It's Official! Andrew Johns is the best player alive!
The Newcastle Knights brilliant playmaker and captain Andrew Johns, the architect of his team's 2001 NRL premiership victory, today was officially named - for a record second time - the best rugby league player in the world.
The rating comes courtesy of Britain's Rugby League World magazine which announced Johns as the winner of its prestigious Golden Boot award as the world's No. 1 player following a poll of Australian, British and New Zealand journalists. He won the award previously in 1999.
The magazine, which will begin an Australian edition this year, named four other Knights in their World XIII. Those voted best in their position were Darren Lockyer (fullback), Adam MacDougall (wing), Matthew Gidley (centre), Trent Barrett (five-eighth), Andrew Johns (halfback), Brad Fittler (lock), Ben Kennedy (second-row) and Shane Webcke (prop). To complete a World XIII, the following players were selected: Lote Tiqiri (wing), Jamie Lyon (centre), Nathan Hindmarsh (second-row), Nathan Cayless (front-row) and Keiron Cunningham (hooker).
The announcement reaffirmed the ranking Johns already enjoys in the NRL competition. Last year, in a Rugby League Week survey, more than 100 senior NRL players voted Johns the game's best player (81% of the votes) and best halfback (85% of the votes).
The Golden Boot award will be presented to Johns during the Newcastle Knights forthcoming visit to the United Kingdom for the World Championship Club match against the Bradford Bulls. Appropriately, the presentation will be made at the famous George Hotel in Huddersfield, the birthplace of rugby league in 1895.
Johns' supporters for the world's 'best' crown include former champion Test halfbacks Peter Sterling and Ricky Stuart, Australia's greatest-ever lock John Raper and former Great Britain captain Shaun Edwards.
According to Sterling, Andrew "Joey" Johns, 27, is the best halfback in the history of the game.
Says Stuart: "Joey is the complete package - the most complete footballer in my time. You could throw him into any era and he would adapt and still be regarded as special".
Adds Raper: "He has toughness and skills to make it in any era. Andrew is a champion - a great footballer".
And Edwards, a former Great Britain halfback, has even gone a step further: he rates Johns "the greatest player in rugby league history".
Since making his debut for Australia in 1995, the durable Knights No. 7 has played halfback and hooker for Australia with great distinction. He captained Australia for the first time in October 2000 - in a World Cup warm-up match against New Zealand Residents.
In the 1997 ARL decider, it was Johns who slipped into blindside open space from dummy half - when all appeared lost for Paul Harragon's brave Knights - and perfectly positioned winger Darren Albert for a diagonal streak to the line amid a thunderous shower of blue and red banners, flags and supporters jerseys. Four years later, before 92,000 fans at Stadium Australia, it was Johns who decisively led the way once again, his five-star performance winning him the Clive Churchill Medal as the best player in the grand final.
Johns has won every major award the game offers: Golden Boot (1999/2001), Dally M (1998-1999), Proven-Summons People's Choice (1998/1999/2000/2001), Most Valuable Player in 1995 World Cup, Player of the Series Australia v Great Britain 2001, Clive Churchill Medal (2001) and Rugby League Week Player of the Year (1998-1999).
After playing for NSW Schoolboys in 1989 and NSW and Australian under 19s in 1993, Andrew Johns made a fairytale first grade debut in 1994. Against South Sydney at the Sydney Football Stadium, he showed signs of a golden future when he scored a premiership record 23 points on debut - two tries, seven goals and a field goal. During the 2001 season - against the Canberra Raiders at Newcastle's Marathon Stadium - he established a new personal points scoring record in the NRL with a 34 points haul (four tries and nine goals). This eclipsed a record-setting display earlier in the 2001 season against the New Zealand Warriors of 29 points (three tries, eight goals and a field goal). In 1995 when he played his first Test for Australia - against South Africa in the World Cup - Andrew rewrote the record books again, this time breaking the world record for most points on Test debut, with a total of 30 points in Australia's 86-6 romp against South Africa. The 30 points also equalled the overall world record of points in a Test held by countryman Michael O'Connor. He later broke that record when he amassed 32 points in a one-off Test against Fiji in 1996. The 12 goals he kicked in that match equalled the world record set by New Zealander Des White back in 1952. In the 1995 World Cup final against Great Britain at London's Wembley Stadium - a match Australia won - Andrew Johns was voted Most Valuable Player.
To date Andrew Johns had played 16 Tests for Australia and has made 15 State of Origin appearances for NSW. He is the highest points scorer in the Knights history with 1435 points from 168 first-grade matches.
Andrew Johns Career Overview
GAMES TRS GLS F/G PTS
Newcastle Knights 1993-2001 168 54 601 17 1435
Country Origin 1995-96 2 - 5 - 10
State of Origin 1995-2000 15 2 13 1 35
Tests 1995-01 16 11 65 - 174
Total (all senior matches) 201 67 684 18 1654
As of November 26 2001 (after 3rd Test v GB)
Newcastle Knights records
Most goals in a match 9 (v Western Reds 1995; v Canberra Raiders 2001)
Most points in a match 34 (v Canberra Raiders 2001 - 4T, 9G)
Most tries in a match 4 (v Canberra Raiders 2001 - equal with Adam Macdougall)
Most points in a season 279 (2001 - 14T, 110G; 3FG as of 1/10/01)
Most points for the club (1,435- 54T, 601G, 17FG - as of 1/10/01)
DOB 19/5/74
16 Tests (1995-2001)
15 State of Origin (1995-2000)
Dally M winner (1998/1999)
Provan-Summons Medal (1998/1999/2000/2001)
Golden Boot Award (Best Player in the World)
1999/2001 Most Valuable Player World Cup final
1995 Man of the Series v Great Britain 2001
Clive Churchill Medal (2001)
Captain of 2001 NRL champions, Newcastle Knights
Member of 1997 ARL champions, Newcastle Knights
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Draw!
Round 1 - 15-17 March 2002
Melbourne v Canberra
North Queensland v Brisbane
Bulldogs v Wests Tigers
Parramatta v Penrith
Northern Eagles v Newcastle - Saturday 16 March, 5.30pm, NorthPower Stadium
St George Illawarra v Sharks
Souths v Roosters
Warriors Bye
Round 2 - 22-24 March 2002
Canberra v Souths
Brisbane v Bulldogs
Wests Tigers v Parramatta
Penrith v St George Illawarra
Newcastle v North Queensland - Saturday 23 March, 5.30pm, EnergyAustralia Stadium
Sharks v Melbourne
Warriors v Roosters
Northern Eagles Bye
Round 3 - (EASTER) 29 March-1 April 2002
Wests Tigers v Canberra
Roosters v Brisbane
Sharks v Penrith
Warriors v Newcastle - Monday 1 April, 1.00pm AEST, Ericsson Stadium
Souths v Northern Eagles
Bulldogs v St George Illawarra
Melbourne v North Queensland
Parramatta Bye
Round 4 - 5-7 April 2002
Newcastle v Canberra - Sunday 7 April, 2.30pm, EnergyAustralia Stadium
Brisbane v Sharks
Penrith v Wests Tigers
Northern Eagles v Roosters
North Queensland v Warriors
Souths v Bulldogs
Parramatta v Melbourne
St George Illawarra Bye
Round 5 - 12-14 April 2002
Canberra v Brisbane
Sharks v Wests Tigers
Roosters v Newcastle - Friday 12 April, 7.30pm, Aussie Stadium
North Queensland v Souths
St George Illawarra v Parramatta
Warriors v Northern Eagles
Melbourne v Bulldogs
Penrith Bye
Round 6 - 19-21 April 2002
Northern Eagles v Canberra
Brisbane v Penrith
Newcastle v Sharks
Roosters v North Queensland
Bulldogs v Warriors
Souths v Parramatta
Melbourne v St George Illawarra
Wests Tigers Bye
Round 7 - 25-28 April 2002
Parramatta v Canberra
Brisbane v Newcastle
Wests Tigers v Northern Eagles
Penrith v North Queensland
Sharks v Bulldogs
St George Illawarra v Roosters
Warriors v Melbourne
Souths Bye
Round 8 - 3-5 May 2002
Canberra v Sharks
Souths v Brisbane
Wests Tigers v Warriors
Roosters v Penrith
Melbourne v Newcastle
Northern Eagles v St George Illawarra
Parramatta v North Queensland
Bulldogs Bye
CITY V COUNTRY - 10 May 2002
Round 9 - 11-12 May 2002
St George Illawarra v Canberra
Brisbane v Northern Eagles
North Queensland v Wests Tigers
Bulldogs v Penrith
Sharks v Parramatta
Roosters v Melbourne
Warriors v Souths
Newcastle Bye
Round 10 - 17-19 May 2002
Souths v Canberra
St George Illawarra v Wests Tigers
North Queensland v Penrith
Newcastle v Warriors
Bulldogs v Sharks
Melbourne v Parramatta
Brisbane Bye
Roosters Bye
Northern Eagles Bye
STATE OF ORIGIN 1 - Wednesday, 22 May 2002
Round 11 - 24-26 May 2002
Canberra v North Queensland
St George Illawarra v Brisbane
Penrith v Sharks
Newcastle v Souths
Parramatta v Roosters
Melbourne v Warriors
Northern Eagles v Bulldogs
Wests Tigers Bye
Round 12 - 31 May - 2 June 2002
Canberra v Northern Eagles
Wests Tigers v Brisbane
Penrith v Roosters
Warriors v Sharks
Bulldogs v Souths
North Queensland v St George Illawarra
Parramatta Bye
Newcastle Bye
Melbourne Bye
STATE OF ORIGIN 2 - Wednesday, 5 June 2002
Round 13 - 7-10 June 2002
Brisbane v Parramatta
Northern Eagles v Wests Tigers
Penrith v Bulldogs
Newcastle v Melbourne
Sharks v St George Illawarra
Roosters v Souths
Warriors v North Queensland
Canberra Bye
Round 14 - 14-16 June 2002
Sharks v Canberra
Brisbane v North Queensland
Wests Tigers v Penrith
Parramatta v Newcastle
Roosters v Northern Eagles
Souths v Warriors
St George Illawarra v Melbourne
Bulldogs Bye
Round 15 - 21-23 June 2002
Bulldogs v Canberra
Wests Tigers v Newcastle
Penrith v Northern Eagles
North Queensland v Sharks
Roosters v Parramatta
Warriors v St George Illawarra
Melbourne v Souths
Brisbane Bye
STATE OF ORIGIN 3 - Wednesday, 26 June 2002
Round 16 - 28-30 June 2002
Canberra v Penrith
Brisbane v Warriors
Wests Tigers v Roosters
Souths v Newcastle
St George Illawarra v North Queensland
Northern Eagles v Melbourne
Parramatta v Bulldogs
Sharks Bye
Round 17 - 5-7 July 2002
Roosters v Canberra
Brisbane v St George Illawarra
Melbourne v Wests Tigers
Penrith v Souths
Newcastle v Parramatta
Sharks v Warriors
Bulldogs v Northern Eagles
North Queensland Bye
AUSTRALIA vs GREAT BRITAIN - Friday, 12 July 2002
Round 18 - 13-14 July 2002
Canberra v Newcastle
Penrith v Brisbane
Wests Tigers v Souths
Parramatta v Sharks
Melbourne v Roosters
St George Illawarra v Bulldogs
North Queensland v Northern Eagles
Warriors Bye
Round 19 - 19-21 July 2002
North Queensland v Canberra
Brisbane v Wests Tigers
Newcastle v Penrith
Northern Eagles v Sharks
Bulldogs v Roosters
Warriors v Parramatta
Souths v St George Illawarra
Melbourne Bye
Round 20 - 26-28 July 2001
Canberra v Warriors
Parramatta v Brisbane
Wests Tigers v St George Illawarra
Penrith v Melbourne
Newcastle v Bulldogs
Sharks v Souths
Northern Eagles v North Queensland
Roosters Bye
Round 21 - 2-4 August 2002
Melbourne v Brisbane
Souths v Wests Tigers
Penrith v Warriors
Newcastle v St George Illawarra
Roosters v Sharks
Northern Eagles v Parramatta
North Queensland v Bulldogs
Canberra Bye
Round 22 - 9-11 August 2002
Canberra v Wests Tigers
Brisbane v Roosters
Sharks v Newcastle
Warriors v Bulldogs
Parramatta v Souths
St George Illawarra v Northern Eagles
North Queensland v Melbourne
Penrith Bye
Round 23 - 16-18 August 2002
Canberra v Roosters
Warriors v Brisbane
Wests Tigers v Sharks
Melbourne v Penrith
Newcastle v Northern Eagles
St George Illawarra v Souths
Bulldogs v Parramatta
North Queensland Bye
Round 24 - 23-25 August 2002
Canberra v Bulldogs
Newcastle v Brisbane
Wests Tigers v Melbourne
Souths v Penrith
Sharks v North Queensland
Roosters v Warriors
Parramatta v Northern Eagles
St George Illawarra Bye
Round 25 - 30 August - 1 September 2002
Brisbane v Canberra
Parramatta v Wests Tigers
Penrith v Newcastle
Roosters v St George Illawarra
Souths v North Queensland
Northern Eagles v Warriors
Bulldogs v Melbourne
Sharks Bye
Round 26 - 6-8 September 2002
Canberra v Melbourne
Bulldogs v Brisbane
Warriors v Wests Tigers
Northern Eagles v Penrith
St George Illawarra v Newcastle
Sharks v Roosters
North Queensland v Parramatta
Souths Bye
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