As Newcastle and South Sydney prepare to lock horns on Sunday, Big League winds the clock back 32 years to Knights halfback Andrew Johns’ famous run-on debut against the Rabbitohs.
Andrew Johns’ path to rugby league immortality began in Round 1, 1994, via a record-breaking maiden start in first grade.
Blooded off the bench in three matches the previous season, the 19-year-old was installed as Newcastle’s No.7 for the first-up assignment against Souths, ousting fallen former Dally M Rookie of the Year recipients Matthew Rodwell and Jason Martin.
Johns was partnered in the halves by older brother and 1993 find, Matthew – and the sibling duo immediately unleashed their intuitive combination on the competition in a 43-14 demolition of the Rabbitohs at the Sydney Football Stadium.
Souths were riding high after stunning 1992-93 premier Brisbane in the Tooheys Challenge Cup final but found themselves trailing 21-6 at halftime. Matthew laid on the first of Knights captain Paul Harragon’s two first-half tries, while Andrew piloted over a field goal to go with four goals from as many attempts.
The Rabbitohs scored first after the break but a superb solo try from Knights hooker Robbie McCormack in the 53rd minute doused any notions of a comeback.
‘Joey’ took command during the last quarter of the match, scoring two brilliant individual tries either side of long-range team effort finished off by second-rower Adam Muir. Johns’ seven goals saw him finish with 23 points – a Newcastle club record and the most points in premiership history by a player on starting debut.
“I told Andrew during the week not to worry about the pressure of pushing the forwards around the field and calling all the shots,” Matthew said of his prodigious sibling’s dream introduction to the big time.
“I could do that. I enjoy the responsibility. I told him to look for an opportunity to run and go for it if he was confident. He certainly didn’t lack confidence, and it grew as the game went on.
“It was an outstanding performance – but Andrew will admit it was made easier by such a dominant effort by the pack. And he knows it won’t get any easier from here.”
Johns went on to break the Knights’ season pointscoring record – tallying 162 points – in a campaign that entailed several more eye-catching highs, along with the odd harsh lesson as Newcastle finished 10th and sacked coach David Waite.
Meanwhile, Johns was overlooked for the season’s rookie awards as a phenomenally talented field of newcomers emerged in 1994.
Steve Menzies claimed Dally M Rookie of the Year honours and went on the Kangaroo Tour; the Manly second-rower also finished second in the Rothmans Medal count with another rookie, Cronulla halfback Paul Green, coming in third.
North Sydney fullback Matt Seers took out the Norwich Rising Star award, while the ‘Class of ’94’ featured the likes of Cronulla winger Richard Barnett, St George five-eighth Anthony Mundine, Penrith three-quarters Matt Sing and Robbie Beckett, and Western Suburbs outside back Ken McGuiness.
But it would be ‘Joey’ who emerged as the eventual dux, featuring in Australia’s World Cup triumph in 1995 and – in conjunction with the similarly influential Matthew Johns – delivering a premiership to Newcastle in 1997.
