-07-14/andrew-johns-state-of-origin-reaction-pilloried-on-social-media/101236678 |title=Andrew Johns&#039;s State of Origin reaction pilloried on social media |website=abc.net.au |date=13 July 2022}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Business life==&lt;br /&gt;
Johns is founder and co-owner of Steel City Beer Company with [[Matthew Johns]], [[Danny Buderus]], [[Kurt Gidley]] and [[Matt Hoy]].&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;{{cite web | url=https://pubtic.com.au/newcastle-legends-behind-launch-of-steel-city-beer-co/#:~:text=Steel%20City%27s%20founders%20include%20proud,and%20Sophie%20and%20Ryan%20Ginns. | title=Newcastle Legends Behind Launch of Steel City Beer Co | date=16 April 2021 }}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;{{cite web | url=https://www.newcastleherald.com.au/story/7663201/knights-say-cheers-to-stadium-beers/ | title=Knights say cheers to stadium beers | date=18 March 2022 }}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Career statistics==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Club career===&lt;br /&gt;
{| class=&amp;quot;wikitable&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
|-&lt;br /&gt;
! Team !! Matches !! Tries !! Goals !! Field Goals !! Points&lt;br /&gt;
|-&lt;br /&gt;
| [[Newcastle Knights]]&#039;&#039; 1993–2007&#039;&#039;|| 249|| 80|| 917|| 22|| 2,176&lt;br /&gt;
|-&lt;br /&gt;
| [[Warrington Wolves]] &#039;&#039;2005&#039;&#039;|| 4|| 1|| 12|| 1|| 29&lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Representative career===&lt;br /&gt;
{| class=&amp;quot;wikitable&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
|-&lt;br /&gt;
! Team !! Matches !! Tries !! Goals !! Field Goals !! Points&lt;br /&gt;
|-&lt;br /&gt;
| Country Origin&#039;&#039; 1995–1996, 2003&#039;&#039;|| 3|| 1|| 7|| 0|| 18&lt;br /&gt;
|-&lt;br /&gt;
| New South Wales &#039;&#039;1995–2000, 2002–2003, 2005&#039;&#039;|| 23|| 4|| 37|| 4|| 94&lt;br /&gt;
|-&lt;br /&gt;
| Australia &#039;&#039;1995–2003, 2005–2006&#039;&#039;|| 27|| 12|| 90|| 0|| 228&lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Achievements, awards and accolades==&lt;br /&gt;
In February 2008, Johns was named in the list of Australia&#039;s [[List of Australian rugby league&#039;s 100 greatest players|&#039;&#039;100 Greatest Players&#039;&#039;]] (1908–2007) which was commissioned by the [[National Rugby League|NRL]] and [[Australian Rugby League|ARL]] to&lt;br /&gt;
celebrate the code&#039;s centenary year in Australia.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;{{cite web|publisher=NRL &amp;amp; ARL |title=Centenary of Rugby League – The Players |url=http://www.centenaryofrugbyleague.com.au/site/the-players.aspx?cat=3&amp;amp;list=true |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080226180521/http://www.centenaryofrugbyleague.com.au/site/the-players.aspx?cat=3&amp;amp;list=true |url-status=dead |archive-date=26 February 2008 |access-date=23 February 2008 |date=23 February 2008}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;{{cite web|author=Peter Cassidy|publisher=Macquarie National News|title=Controversy reigns as NRL releases top 100 players|url=http://www.livenews.com.au/Articles/2008/02/22/Controversy_reigns_as_NRL_releases_top_100_players|access-date=23 February 2008|date=23 February 2008|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080225164807/http://www.livenews.com.au/Articles/2008/02/22/Controversy_reigns_as_NRL_releases_top_100_players|archive-date=25 February 2008|df=dmy}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; Johns went on to be named as {{rlp|hb}} in Australian rugby league&#039;s &#039;&#039;[[Australian Rugby League&#039;s Team of the Century|Team of the Century]]&#039;&#039;. Announced on 17 April 2008, the team is the panel&#039;s majority choice for each of the thirteen starting positions and four interchange players.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;{{cite web|first=Todd|last=Balym|publisher=Fox Sports Australia|title=Johns, Meninga among Immortals|url=http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,8659,23557351-23214,00.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120907035412/http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,8659,23557351-23214,00.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=7 September 2012|access-date=17 April 2008|date=17 April 2008}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;{{cite web|publisher=NRL &amp;amp; ARL |title=Team of the Century Announced |url=http://www.centenaryofrugbyleague.com.au/site/news--reviews/media-releases/team-of-the-century-announced.aspx |access-date=17 April 2008 |date=17 April 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100521122127/http://www.centenaryofrugbyleague.com.au/site/news--reviews/media-releases/team-of-the-century-announced.aspx |archive-date=21 May 2010 |url-status=dead |df=dmy}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; In 2008 New South Wales announced their rugby league team of the century also and Johns was again named as a {{rlp|hb}}.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;{{cite web&lt;br /&gt;
|last=ARL &lt;br /&gt;
|title=Australian Rugby Football League 2008 Annual Report &lt;br /&gt;
|page=30 &lt;br /&gt;
|publisher=Australian Rugby Football League Limited &lt;br /&gt;
|year=2008 &lt;br /&gt;
|url=http://www.australianrugbyleague.com.au/files/11726_ARL_Annrep_1.pdf &lt;br /&gt;
|access-date=19 July 2009 &lt;br /&gt;
|url-status=dead &lt;br /&gt;
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120317182126/http://www.australianrugbyleague.com.au/files/11726_ARL_Annrep_1.pdf &lt;br /&gt;
|archive-date=17 March 2012 &lt;br /&gt;
|df=dmy &lt;br /&gt;
}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Newcastle Knights records===&lt;br /&gt;
* Most points in a match: 34 (v Canberra, 29 July 2001)&lt;br /&gt;
* Most goals in a match: 11 (v Canberra, 19 March 2006)&lt;br /&gt;
* Most points in a season: 279 (2001 National Rugby League Season)&lt;br /&gt;
* Most points for the club: 2,176&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Australian premiership records===&lt;br /&gt;
* Retired as highest individual point scorer in premiership history: 2,176 (eclipsing [[Jason Taylor (rugby league footballer)|Jason Taylor]]&#039;s previous record of 2,107; now 4th).&lt;br /&gt;
* The competition&#039;s leading point scorer in [[National Rugby League season 2001|2001]]: 279 points.&lt;br /&gt;
* Most ever points scored by a {{rlp|hb}} in a single [[National Rugby League]] season (279 in 2001).&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===International records===&lt;br /&gt;
* Most points scored on international debut: 30 (v South Africa at the 1995 World Cup)&lt;br /&gt;
* Most points scored in a test match: 32 (v Fiji in 1996)&lt;br /&gt;
* Most goals in a test match: 12 (v Fiji in 1996)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Awards===&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Dally M Awards|Dally M Medal]] (best player in the NRL competition): 3 (1998, 1999 and 2002)&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Dally M]] Halfback of the Year: 4 (1995, 1998, 1999 and 2002)&lt;br /&gt;
* Provan-Summons Medal (fans&#039; favourite player): 5 (1998, 1999, 2000, 2001 and 2002)&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Rugby League World Golden Boot Award|Golden Boot]] (best player in the world): 2 (1999 and 2001)&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Clive Churchill Medal]] (man-of-the-match in the grand final): 1 (2001)&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Dally M Awards|Dally M]] &#039;Representative Player of the Year&#039; Award: 1 (2005)&lt;br /&gt;
* Player of the Series – Australia v Great Britain: 2001&lt;br /&gt;
* Most Valuable Player of the Tournament at the 1995 World Cup in England&lt;br /&gt;
* State of Origin man-of-the-match: 4 (Game 2, 1996; Game 1, 2002; Game 2, 2003 and Game 2, 2005)&lt;br /&gt;
* Voted #1 in the &#039;Modern Masters Top 30 Players of the Past 30 Years&#039; poll ([[Rugby League Week]])&lt;br /&gt;
* Announced as the eighth [[The Immortals (rugby league)|Immortal]] of the Australian game on 27 September 2012 joining other greats: [[Bob Fulton]], [[John Raper]], [[Clive Churchill]], [[Reg Gasnier]], [[Graeme Langlands]], [[Wally Lewis]] and [[Arthur Beetson]]. This being the ultimate honour one could receive as a professional [[rugby league]] footballer.&lt;br /&gt;
* Inducted into the [[Sport Australia Hall of Fame]] on 11 October 2012 at the Crown Palladium in Melbourne along with fellow greats of Australian sport such as [[Brisbane Broncos]] coach [[Wayne Bennett (rugby league)|Wayne Bennett]] and cricketing great [[Adam Gilchrist]]&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;Hall of Fame induction for Johns and Bennett&amp;quot;&amp;gt;{{cite news|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-10-12/sport-hall-of-fame-induction-for-johns-and-bennett/4309292|title=Hall of Fame induction for Johns and Bennett|newspaper=ABC News|publisher=abc.net.au|date=12 October 2012|access-date=1 January 2013}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
* In 2025, he was an inaugural inductee of the [[Stadium Australia Hall of Fame]].&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;{{Cite web |title=Stadium Australia Hall of Fame |url=https://www.accorstadium.com.au/stadium_australia_hall_of_fame |access-date=2025-09-16 |website=Accor Stadium |language=en}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Australian Sports Medal]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==See also==&lt;br /&gt;
{{Portal|Cricket|Sports}}&lt;br /&gt;
*[[List of cricket and rugby league players]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==References==&lt;br /&gt;
{{Reflist}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Further reading==&lt;br /&gt;
*{{Cite book&lt;br /&gt;
| last = Johns&lt;br /&gt;
| first = Andrew&lt;br /&gt;
|author2=Neil Cadigan&lt;br /&gt;
| title = The two of me&lt;br /&gt;
| publisher = HarperCollins Publishers&lt;br /&gt;
| year = 2007&lt;br /&gt;
| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=y1jMNwAACAAJ&lt;br /&gt;
| isbn = 978-0-7322-8653-8}}&lt;br /&gt;
*{{Cite news&lt;br /&gt;
| last = Masters&lt;br /&gt;
| first = Roy&lt;br /&gt;
| author-link = Roy Masters (sport)&lt;br /&gt;
| title = Moody Blue&lt;br /&gt;
| work = The Sydney Morning Herald&lt;br /&gt;
| place =Australia| publisher = Fairfax&lt;br /&gt;
| date = 19 March 2005&lt;br /&gt;
| url = http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2005/03/18/1111086013733.html&lt;br /&gt;
| access-date = 16 June 2010}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==External links==&lt;br /&gt;
{{commons category}}&lt;br /&gt;
*{{IMDb name|1222939}}&lt;br /&gt;
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20071022214013/http://www.stateoforigin.com.au/SOOgame/PlayerDetails.aspx?Pid=172 State of Origin Official website Rugby League Player Stats]&lt;br /&gt;
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20090717044207/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport/hi/english/static/in_depth/rugby_league/2001/ashes/johns.stm 2001 Ashes profile]&lt;br /&gt;
*{{Sport Australia Hall of Fame|andrew-johns}}&lt;br /&gt;
* {{IMDb name|id=1222939|name=Andrew Johns}}&lt;br /&gt;
* {{ESPNcricinfo|id=266217}}&lt;br /&gt;
*[http://www.australiannetworkentertainment.com/andrew_johns.htm Australian Network Entertainment profile]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
{{S-start}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{Succession box&lt;br /&gt;
| title  = [[Australia national rugby league team]] captain&lt;br /&gt;
| years  = 2002–03&lt;br /&gt;
| before = [[Gorden Tallis]]&lt;br /&gt;
| after  = [[Darren Lockyer]]&lt;br /&gt;
}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{succession box|&lt;br /&gt;
  before = [[Jason Taylor (rugby league)|Jason Taylor]] (2006)|&lt;br /&gt;
  after = [[Hazem El Masri]] (2009)|&lt;br /&gt;
  title = Record-holder&amp;lt;br /&amp;gt;Most points in an [[NRL]] career|&lt;br /&gt;
  years = 2006 (2,108) – 2009 (2,176)|&lt;br /&gt;
}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{S-end}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
{{Newcastle Knights squad 1997 ARL premiership}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{Newcastle Knights squad 2001 NRL premiership}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{Navboxes&lt;br /&gt;
|title= Australia squads&lt;br /&gt;
| bg=#005100&lt;br /&gt;
| fg=#FFCC33&lt;br /&gt;
| bordercolor=gold &lt;br /&gt;
|list1  =&lt;br /&gt;
{{Australia 1995 Rugby League World Cup Squad}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{Australia 2000 Rugby League World Cup Squad}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{2001 Kangaroo Tour squad}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{Australia 2005 Rugby League Tri Nations squad}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{The Australian Rugby League Team of the Century}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{The Immortals (rugby league)}}&lt;br /&gt;
}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{Newcastle Knights Team of the Era}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{Newcastle Rugby League Team of the Century}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{New South Wales rugby league team of the century}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{Country Rugby League Team of the Century}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{Rugby League Golden Boot Award Winners}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{Rugby league footballers with 2,000 NRL points}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{National Rugby League top points scorers}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{Dally M Medallists}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{Clive Churchill Medallists}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{Authority control}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
{{DEFAULTSORT:Johns, Andrew}}&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:1974 births]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Living people]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Australia national rugby league team captains]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Australia national rugby league team players]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Australian autobiographers]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Australian company founders]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Australian cricketers]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Australian expatriate rugby league players in England]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Australian people of Welsh descent]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Australian republicans]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Australian rugby league commentators]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Australian rugby league players]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Australian sports podcasters]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Cessnock Goannas players]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Clive Churchill Medal winners]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Country New South Wales Origin rugby league team players]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Cricketers from New South Wales]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Drink company founders]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Australian businesspeople in the drink industry]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:New South Wales cricketers]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:New South Wales Rugby League State of Origin captains]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:New South Wales Rugby League State of Origin players]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Newcastle Knights captains]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Newcastle Knights players]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:People with bipolar disorder]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Recipients of the Australian Sports Medal]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Rugby league halfbacks]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Rugby league players from Cessnock, New South Wales]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Sport Australia Hall of Fame inductees]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Warrington Wolves players]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:People from Newcastle, New South Wales]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>2A06:5906:2006:D400:8623:6FEE:C2D8:287C</name></author>
	</entry>
</feed>