Ankle surgery sets Johns on road to recovery - 2 Mar 1997, Sun Herald 
Andrew Johns is out for up to 10 weeks after doctors operated on his injured ankle on Friday. Johns had his lateral ligament stapled to his bone in a simple operation at a Sydney hospital. After he injured his ankle in last weekend's drawn Country Carnival match against Manly, doctors declared it a grade two tear, meaning the halfback would be out for no more than six weeks. Shortly afterwards Johns said that with intensive physiotherapy he hoped to be back earlier. But further examination revealed the ligament had torn and curled inside his leg. "I didn't speak to anyone (at Newcastle) about it," he said. "I didn't have time." Johns is likely to get out of hospital today and will start immediate physio- therapy. 

May 17, 1997 -  It took only about 40 minutes of football to convince NSW selectors that knights playmaker Andrew Johns was fit enough to take his place in the blues side for the first game of the annual state of origin was with Queensland.  Johns, who was out for 10 weeks after a pre season ankle injury, returned off the bench against the tigers and admited being a little embarassed about his NSW selection.  The tough halfback, was joined by Paul Harragon and second rower Adam Muir in the NSW side.  Winger Darren Albert was a controversial omission for the NSW squad.

$4m Johns boys  - 31 May 1997,  Sun Herald
ANDREW Johns' shocking run of injuries could turn out to be a saviour for the Newcastle Knights as they prepare to stave off the biggest manhunt in rugby league history. A record 12 clubs from both Super League and the ARL are now standing patiently in line for a crack at the fabulous footballing brothers - Andrew and Matthew Johns - in a package deal that will cost close to $4 million for three seasons. Only anti-tampering laws have prevented the commencement of an onslaught. Manager John Fordham said the latest interest came on Friday afternoon. "That makes it a dozen," Fordham said. 
But halfback Andrew admits his own run of bad luck - which has seen him play only 40 minutes for his club this season - could be enough to keep him at the Knights in 1998.  "I just feel as though I've let the club down in a way," Andrew said. "Even though I've played three full seasons of first grade I still feel I owe the club." Andrew was forced from the field in Wednesday night's opening Origin game with a suspected broken leg. It was his first starting game of the season after damaging ankle ligaments in a pre-season trial.  "A lot of people get great enjoyment out of seeing this side play football," he added. "Sometimes the hard decisions have to be made. I don't think the decision will be based entirely on money." Any club thinking about approaching Fordham had better be ready to part with a cool $4 million over the next three seasons for the best package deal on the market. "With the greatest respect to Tim Brasher, if he is worth $1 million Matthew and Andrew are also in the top bracket," Fordham said. "They are elite players."  Andrew returned from Friday's appointment with club doctor Neil Halpin with positive news. He had not broken the fibula in his leg but only suffered ligament damage. He says he could be back for State of Origin II in Melbourne. "I thought I was going to be out again for another long spell. But the news has been good." 

Knights come before the State of Origin -  14 Jun 1997,  Sun Herald 
Guilt and frustration forced Knights half Andrew Johns to persuade the NSW medical team he could not play in last Wednesday night's second State of Origin in Melbourne. Johns was desperate to play for his club in today's important clash against Norths at Marathon Stadium and was prepared to forgo his place in the Origin side to achieve that. But all his efforts have been for nothing. He has been forced out of today's match. The ankle he injured in the first Origin game has still not mended properly and he could not stretch out at training on Friday night. The NSW medical staff gave Johns until last Sunday to prove his fitness for the Origin game. But he convinced them the previous Friday night that he would not be able to play and was sent back to Newcastle the next day. Johns feared that if he played in Melbourne he would need a needle and would not be able to back up today. "I was worried that I would damage the ankle, not feel it because of the needle and miss several more weeks of club football," he said. "It was a risk I was not prepared to take. "I have only played 40 minutes for the Knights this season (against Balmain) and I have not played in a home match. "I feel guilty and frustrated about that and I am shattered that I will miss (today's) game." 
Coach Mal Reilly named Andrew on the bench but promised him he would get plenty of field time. "I owe the Knights so much and I think the club can win the premiership this season," Johns said. "I want to have an input into that. "I have made no contribution to the first half of the season. "I want to be fresh and clear of injuries so I can play a part in what is left of the second half and also in the semi-finals and hopefully the grand final. Andrew Johns is a vastly more mature player this year than last. He admits that last season he lost sight of the major goals. His Origin decision is evidence of his maturity and commitment to the Knights. "We have to stay up near the top of the table and to do that we have to beat Norths today," he said. "I believe we have the team across the park to win the premiership." Johns refuses to speculate on where he will be playing next season. He and his brother Matthew are off contract at the end of the season. "It might sound silly but I am not even thinking about next year," he said. "And Matthew feels the same way. "There is a good lesson to be learnt in what has happened to Tim Brasher. All the talk of contracts that has surrounded him has affected his game. "Matthew and I don't want that to happen to us. 

Johns V Kimmorly - Big League '97
The ANZAC test against New Zealand is just over a month away and the burning question is; What do we do with two brilliant halfbacks in Andrew Johns and Brett Kimmorley.

Warren Ryan, "I think Andrew Johns should be assessed as a halfback. I don't think its fair that just because he's strong enough to be a great defensive player that he shouldn't be assessed as a half and compete on those terms. He shouldn't be pushed out of his regular position. And you lost him when he's got his head down at dummy half, you lose his vision and his creativity. You want him back as first receiver with his head up looking for options."

Tommy Raudonikis, "Andrew Johns is the best halfback in Australia and that's where he should play. I don't think he should play hooker. I've got a big wrap on Brett Kimmorley though and I'd put him on the bench. But if the lock was injured, say, then I suppose Johns could put his head in at the back of the scrum. But I'd definately start Johns as halfback, no question about it."

Steve Mortimer, "I believe it has to be Andrew Johns. He's a brilliant player, he's coming back to full fitness and you've got to select him in the position he plays best, where he can be really dominant. I'd put Brett Kimmorley on the bench along with three forwards."

Peter Sterling, "Andrew Johns is the best player in the world and has to be our Test No. 7. I have a big wrap on Brett Kimmorley and he is the incumbent, but that was only because of injury to Johns. I'm not one to put specialist halfbacks on the bench, you have to pick utilities so I think you have to make the tough decision at halfback and Johns get my vote."

Ricky Stuart, " A fit Andrew Johns should be the Australian halfback. I'd have Brett on the bench, absolutely, but I wouldn't have Johns at hooker. I don't believe in picking the best 13 players and putting them in certain positions. The selectors have to bite the bullet and pick their best player instead of putting one at hooker and one at half. Andrew is not a great hooker, but he's a brilliant half back."

28 Jun 1997,  Sun Herald -  Selection of Andrew Johns at hooker will represent a show of faith by selectors. With one Origin match plus 40 minutes of club football on the board this year, Johns, now carrying a two-match suspension will come in desperately short of the match practice he needs. But his Wednesday Origin effort considering how "underdone" he was and the punishment he took, was little short of remarkable. 

'Joey' further showed his determination this year,  as he did last year, by playing through the final half-dozen rounds with multiple injuries requiring surgery. A great class player and crowd pleaser all-round.  Andrew Johns recovered from these early season injury's to score 200 points and break his own single season pointscoring record (194), which he set in 1995.

I'll never fight again 28 Jun 1997, Sun Herald
Andrew Johns has vowed never to fight again after copping 25 stitches and a two-match suspension for instigating Wednesday night's State of Origin brawl. "I was embarrassed by it all," Johns said. "I look like the elephant man. I've had only two fights on the field and both have been in State of Origin games. "The first was against Adrian Lam. We just danced around a bit and wrestled. I didn't cop 25 stitches, though. I won't be fighting again."  Judiciary chairman Alan Sullivan suspended Johns and Queensland hooker Jamie Goddard for two matches but blamed Johns for starting the fight. Johns said he did not recall pushing past referee Eddie Ward to attack Goddard - and he admitted the straight right from Goddard that greeted his arrival remained a blur. A slow motion replay of the incident shows Johns was pulled off balance when Ben Ikin grabbed him by the jumper just moments before the Goddard bomb landed. "I won't be eating oranges for a while," he managed to joke. "It was one of the first games my girlfriend Renae has actually seen me play. I think (the scar) is here to stay. I might have to get myself a wife. I'm not a pretty sight." 
Johns said there were no hard feelings with Goddard. "We swapped shorts and jumpers and shook hands after the game," he added. "He's a good bloke." It was the first game Johns has completed this season after a horrid run of injuries. He will miss two games for Newcastle but will be available for the Australian team for the July 11 game against the Rest of the World. Johns proved just how tough and valuable a player he is when he returned to the field and scored a vital try for NSW. He can take heart in a comment from his grandmother, June, who lives with Andrew at his Newcastle home. June reasoned that while Andrew had taken a lesson at the hands of Goddard, her boy had done good. "He goes all right (fighting) as a rule," June said, in a mischievous voice that offered a mixture of scorn and pride. "He got a couple of good ones in in that second scuffle but by golly did he cop it in the third." 

Johns's brilliance pierces gloom -  13 Jul 1997, Sydney Morning Herald 
Mal Reilly can't throw dummies like his brilliant half Andrew Johns. Asked after yesterday's 30-0 demolition of South Sydney whether Johns is now likely to start on Sunday against Parramatta, Reilly eyed the press and said: "You'll have to wait until Tuesday." For reasons known only to coaches, Reilly refused to concede there was no way he could keep Johns out of the side any longer. He may as well try to hold back the rain, which has dogged the Knights' home matches so severely that three of their four lowest crowd totals ever have come in 1997. Johns came off the bench yesterday to set up two tries and breathe life into a Newcastle side that, even Reilly admitted, was having trouble executing. The Knights move up a gear whenever Johns is on the field. "He's obviously an element we have been missing all season," Reilly said. "And now he's relatively fresh and very enthusiastic, as you could see." 

Johns will be `best in world'  -  15 Jul 1997, Illawarra Mercury
Newcastle football manager David Morley last night predicted freakish halfback Andrew Johns was a year away from becoming the best rugby league player in the world. Johns, after missing most of the season because of ankle problems, was yesterday named in Newcastle's starting line-up in his preferred halfback position - incredibly, for the first time this year. After representing NSW and the ARL Test team with about 40 minutes of club football under his belt, Johns turned in a match-winning performance against South Sydney last Sunday to demand a starting spot from coach Mal Reilly. Morley, who does not unduly praise any of his players, said Johns was destined to be rated alongside the world's best in the near future. "I know this is a big statement, but if Andrew isn't the best player in the world now he will be in about 12 months time," Morley said. "He's very tough, he's got great hands, a great passing game, he's got vision and most of all he's very competitive. "He's just got to win everything he does. He's got that special passion that can separate the great players from a lot of the others. "Andrew back in the starting team is going to make a hell of a difference to us." 
Morley claimed the passion shared by Johns and his Knights team-mates, led by inspirational captain Paul Harragon, was a key factor in the club's run to the semi-finals. The Knights share equal third place with North Sydney but they could jump into second spot with a win over Parramatta at Parramatta Stadium on Sunday. "If you want to win a grand final you've got to have passion," Morley said. "The Johns brothers, Harragon, Tony Butterfield, all of them, I think they've got that type of feeling that can win a club a premiership." 
Morley stressed the efforts of stand-in halfback Leo Dynevor, who has been shifted to reserve grade for Johns, should be appreciated by the club's fans. "We wouldn't be where we are now without his performances this season while Andrew has been away," Morley said. "He's got every right to feel unlucky to be in reserve grade." 

Johns better together -  26 Jul 1997, Sun Herald Section
Five-eighth Matthew Johns admits the more games he plays alongside his brilliant younger brother Andrew, the harder it will be for the pair to part company in 1998. Just three weeks back from injury and suspension, Andrew Johns produced a performance some rated his best in Friday night's 42-18 hammering of Wests. And word from the Marathon Stadium crowd of 17,197 was that Matthew's form wasn't far behind. The pair were involved in six of the side's eight tries - proving just how valuable they are to Newcastle's rugby league future. But with the club struggling to find money to keep both players next season, it is becoming increasingly likely the pair may have to split. "For the first time in my career I have absolutely no idea what I'm going to do," Matthew said. "When I'm playing with Andrew, it just makes so much difference to my game. "When Andrew is not playing, I sometimes think I have too much responsibility on me. "In the off-season Andrew and I do all our training together. What it means is that on the field we don't play a lot of set moves. Most is just instinct. A wink is as good as a nod." Matthew said he was now totally focused on the showdown with Manly on Friday night - in front of what is being tipped to be a sellout 30,000 crowd. Matthew rated the defending premiers still the side to beat in the 1997 competition despite their 17-10 loss to the joint competition leaders, Parramatta. "When was the last time they lost two in a row?" he said. "Friday night is going to be such an important game for us. Parramatta are a good side, but Manly are still the side to beat."

Injured Johns in doubt for final -  21 Sep 1997,  Newcastle Herald
Newcastle Knights halfback Andrew Johns remains in doubt for next Sunday's Optus Cup grand final against Manly after aggravating his rib cartilage injury in Saturday's stirring 17-12 win over North Sydney at the Sydney Football Stadium. Johns was taken to a Sydney hospital on Saturday night for X-rays and will have further scans today. There are fears he may even have a cracked rib but if that is the case, the Knights will do their best to try to conceal it during the build-up to the decider. The gutsy playmaker needed a pain-killing injection just to take the field and his grubber kicks led to Newcastle's first two tries and a 12-4 lead at half-time. 
Knights medical officer Dr Peter McGeoch said Johns complained of increased pain around his ribs, shortness of breath and was feeling faint. Despite another needle, he remained off the field and Leo Dynevor took his place. Johns returned in the dramatic final stages but only lasted two minutes and was in distress after the match, with club officials and medical staff shielding him from the media. `He got crunched about five or 10 minutes before half-time and we think that's when he aggravated it,' Dr McGeoch said on Saturday. 
Johns attended the team's pool session yesterday morning but Dr McGeoch said the player's availability would not be determined until game day. `The x-rays were not all that clear so he will have more tomorrow but it's probably an aggravation of his rib cartilage injury,' he said. `He's not too bad today but it's going to go down to the wire whether he plays or not. `I don't think there's too many other dramas out of the game. 
 

Johns crawled out of his hospital bed with a punctured lung and broken ribs to lead Newcastle to their unforgettable 1997 ARL grand final win over Manly.  Radio's 2JJJ's HG Nelson and Roy Slaven christened Andrew Johns as "one bung lung" throughout their entertaining call of the 1997 decider.

Johns vows: I will play 24 Sep 1997,  Sydney Morning Herald
Newcastle's Andrew Johns will need legal approval before he can play in Sunday's grand final, according to club doctor Neil Halpin. Johns left hospital yesterday after having a partial lung collapse reinflated, and immediately declared himself a starter in Sunday's decider against Manly. But Halpin said the delicate state of Johns's lung would require advice from Newcastle's legal advisers before the star halfback was declared available. Johns admitted as much himself, saying the club was concerned it might be left open to claims of malpractice or negligence should something go wrong if he made it on to the field. 
Halpin said last night he had received advice from three heart and lung specialists who all confirmed Johns should be able to play. He said while that should count heavily towards clearing the way for Johns, the club was aware there might be legal implications if complications arose. "I'm no expert in law, it's for a lawyer to say [whether the club might be legally liable], so we'll run this past the club's legal advisers," Halpin said. "We have taken advice from cardio-thoracic [heart and lung] specialists and a respiratory specialist and they seem to think he will be OK to play." 
Johns will have further tests today and tomorrow but believes, on the advice of his specialists, that he will be able to start the match. "Obviously they're not going to let me play if it was life-threatening, so I'll just have a couple more tests and see how it goes," he said. "I'm not a doctor, so if they said there's no risk, I should be OK. But they are a bit worried to let me go from a legal point of view." If legal advice clears the way for Johns to start, he will still have to convince Halpin and coach Mal Reilly - at a fitness test scheduled tomorrow - that he can see out the game. Meanwhile, the halfback will relax to enable his lung to mend. Johns will not attend today's grand final breakfast, preferring to remain in Newcastle to avoid added stress on his body. His brother, five-eighth Matthew Johns, told Channel 10 last night: "We're both off contract at the end of the year and there's no guarantee we'll play together again. So we'll have to make it a big one." 
The Knights will have two specialists at the match on Sunday to care for Johns, but Reilly said this was still no guarantee he would start the game. "Injuries will play a significant role because it's going to be a very physical encounter," Reilly said. "The knocks will be exposed and the fatigue factor in the last 15 minutes will be important. That's where the game will really be decided. "The last thing I want is a situation to occur where we start a game and a player can't finish. Assuming Johns is cleared by Knights lawyers, he will force Leo Dynevor back to the bench. Johns spent the first  half of grand final week in hospital to keep his ling inflated but ended up making the match winning play for Darren Albert in the final seconds of Newcastle's famous premiership victory over Manly. He played a blinder just six days after undergoing surgery for a punctured lung. Some medical experts said he should not have played. It was typical of the Knights' spirit.

Doctoral thesis was the pits -  Sydney Morning Herald
"JOHNS COULD DIE" screamed the tabloid headline based on comments from Manly league doctor Nathan Gibbs on Andrew Johns and his gammy lung. Unfortunately for Manly, the younger Johns was healthy enough to throw the final pass for winger Darren Albert's premiership-winning try. But last Sunday's emotional victory hasn't soothed the Newcastle rage at the story. The Knights, as they say in the coalmines, are filthy dirty. We suggest Gibbs leave the pre-match psychological games to others and busy himself with more pressing matters, such as the cerebral welfare of Geoff Toovey, his bravest warrior, who takes more than his share of brain-rattling high shots. FINAL word on the "JOHNS COULD DIE" saga: There was far more chance of Andrew Johns doing harm to himself this week via post-match alcohol poisoning, or perhaps via his stage- jumping at a rock concert, than there was playing a game of footy against Manly. 

OH BROTHER!  -  26 Sep 1997,  Illawarra Mercury
Manly will be gunning for brilliant Newcastle halfback Andrew Johns right from the kick-off in the ARL grand final at the Sydney Football Stadium tomorrow, but they will have to go through his brother, Matthew, first. Matthew yesterday declared he would increase his already demanding workload in the grand final against Manly by acting as a bodyguard for his younger brother. 
Andrew, the Knights' chief playmaker, will be playing just six days after undergoing surgery for a punctured lung, sustained in the bruising sudden-death playoff win over Norths last week. Matthew told The Mercury he planned to personally ease the pressure on his little brother. His pledge came just hours after several Manly players intimated Andrew would be the target for heavy attention. "I have got some extra responsibility I guess with what has happened to Andrew, and I can tell you I will relish it," he said. "I am sweet. I am ready for it. I have trained for it all year. "And the same thing happened last week when he went off the field and the roles for everyone changed a bit. But I am in a position where, in certain situations, I can reduce the pressure on him and the workload. And that is what I will do. He is so vital to the team. We need him on the field, rather than off it." 
Matthew admitted he had spent some time in anguish this week. Andrew was rushed to hospital on Sunday night and spent the next four days there. "Andrew is very tough and it was always going to take a lot to keep him off the field," Matthew said. "But I was always thinking I would hate for him to go out there and risk permanent injury. I would not let him do that ... no way. "Everyone will be looking out for him. He has been cleared by the best possible people. We all believe his condition cannot get any worse than it has earlier this week. I am sure he will be OK." 
Matthew Johns admitted the squad had been distracted at certain times over the saga surrounding Andrew's injury, but he said experience was playing its part in the latter stages of this week. None of the Newcastle players have been in a first grade grand final before. But the majority of the Manly players have. However, Matthew insists the Knights will not choke on the occasion. "Having all the blokes that have played State of Origin and Test football in the Newcastle team really has helped," he said. "It has assisted in the way we have prepared too. "We will be on for the match. You don't come this far to go out there and play like shrinking violets." 
 

As Andrew was building a mound Matthew made a beeline for his younger brother.  When he looked up and saw Matthew, Andrew dropped the ball and the pair embraced. That image embodied the family spirit which is the very core of the Newcastle Knights. It still sends shivers up and down my spine to look at the photo taken that day of me and Joe embracing (after the 1997 Grand final win) - Matty Johns

Joey's dash of blind faith -  Paul Harragon
With less than 60 seconds left on the clock, John Hopoate was caught with the ball on the sixth tackle on our 40m line. That gave us the ball back in good field position but we had less than a minute. I noticed Andrew Johns run to dummy half about 20m from Manly's line after his field goal attempt was charged down. The clock now showed 20 seconds . . . and counting. Joey took off down the blind side . . . 15 . . . 14 . . .13 . . . He popped a pass back inside to Darren Albert . . . 10 . . . 9 . . .8 . . . and our very own Scone thoroughbred sprinted away to score the try of our lives. It happened right in front of me but I'm convinced time stood still. It was unreal! It was impossible!
Surely Manly's defensive line would not, could not, open up as it did so close to their own goal line, so close to the end of the game. If Alby scores, we win the game. There was no time left. Were we supposed to win? You bet we were! It was as if the arms of God opened up and Albert ran right in. Such is his knowledge of the game, combined with the courage to back himself in any situation, that Andrew "Joey" Johns considered this play a couple of weeks earlier. He worked out that against Manly you could utilise the blind side on the sixth tackle because of the way they went straight into slide defence. It wasn't the last tackle of the set but it was the last play of the game. With the exception of Joey, everybody on the field and everyone watching the game, at the ground or on television, expected him to come back to the middle to give someone a last shot at field goal. Only 20 seconds left. What a time to test his theory. Only a bloke like Joey could have pulled it off. That's Andrew Johns all over. It sounded so simple in theory but it took a brave soul to pull it off. He had no right even to play after spending the first half of the week in hospital with busted ribs and a punctured lung. Thank goodness he did! 

For sale by 4.35pm  -  27 Sep 1997,  Sun Herald
 WIN, lose or draw in the grand final there are no guarantees about the gilt-edged Johns brothers staying with Newcastle. At 4.35pm today, with the last shrill of referee David Manson's whistle, the brothers are free agents. But John Fordham, manager of Andrew and Matthew, says their futures would be made on "commercial reality, not emotion". 
The Knights have already lost three players - representative back-rower Adam Muir (North Sydney), lock Marc Glanville (Leeds) and flying winger Darren Albert (Hunter). On top of that, the club is yet to sign utility forward Bill Peden, halfback Leo Dynevor, centre Adam MacDougall and hooker Lee Jackson. The Knights will also have to upgrade the contracts of some of their younger stars. The winner of today's game will receive $500,000 and the loser $375,000. It will cost the Knights $1.2 million - a season - just to keep the Johns brothers. On the eeve of the Knights' biggest football occasion, Fordham told The Sun- Herald he had received an offer for almost that amount from a high-profile ARL club that desperately wants both players. "There's no question these boys have coal dust on them," said Fordham. "They are from the very fibre of the Newcastle coalfields. And we know the club will work very hard to stress the loyalty thing. "Well, loyalty's fine and you wouldn't find anyone more loyal than Matthew and Andrew. "They have been outstanding examples of Novocastrian youth. "But I'm sure Clive Churchill was loyal when he was at Central Newcastle and Les Johns was loyal when he was at South Newcastle. But both of them moved on; and that's the way it is. "Life changes and goes on. "There is perhaps a perception abroad [in Newcastle] that the boys will just roll over and stay there - and especially so if the Knights win the premiership. "Well, it's just not the case." 
The question of the Johns' future plan was placed in a holding file a month ago. But since then the offers have continued to mount on Fordham's desk. Fordham revealed one club had made a formal offer of $600,000 for one player and a slightly lower amount for the second. "I cannot name which club it is but it is one very high-profile ARL club," he said. "The view the Knights have is that they have a handshake agreement with the boys. "My view is that I was not present when that took place. "I don't feel compelled to give the Knights last rights on the boys. I am not going to get in a Dutch auction over it. "We said to them everything's on hold because you might get to play in one of those rare things called a grand final. "Now it's happening. "Until the end of tomorrow's game things have been in the control of Newcastle club because of the contractual arrangement. "But come Sunday, it turns - and we hold the aces." 
Fordham said the Knights, whose chairman Michael Hill has been a close friend for 30 years, would be given "every chance" in the forthcoming negotiations. "If Newcastle is able to be competitive with the contracts they've got in mind, there will be a reasonable chance that the boys will stay. "The fact is their hearts are in Newcastle. "But we have to be realistic - plenty of players have changed clubs over the years, while their hearts have remained where they traditionally belonged. "Look at blokes like John O'Neill, Bob McCarthy and Ron Coote. At the end of the day they were South Sydney men, regardless of the moves they had made as players." 
Decisions on the playing futures of the brothers might be delayed longer than anticipated in the light of the game's current climate - with possible reconciliation (and one competition) in the air. "There are certainly positive vibes around about that," said Fordham. "And if it does happen, a lot more options will become available to Matthew and Andrew. "On that basis we would be foolish to jump in too quickly. "If Newcastle are able to get close to what we regard as a fair and equitable market price, chances are they'll stay there. "But if it's not the case - in either instance - there's no question that the boys will be quite prepared to play elsewhere. "The bottom line of it all is that it is a business decision that has to be made. 
"Emotion is one thing - commercial reality another." 

'Joey' does OK for a cripple on his deathbed 28 Sep 1997,   Sydney Morning Herald
Andrew Johns didn't die. He kicked four goals, set up a match-winning try and showed how well a piece of hose and pipe can go to fixing up a bung lung. He raised his fingers in triumphant salutes during the match, knocked Craig Field over a tad after he passed the ball, and generally did what everyone thought he wouldn't be able to do. He did everything but die, which the Manly doctor said during the week he might. It spilled across a back-page headline, upsetting the Knights so much they considered banning the reporter from the dressing-room after the match. To their credit, they didn't. Any such drama would have only detracted from their effort, although they saw it as a ploy to detract from their game. But there was no denying it fired up the Knights. "He was more upset with comments made by the press than he was hurt by the lung," Robbie O'Davis said. "We knew every single day he was all right because he was coming to training with us. Everyone was saying he was dying, yet he was running around like a two-year-old." 
There was no problem with the lung. In fact, the lung was so good that in its own way it became responsible for a little black gear bag, at the feet of a Manly trainer, being taken back to the dressing-room. More on that later. Even midway through the first half, when Johns reached out to score a sneak try in the corner, the gasper was doing fine. As Johns reached out his arm, players crashed into him, coming down heavily on his ribs. He got up sore and headed back into the defensive line but, instead of taking up his normal role on the edge of the ruck, he stood on Darren Albert's wing and nursed his damaged ribs. The trainers on the sideline were running around like there was a fox in the henhouse. From the grandstand, coach Mal Reilly had radioed his concern and they wanted to know what in heck was wrong with "Joey". But Johns waved them away. The ribs were the original injury, see, the one that eventually led to all the drama with the lung. And though he thought he could stick it out again, it nearly had disastrous consequences. A second knock saw a trainer run to the sideline telling another trainer Johns "was gone". "He's hurting in the ribs but not with his breathing," the trainer said. Leo Dynevor began warming up, but Johns waved his replacement away. Knights doctor Peter McGeoch admitted Johns almost had to leave the field then. "But we gave him a top-up of his pain-killing injection at half-time and he was OK," McGeoch said. He would not comment on how many injections Johns needed before kick-off, saying: "Just the usual." 

The dynamic Duo by David Page,  Newcastle Morning Herald
It was no surprise that the Johns brothers quickly found each other when Darren Alberts try triggered that start of the longest pary in Newcastles history.  Matthew fell to the ground near the quarter line and held his head in his hands.  Like Albert, younger brother Andrew, the architect of the stunning finish, was being mobbed by team mates.  he eventually broke from the huddle and moved in front of the posts to carry out the formalities of the conversion.  As Andrew was building a mound Matthew made a beeline for his younger brother.  When he looked up and saw Matthew, Andrew dropped the ball and the pair embraced. That image embodied the family spirit which is the very core of the Newcastle Knights. The Johns boys are close.  In fact, you would struggle to find closer brothers.  Their concern for one another is a legacy of the family bond which developed as they grew up in Cessnock.  While the choice of their own bedroom was always there, the brothers preferred to stick together and fight over the top bunk.  Like most brothers, Andrew and Matthew share a thousand and one experiences.  But, while their common history has helped foster a remarkable rapport, their is no escaping the face that they are very different people.
The contrasting scenes at their homes on match day, alone, is evidence of this.  Father Gary, usually calls on his boys on the morning of a game.  He arrives at Andrews house to find his youngest son not in the last bit pre occupied with football.  The stereo is blasting out 'thrash' music and Andrew is wrestling with his dog.  The noise and commotion at Andrews house quickly gets too much for Gary, who beats a hasty retreat and heads up the road to Matthews.  There he finds his other son absorbed in pre match quiet.  Matthew's wife treats on eggshells as she tries her best not to upset him. 
Through his (Matthews) formative seasons in first grade, Matthew was prone to blame himself whenever Newcastle went through slumps.  He figured the reason the team was struggling was down to his own bad form, so he responded by training six hours every day, sometimes until he was physically sick, in an attempt to rectify that situation. 
The brothers contrasting dispositions were underlined during the height of the Super League war.  According to their father, the whole saga went straight over Andrews head.  Meanwhile Matthew was the one handling all the questions from his team mates.  Rather than embrace his younger brother, Matthew was probably entitled to develop a complex about him.  Success, at both sports and school, came easily for Andrew, results for Matthew meanwhile, were achieved only by hard work.  But despite that, their parents proudly observed that Matthew has never implied a hint of jealously - even when three and a half year old Andrew captained the under 9 soccer team which also included five year old Matthew.  While Andrew was an automatic choice for representative sides, Matthew needed to develop more discipline and resolve to fight on after selectors over looked him.  It was a trait which stood out in the results of a psychology test the pair once took for Knights coach Mal Reilly.  The brothers scored the same on ever aspect.... except discipline. The reading came as no surprise to their parents.
Andrew has always marched to the beat of his own drum.  His mum was startled to find her four year old son at the door in the middle of a schoold day not long after he had started kindergarten.  "I've been bloody expelled for swearing/" announced Andrew.  The night before, his father had returned home late after endulging in a few beers following touch football.  The two boys chortled as dad tried to talk his way out of trouble. "Don't get cross," he told his wife, "I have got you something."
He produced a puppy from behind his back.  Andrew related the story at kindergarted and said the dogs name was "BEEFER".  Quizzed by his teached on the origins of the unusual title, Andrew triumphantly explained "B for.... Bastard."  he then received his marching orders.
Both Johns boys were huge winners in the cash explosion which rained upon the players during 1995.  When the knights intially became the centre of a tug of war between the ARL and Super League their market value soared line on one could have imagined.  The wait for Super League officials late into the night in a motel room across town was in vain.  In a room above the grandstand at Marathon Stadium, the johns boys had just agreed to amazing terms offered by Phil Gould on behalf of the ARL..  A couple of hours later, at three in the morning, they rang their parents.  "We're millionaires!" they announced to mum and dad. 

Can the Knights keep a hold on the Johns boys? - 14 Aug 1997,   Illawarra Mercury
The people of Newcastle are facing a crisis. There's no threat of another devastating earthquake. Nor is BHP poised to follow their earlier lead and completely close their operations in the Hunter. The crisis is in rugby league. And it revolves around an unthinkable scenario for Newcastle Knights fans - losing Matthew and Andrew Johns to another club. The Knights' dynamic midfield duo come off contract this year and as they will be in hot demand. There is said to be more than a dozen clubs interested in the Johns brothers, either separately or as a package deal. Some of the reported offers have been staggering. Andrew, now rated one of the top five players in the world, can command more than $650,000 a season while Matthew, also an international, will cost a club around $500,000. As a package they will cost any club - ARL or Super League - more than $1 millioon a year. And there is a host of clubs willing - and able - to pay it. However, the decision does not just hinge on money. The Johns boys are Newcastle born and raised. They love the town and the Knights and the feeling is mutual. And that is what Newcastle fans are nervously hoping will keep them at Marathon Stadium next season and beyond. However, while emotion will play a big part, the Newcastle club have also indicated they are willing to counter bid against any league heavyweight's offer. 
Luckily the Knights are in a solid financial state so they are in a position to fight on fair ground to keep the Johns brothers at Marathon Stadium. And apart from realising the Johns' crowd-pulling ability, the club recognise the Knights' onfield performances will almost certainly wane should they lose their two most lethal attacking weapons - with the bonus that Andrew is one of the best goalkickers in the game. The Knights this year endured a taste of life without the Johns boys when both players were injured. While the team were winning a good share of games and staying in the preferred half of the competition table, there was something missing. Knights captain Paul Harragon said that edge - which lifts Newcastle over some of the better sides - returned when the Johns boys did. "It goes without saying that the Johns boys are extremely important to the Newcastle team," Harragon said. "Not only are they each brilliant players and a magnificent combination, but they are also good team blokes. "Most teams' halfbacks are your most important players on the field but these blokes have everything. "They have the talent, the calibre, the skill and the type of personality that lifts everyone around them. "But the thing is that they are not just brilliant players. "They are also very aggressive and strong and both can defend. "Simply, they have everything. "It is hard to imagine the Newcastle side without them." 

School ties  - 3 Sep 1997,  Newcastle Herald
St Peter's College in the heart of the coalfields is the alma mater of gifted halves Matthew and Andrew Johns, all-purpose forward Bill Peden and utility back Mark Hughes. The Johns brothers and Peden have been regular first-graders for the past few years, but since Hughes was called up mid-season the four St Peter's boys have been together in the top side as the Knights stormed into the Optus Cup finals. The Knights quartet visited their old schoolyard yesterday and remembered the days when playing for Newcastle, let alone NSW or Australia, was just a dream. 
'Andrew was a real favourite with the Papua New Guineans. They called him "Sterlo",' Love said. 'Andrew always had that something special about him. He really stood out and had that flair.  Matthew was more of a steady player who just worked and worked to improve. 'Matthew was in Year 12 in my first year (1989) and we had a really good side. 'We had a good side in 1990 as well. "Joey" and Chris Dever were in that side and we lost on the bell to Farrar in the Commonwealth Bank Cup but beat them later when we won the State knock-out.' Andrew said he had never considered the presence of the four ex-St Peter's students being Knights team-mates until they got together yesterday. 'Billy was gone by the time I got there, Matt was two years above me and Hughesy was a couple of years below me,' But I have some good memories. We made the last eight of the Commonwealth Bank Cup in Year 11 and won the State championship the same year. 

Johns boys' future at Newcastle -  28 Sep 1997,  Illawarra Mercury
Andrew Johns last night admitted he and brother Matthew were almost certain to play out their careers at Newcastle after playing key roles in the most extraordinary ARL grand final finish ever witnessed. Against virtually all predictions and with time running out, the Knights created history by snatching their first premiership with a "miracle" try by winger Darren Albert just seconds before full-time. The upset 22-16 win over reigning premiers Manly, in a ferociously-contested match, sparked probably the most emotional scenes seen at the Sydney Football Stadium as Newcastle players wept openly, and their large contingent of supporters in the ground-record 42,482 crowd celebrated. 
With 79 buses, two eight-carriage express trains, and hundreds of private cars winding their way back to Newcastle last night, the scenes were set to be repeated for days, with the battling steel city having finally found a positive to focus on. And while both insisted they didn't want to make a decision based on emotion, Andrew conceded it would now be virtually impossible for either him, or Matthew, to leave the Knights, though their contracts expired with the full-time whistle. "With this victory and the way the town's got behind us, the club's obviously going to be better off financially, and hopefully that means Matthew and I will stay together at Newcastle," Johns said. 

Johns beats broken ribs pain for great gain - 30 Sep 1997,  Newcastle Herald 
NEWCASTLE Knights grand final hero Andrew Johns admitted yesterday that he played in Sunday's 22-16 win over Manly with broken ribs. The gutsy halfback was the centre of intense media scrutiny in the build-up to the match after needing surgery to reinflate a perforated lung. But he and the club successfully managed to cover up the fact that three of his ribs were fractured. Johns needed pain-killing injections before and during the thrilling decider, took several heavy knocks which almost forced him off the field and even vomited at one stage. But he managed to complete the 80 gripping minutes and helped set up the match-winning try for winger Darren Albert, as well as having a hand in the two tries by Robbie O'Davis and kicking four goals from five attempts. `The bone scan showed up a couple of broken ribs,' Johns said yesterday amid seemingly ever-ending victory celebrations. 
`Once the painkiller wore off it was pretty sore but there was no way I was going to miss the game so I just put up with it. `I can't feel much pain now.' Johns suffered the injury when kneed in the back by Jason Smith after scoring a crucial try against Parramatta in the first weekend of the finals series. The Knights originally thought he had only sustained rib cartilage damage but it was enough to force him out of the major qualifying semifinal against Manly the following week, which the Sea Eagles won 27-12. Johns returned against North Sydney for the preliminary final the week before the grand final but a heavy tackle just before half-time prevented him from returning for the second half. Knights medical officer Dr Peter McGeoch said initial X-rays had not revealed any break but subsequent bone scans showed three ribs were fractured. `With players as young as Andrew, rib fractures don't always show up on an X-ray because sometimes the ribs aren't calcified at that stage,' McGeoch said. `The CAT scan showed no displaced ribs, no bony fragments or anything dangerous like that, but a likely fracture. `He's such an amazing kid. `He was playing in a lot of pain so he showed a lot of mental toughness to put that sort of pain out of his mind.' McGeoch said that even with the fractured ribs, Johns was at no increased risk of suffering further substantial damage to his ribs or lung. `We had expert advice, a written report from a cardio-thoracic surgeon, to say Andrew was safe to play the game,' he said. Johns said he was ready to leave the game for a breather during the first half and even came to the sideline as back-up Leo Dynevor warmed up but he returned to help the Knights achieve their finest victory. It was also revealed yesterday that while he was lining up the penalty goal which trimmed Manly's 16-8 lead back to 16-10 in the 55th minute, Johns was doubled over and vomiting. 
 

In 1997 after winning the Optus Cup, Andrew Johns conceded that it would be virtually impossible for him and brother Matthew not to re-sign for the club.

Johns' record Knights deal, 24 Oct 1997,  Illawarra Mercury
The commitment of their team-mates towards winning a united rugby league competition convinced Matthew and Andrew Johns to accept the biggest offer in Newcastle football history. But the brothers will have an influence on the club's fortunes beyond their three-year $3 million deal. The Johns yesterday ended months of speculation over their futures when they re-signed with the Australian Rugby League premiers until 2001 in a package believed to worth $500,000 per season each. But almost as significant for the hopes of future success was the revelation that the brothers would also work as talent scouts and recruitment officers for Newcastle as part of their contracts. "They are obviously going to have a tremendous contribution to make apart from what they can do on the playing field," Knights chief executive Ian Bonnette said. Andrew, who said his aim now was to break former Canterbury great Terry Lamb's record of 349 first grade games, played down his off-field involvement as being one of self interest. "I'm 23 now so I've probably got another one or two contracts, but for me to be able to shine I'm going to need to be playing behind good forwards and have centres who can run angles and things like that," Andrew said. 
But their new roles are yet another extension of ties the Johns have to the Newcastle community - making highly unlikely either would have left, despite offers from 12 rival ARL and Super League clubs. Andrew confirmed he had decided last month to remain in Newcastle and said he has since been trying to persuade Matthew to do the same, a task made easier after Matthew's wife Tess gave birth to son Jack. "We both seem to play better when we are playing off one another," Andrew said. But in the end, Matthew said it was the desire of other Knights to win a second premiership in a united competition that made up his mind. 
Johns began his grand final week in hospital for treatment on his punctured lung.  Johns acting on advice from his specialist took pain killing injections before and during the game.  At one point the pain was so intense that Johns was resigned to coming off,  coach Mal Reilly had other ideas.  Leo Dynevor was set to replace Johns, but no sooner had Johns made his way to the sideline in distress that he was made to do an about face to rejoin the game.  "I wanted to come off but Mal said 'No way"  and you can't argue with that."  explains Johns.  Johns ended the game with five goals, a hand in two tries and a brilliant all round performance.

Paul Harragon on Andrew Johns,  1997
Someone once asked me if I looked at the scoreboard after Darrens try. I didn't, The record books tell me that Joey kicked the conversion but I still haven't seen him take it. Thats how little I was worried about the score. It wasn't an issue during the game and it didn't bother me afterwards. When it came time to walk to the dais, I was again on automatic pilot. Joey worked out that against Manly you could utilise that blind side on the sixth tackle because of the way they went straight into slide defence. It wasn't the last tackle of the set but it was the last play of the game. Everyone watching the game expected Joey to turn it back inside towards the centre to give someone a last shot at field goal. There were only twenty seconds left. Innes couldn't stop Joey from off loading, and with a massive gap caused by the two players sliding, a massive gap developed, exaggerated by nevin slipping over. Joey was able to pick up Alby cutting back on his left and the kid ran away with the game. Only a bloke like Joey could have pulled it off, especially after discussing it a few weeks earlier. Thats Andrew Johns all over.  He had no right to even play after spending the first half of the week in hospital with busted ribs and a punctured lung.

Johns goes under the knife -  12 Dec 1997,  Newcastle Herald 
Newcastle Knights halfback Andrew Johns is about to go back into hospital to have shoulder surgery and could be sidelined from off-season training for up to eight weeks. Johns will have bone spurs removed from his right shoulder and arthritis treated, capping an injury-riddled season for the architect of Darren Albert's grand final-winning try against Manly. Knights surgeon Dr Neil Halpin estimated a maximum of six to eight weeks from the time of the operation to Johns's return to full fitness, coach Malcolm Reilly hoped it would be more like five weeks, while Johns was confident it would be even less than that. The 23-year-old playmaker first damaged his shoulder when he was up-ended and driven into the ground by Manly's Nik Kosef during the premiership game at Marathon Stadium in 1995. Johns suffered a slight crack in the AC joint and spent several weeks out before returning to help take the Knights within a game of the grand final. `That healed up fine but it produced some arthritis in the AC joint. He's been fine with it since then but he also damaged it in the grand final this year and that finished it off,' Halpin said. `He had a lot of pain in it and saw me a couple of weeks ago for a cortisone injection but that didn't really make a lot of difference. X-rays have shown there's a fair bit of arthritis now in the AC joint so we'll just clip off the spurs there and take out a bit of cartilage and he'll be fine. `The operation almost always fixes it up permanently without any weakness and the alternative, if we left it, would probably mean pain indefinitely and he'd start on the round of pain-killing injections for games and it's crazy to start a year doing that.' Johns said he saw Halpin and specialist Dr Michael Johnson in Sydney yesterday and the surgery would be performed `in the next day or so'.