Andrew 'Joey' Johns
Inducted 2023
Andrew Gary Johns was born in May 1974, three years after brother Matthew and followed by sister Kate a few years later. Andrew is better known as Joey. His journey to greatness started at St Patrick’s Primary School where he played up to the under 13s, after which he joined the Maitland Schoolboy competition (as Cessnock did not have a separate competition).
One statistic not often mentioned is that Joey Johns played in every grade fielded by the Newcastle Knights.His first grade NRL career started at the Knights in 1994, with his debut game yielding him a club record of 23 individual points. That same year he broke the NRL record for the number of points scored during a season. Andrew made his State of Origin and Test debuts in 1995. Andrew Johns is the greatest point scorer in the Newcastle Knights history; he captained NSW from 2002-2005 including three series wins in a row, lead Australia to a record 64-10 victory over Great Britain (2002) and a 48-6 defeat of New Zealand in 2003. Joey was twice awarded Golden Boot Award (1999 & 2001) as the world’s greatest rugby league player. He was then elevated to immortal status in 2012, becoming the NRL’s 8th Immortal.
In 1997 Andrew Johns got out of a hospital bed, with a punched lung to play in the grand final against a red-hot Manly team, firing a last-minute pass to Darren Albert to score and win the grand final. He was playing inside his brother Matthew, a combination which had grown from so many years before on the playing fields of Cessnock Tech College grounds and the nearby Cessnock Sports Ground.
Andrew's incisive running, his ability to fire out long bullet-like passes to his supports, his perfection of pin point kicking game and his resolute toughness and competitive instinct earned him unanimous recognition as one of the world’s best players.
There are NRL statistics, then there are Andrew Johns statistics:
- 249 NRL first grade games – all for the one club.
- 23 state of origins for NSW, captaining the team between 2002-2005
- 17 test appearances for Australia.
- Holds the Knights club record for number of career points scored
- 4 time Dally M 'Halfback of the Year'
- Dally M 'Player of the Year' on 3 occasions
- 5 time winner of Provan/Summons medals
- 5 time winner of NRL 'Player of the Year'
- 2 time Golden Boot winner
- Clive Churchill Medal
- Dally M 'Rep Player of the Year' in 2005
- Andrew was inducted to the National Rugby League Hall of Fame in 2008
- Became the 8th Rugby League Immortal in 2012
Andrew, along with his brother Matthew, was selected to be in the Cessnock Rugby League team of the Century. The team comprised players who had played junior football in Cessnock. Australia has produced some brilliant footballers, then there is Andrew Johns who was far above the best.
Plaque location
Cessnock Sportsground – Baddeley Park, 276 Vincent Street, Cessnock