Joey squares the ledger at last  -  September 24, 2001 
Andrew Johns can go into next Sunday's Grand Final with a clear conscience after finally squaring the ledger on the darkest moment of his career last Saturday night.  It's taken him a little over 12 months, but Johns has finally eradicated the greatest nightmare of his rugby league life.  Minutes after leading the Knights to an epic preliminary final victory over the Sharks, he reflected on the corresponding game last season. It was on that night when Johns whooped and yahooed as the Knights seemed to have a Grand Final berth booked against Sydney Roosters, only to crumble to a shock late defeat. "I think I have finally put that game to bed now," a relieved Johns said.  "It's a night that has been haunting me all year and I can't tell you how much it hurt.  "People have been bagging me ever since, but I can now finally let it go and start thinking about the Grand Final." 
Even on one leg, Johns was good enough to get the Knights into the premiership decider next Sunday. Hampered by a hip flexor injury, Johns needed constant treatment during the match but still came up with the knockout blows to put a courageous Sharks side to the canvas.  "It wasn't my best game skillwise, but I was happy with a few contributions I made," Johns said.  Johns will now be kept in cotton wool for the next few days to allow his leg to recover for the Grand Final.  "It is an injury that he has been carrying for a while and aggravated against the Sharks," Knights medico Dr Peter McGeough said yesterday. "With physiotherapy and an easy week at training, he should be 100 per cent by Grand Final day." 
In a tight, gritty affair at the SFS, heroics were the order of the night. Johns took the gold medal with his ability to conquer pain, but he had plenty of mates in red and blue. Backrower Ben Kennedy, scorer of the game's first and last tries, was the most damaging forward on the field.  Props Josh Perry and Matt Parsons took the battle to their more fancied opponents and their ability to take the ball up from deep in their own territory was a key factor in the win.  Five-eighth Sean Rudder showed some nice touches, while Adam MacDougall worked as an extra forward for much of the night.  The Sharks were gallant in defeat, preventing the classy Knights backline from clicking.  Of Newcastle's three tries, two came from kicks and the third from a Sharks mistake.  Newcastle's defence was just as efficient, however, with both Sharks tries coming from Knights errors.  Sharks five-eighth Adam Dykes left his hospital bed to play and, while he wasn't at his best, his mere presence inspired his teammates.

Knights face the hardest of tests.- Daily Telegraph, 25 Sept 2001
Andrew Johns last night spelled out just how much sundays grand final showdown against parramatta means to him by describing it as "the greatest challenge of my career."  Johns, who dispelled any suggestions he was under a fitness cloud for the match claimed the task in front of the Knights was even bigger that when they won the 1997 ARL premiership.  "The win over Manly in 1997 will always be special because it was our first premiership win and meant so much to everyone in Newcastle.  But it was a split competition back then and there will always be that question mark about whether we were better that the Bronco's that year.  This is different. We are playing a side that has been every bit as dominant as Brisbane has been in the past,  in the best competition int he world.  It really is a massive challenge but I just know we are ready for it. 

Joey's kick catches rivals on their Eels,  September 26, 2001 
ANDREW Johns has developed a new kick -- in time for Sunday's Grand Final. Johns was the picture of relaxed cool at yesterday's media conference and training sessions. Yet he remains aware Sunday's result could turn on a cute kick here or there. He revealed yesterday he had perfected a new kick to add to the resume of spiral bombs, banana kicks, chip kicks, long bombs, grubber kicks, stab kicks and others in his arsenal. Johns has a whole Swiss army knife of kicks to choose from.  "I first picked it up off Noddy," Johns said, crediting rival Australian half Brett Kimmorley with this latest innovation. Showing how relaxed he is about Sunday's decider, Johns chose not to conceal his new kick and run the risk of Parramatta suggesting it was a docile attempt at mind games.  He revealed Kimmorley used the same kick to win Melbourne the Grand Final in 1999. 
While it was not clear whether, back then, Kimmorley meant his kick or not, Johns saw its set-up and impact and has been fine tuning it in practice.  He used it for the first time last week, when he sent the ball towards the sideline where the Sharks' Preston Campbell was defending.  "Preston came in and I sort of hooked it around him, like a banana kick," Johns said.   Campbell proved the perfect foil, with Knights centre Mark Hughes jumping on the ball to score. 
Yesterday, with his troubled quad muscle making him miss the Knights' low-key training session, Johns explained how the new kick worked. "I've been working on it for a couple of months," he said. "Noddy (Kimmorley) did it when the penalty try got awarded; that's when I first saw it. "He looks like he is going to grubber it behind the line, which brings the winger in, then he skews it off the outside of the foot and chips over the winger." In '99, St George Illawarra winger Jamie Ainscough headed infield after Kimmorley's set-up, only to have to turn and chase back when the halfback fired the ball over his head. By then Melbourne winger Craig Smith was under it, only to get hit with a high tackle that dislodged the ball, forcing referee Bill Harrigan to award a penalty try. Johns has added his own twist, a banana kick that swings the ball back towards his runners. If the winger is lazy and remains where the ball is expected to land, it swings away from him anyway. The set-up gives Johns two options. If the winger -- whose job is to cover such kicks -- reacts and heads in-field, Johns then banana kicks the ball over the winger's head, aiming it towards the sideline where his runners are following through. "It works because it goes over their heads," Johns said. "Plus, even if you don't put it on the right spot and don't get it over the winger, they're standing still so your jumpers get over the top of them." Option two, of course, is if the winger refuses to drift infield. Johns simply grubbers the ball behind the line, where the winger should have always been. There is no argument Johns is a footballing genius. 
He introduced the banana kick to rugby league after watching soccer players curve the round ball into the net. 
The banana kick is now a common ploy, with playmakers from rival teams dropping the ball on to the outside of their foot and curling it towards the sideline for touch, or across the face of goals. Both teams will concentrate heavily on defence as their base to a Grand Final win this Sunday. As such, Johns knows kicks will emerge as the X-factor and his new weapon takes no special set-up to pull off. "Just one call," he said. For defending wingers, the trick is to know when. 

Peachey drops the 'c' word after Johns spears Sharks,  By Brad Walter 
You know the small (c) beside Andrew Johns's name in the program? Well, according to Sharks skipper David Peachey, that stands for "complete", as well as captain."That's the only word I use to describe him," Peachey said after Johns's remarkable performance on Saturday night to catapult Newcastle into the grand final. "He's the complete footballer, and at the end of the game all I could do was smile."He's the only player that could have done what he did." What Johns did against the Sharks almost defied belief.  Seemingly down and out 12 minutes into the second half after aggravating a troublesome hip injury, it appeared unlikely Johns would see out the game - let alone almost single-handedly carry the Knights to victory. It was one of his finest hours, and that's saying something given Johns's standing as the best player in the game. But you'll get no arguments from the Sharks camp on that score.  "The thing that really stands out for me is his unbelievable consistency with his execution," Sharks coach John Lang said.  "Their second try - we sprinted out of the line at him, he was under unbelievable pressure, and he put the bomb right on the dot."He did that tonight, but he does it all the time. His execution is phenomenal. I just think he probably gave them the edge with his kicking game and his running game. He worried us all night." 
On one leg, too - begging the question of what the Australian halfback might have done if he was fully fit. The other side of the coin, of course, is how Newcastle would have coped if he'd been forced to watch the final 28 minutes from the grandstand of the Sydney Football Stadium.  And we all probably know the answer to that question. In eight games without their playmaker this season, the Knights managed to win just two. But the fact of the matter is that he stayed on the field and - crook or not - turned the game in the final 20 minutes, getting across the line for a disallowed try and then setting up the match winner for Mark Hughes with one of his trademark banana kicks. "I saw him go down a few times but he's the kind of bloke that unless they carry him off he's still pretty much unstoppable," Sharks prop Jason Stevens said. 

How to stop Joey -  September 27, 2001 
Former Test stars and rival NRL coaches believe there are 20 things Parramatta can do to ensure Andrew Johns' doesn't dominate Sunday's Grand Final.  But Knights coach Michael Hagan says shutting down his champion is a losing battle.  Stopping the world's best player is the key to Parramatta winning their first premiership in 15 years. The Daily Telegraph interviewed coaches and former players yesterday to see whether they had identified any chinks in the Johns armoury. For all his magnificent skills, it seems the Knights' opponents believe there are ways for the Eels to lessen his influence on the Grand Final. Former Test halfback Ricky Stuart, the new Sydney Roosters coach and a personal friend of Johns, said he believed the Knights playmaker could be thrown off balance by a few well-chosen words.  "You can get to him by getting in his ear, especially when things aren't going his way," said Stuart. "Joey can get very frustrated. The way to do that is to get in his face in defence.  "His unpredictability in attack means you have to keep alive and have good speed off the line. You can't have him dictating to you." 
Knights coach Hagan is only too aware that "stopping Andrew Johns" will be central to the Eels' game plan on Sunday. But he invited the Eels to do their best in the Grand Final.  "I don't think you can shut him down, but you can limit his impact if you have enough players and put enough pressure on him," Hagan said.  Hagan added that there were no real plans to protect Johns on the field. "The way he takes on the line and the way he plays makes that difficult," Hagan said. Rival coaches were unanimous in their praise of Johns as rugby league's finest - possessing brilliance in every facet of the game. 
Those interviewed were quizzed on Johns' mental approach, his passing game, defence, strength, running, kicking and whether he can be verbally intimidated. Test coach Chris Anderson said to beat the Knights, Johns' impact had to be reduced. "You've got to dictate to him and go at him in defence. That cuts down his effectiveness," he said. "He can get frustrated if things don't go his way. I think Cronulla did it in the last round. He didn't have much ball and when he did he tried to do too much with it." Former Penrith international Greg Alexander picked up the theme. "Because of the expectations he puts on himself, he can be got at and put off. You saw (Sharks forward) Andrew Pierce rile him last weekend," Alexander said.  Former Test and Canberra skipper Laurie Daley has also noted a degree of frustration in Johns' game at times. "This can happen if you get up in his face and not give him the time and space he usually gets," Daley said. 
Warriors coach Daniel Anderson said Johns' kicking game could be suspect. "His kicking can be a bit loose," Anderson said. "A lot of people rave about it, but I don't think it's as strong as some people think. If he is pressured, I think it's the weakest point in his armoury." 
New Zealand Test coach Gary Freeman and former Penrith coach Royce Simmons believe Johns can be targeted in defence. "The only way to attack him in defence is to make him do 30 or 40 tackles rather than the usual 15," Freeman said. Simmons added: "He won't miss too many tackles if you run at him, but if you can fatigue him it might take away from his attacking brilliance." 
Anderson said monitoring Johns' support players was crucial. "You have to tag his support players. He has a lot of flat support players like Robbie O'Davis and Mark Hughes," he said. "But at the same time you have to be mindful of him. It's a big task."  Former Canberra coach Mal Meninga said denying him possession was the answer. "You just keep the football away from him - it's a numbers game. Give him too much football and he'll cut you to pieces." 
 

"I get frustrated at every game, I get frustrated at training and I get frustrated at home when the dinner is cold. It's just a matter of keeping your emotions in check." - Joey Johns

Johns warns sledging could cost Eels
Champion Newcastle halfback Andrew Johns conceded today he could be rattled but warned Parramatta to sledge him at its own peril in Sunday's National Rugby League grand final.  "If they want to concentrate on sledging me, 16 other blokes can punish them," Johns declared. "There's so many great players out there and if they want to concentrate on me it's at their great peril because we've got so many blokes that can put tries on."  The Knights skipper was responding to comments made by former Test stars - including fellow halfback Ricky Stuart - who suggested getting into Johns' ear was the way to unsettle him during the grand final. "I get frustrated at every game," Johns admitted with a smile.  "I get frustrated at training and I get frustrated at home when the dinner is cold.  "It's just a matter of keeping your emotions in check."
Eels coach Brian Smith said his team would be wasting its time trying to target Johns, but he still hoped the halfback would give into his frustrations on Sunday if he was robbed of the ball. "My own personal opinion is that he's beyond being dominated in that sort of fashion," Smith said.  "Everybody's got their breaking point when it comes to pressure.  "I hope he feels free to have another one of those this weekend."
Asked today if his frustrations on the field were an issue he needed to deal with, Johns replied: "I don't know, maybe I've got to settle down and not get so agitated. "It's just a by-product of wanting to win so much."
Johns was quick to point out he had dealt with some of the most notorious sledgers in the game.  "I've played first grade now for eight years, I've played against Ricky Stuart and some of the the best of them so I've had good experience," he said.  The Newcastle captain said he planned to continue a relaxing lead-up to Sunday's game and would begin with the basics when referee Bill Harrigan blows time on.
"Early on I'm just going to try and focus in on getting through our sets and concentrate on our kicking game," he said.  "I think my kicking game was down a little bit last week.  "In the second half, once we got to our kicks, I thought we looked very dangerous.  "I think we've just got to refrain from being in the front line so much." 
Knights coach Michael Hagan said his team needed to improve on applying pressure to Parramatta and admitted at times Newcastle got "ahead of itself" during last week's win over the Sharks. But he said the good news was Newcastle could improve by Sunday.  "We've still got some improvements left in us which is important at this time of year," Hagan said.  Smith was giving away nothing regarding his game plan and was happier to turn the attention back on Newcastle.  Last week Smith directed his forwards to contain bustling Brisbane prop Shane Webcke in their preliminary final but he said the Knights' backs would be the ones to contain on Sunday.  "I think it's fair to say Newcastle, certainly in attack, are a broader game than Brisbane," he said today.  After a relaxed build-up, Smith and Hagan said the serious work now begins.  "It's far too early to start building up to a grand final on Mondays and Tuesdays," Smith said.  "Hopefully we'll get away from these cameras and microphones over the last couple of days and then we'll focus."
Both teams went behind closed doors following the grand final breakfast when Parramatta was presented with a $100,000 cheque for winning the minor premiership.  Knights winger Adam MacDougall trained lightly with the team after missing the trip to Sydney with a mild virus.
 

Eels coach Brian Smith said he hoped Johns would give into his frustrations on Sunday. "My own personal opinion is that he's beyond being dominated in that sort of fashion, everybody's got their breaking point when it comes to pressure. I hope he feels free to have another one of those this weekend."

Joey conducts Circus as Show comes to Town -  27-9-01 Newcastle Morning Herald
The media circus hit town on Tuesday and the Newcastle Knights were the star attraction. A convoy of reporters and camera crews converged on Marathon Stadium as the spotlight was turned on the Knights' preparations for Sunday night's game. The bar at the International Sports Centre (Marathon Stadium) was converted into centre ring and champion Knights halfback Andrew Johns took on the role of ringmaster. It was clear early that this would not be a regulation press conference. The normal tension before a grand final was replaced by a relaxed, carnival atmosphere. Even Knights team mates took vantage spots at the back of the gallery as Johns, club captain Bill Peden, coach Michael Hagan and chief executive officer Ian Bonnette entertained the mob. Attention soon turned to Johns and his leg injury. 'It's fine,' Johns said of his strained right rectus femoris. 'I will do some light jogging this afternoon and I should be right to train 100 per cent by Wednesday or Thursday.' He was testing the water. When quizzed on whether the injury would affect his kicking, Johns had them where he wanted them. It was as though he was 10m from the tryline with two exhausted forwards to beat. 'I have had slight strains like this before and it has settled down in a couple of days,' he said of the muscle strain near his groin. 'Apparently it gets a lot of blood in that area,' he quipped while sporting a cheeky smile and rubbing the affected area. The media scrum cracked up. From then on, the press conference was more like a chat session. The encore soon followed. A muffled voice came from the back of the pack. 'Andrew, mate, is there any truth to the rumour that you injured yourself while frequenting one of your nude yoga classes?'  A stunned Johns looked up sharply before realising who had fired off the question. 'That is correct, Mark,' he said, responding to Knights team mate and larrikin centre Mark Hughes. 'Unfortunately, it was stretching done by my nude partner, Mark Hughes.' 

We'll win it for the fans; Andrew, Johns. Herald. Sep 29, 2001.  
THE grand final is only a day away and I'm sure I speak on behalf of all the players and our thousands of loyal supporters when I say I can't wait for tomorrow night's kick-off at Stadium Australia. We have worked extremely hard for 10 or 11 months to get to this point and everyone is looking forward to the challenge of playing Parramatta, the minor premiers, in the last game of the season for the NRL premiership trophy. It has been a big week with all the media attention, but that is behind us now and we're concentrating on the game. Captaining the Knights was not something I really embraced when Michael Hagan asked me to do it at the start of this season but it's something I've warmed to and I can't express how proud I am to be captaining Newcastle in a grand final. We have a responsibility to not necessarily win the game, but to play to the best we can. If we can do that, the result will look after itself. Win, lose or draw, if we play to the best of our ability, I'll be proud of all the boys and the town will be proud of us. The main thing is to go out there and enjoy it. I don't remember much of the build-up to the 1997 ARL grand final because I was in hospital for most of it. Nothing can take that win away from us and it will always be remembered as one of the great grand finals and one of the proudest moments in Newcastle's history. But it will be good to have a chance to silence any critics who reckoned we only won 'half a comp' that year. 
In 1997, we were considered rank outsiders to beat Manly. As a team we always thought we could win but, in a way, I don't think anyone else really thought we could win. This time around, I think everyone generally thinks we've got a team capable of doing it and beating Parramatta. In a two-horse race, the odds are ridiculous. They're big overs. But I suppose that means we don't have much pressure on us going into the game. A lot of the pressure is on Parramatta. They've been the form side all year and most people expect them to win. Newcastle fans are the best in the world. They follow us everywhere, to all our away games as far afield as Melbourne and Townsville and Auckland. Going down to Sydney on Wednesday afternoon for the grand final breakfast, the big crowd at Marathon Stadium to see us off was very uplifting and people lined the streets out of Newcastle for 30km. I'm sure the turn-out will be even better when we leave at midday today for the real thing. 
One thing I do remember from 1997 was the trip to Sydney the day before the game. You could have heard a pin drop on the bus it was that quiet. No-one could believe the send-off. Even Chief had a tear in his eye and I remember him saying we weren't going to get beaten. No matter what it took, we didn't care what we had to do, we just had to come back home with the trophy. It was at that stage that it really hit home how much we mean to the people up here. It's our duty to do everything in our power to win tomorrow. It's not going to come down to skill or who are necessarily the better players on the day, it will be whoever wants it the most, and I'm confident that the blokes I'm playing with want it. Nothing we can do between now and the game will really change anything. We will have a final training run when we get to Sydney later today but that will just be to run out some nervous energy, loosen up after the bus trip, and go over our preparations and plays for the game. All the attention to detail has been taken care of and it is now up to the individual players to take care of their own mental preparation. 
In many ways, a lot of blokes have been preparing for this game for the past 10 years. Whether you know it or you don't, all the times you train, with the team or by yourself, all the times you're by yourself dreaming about playing in a grand final, you're preparing and visualising for this situation. Everyone's ready to play and ready to go. I can assure our supporters that we will make every effort out on the field. Nothing will be left in the dressing-room.   

Johns brings house down but everyone's making a scene, By Roy Masters 
Broadway may be closed but theatre thrives in the National Rugby League.  Captains, coaches, in-goal touch judges, video referees and trainers were in on the act at the weekend, extracting as much drama from the cameras as possible.  Knights star Andrew Johns is carrying more injuries than the medicart but he sure knows how to play the role of Hamlet.  Johns's legendary peripheral vision allows him to glimpse blue-and-red flashes in a microsecond, slipping the ball to a support player or sending a banana kick to a distant winger. With eyes in the back of his head, he also knows when the TV director is showing a close-up of him on the big screen, limping to a ruck, eyes downcast, unsmiling and wounded.  He will be a one-man outpatient clinic in Sunday night's grand final.  While we sit in the grandstand recalling Keats - "Oh what can ail thee, knight-at-arms, Alone and palely loitering?" - Joey will be organising his next try.
He has a serious quadriceps injury and when he kicked in general play against the Sharks on Saturday night, he immediately grabbed his right thigh and signalled to the bench to be replaced.  Perhaps coach Michael Hagan understands Johns's physiology better than his captain because, with one spray on his injured thigh, the brilliant No7 was back in the action.  When he slammed the ball down over the tryline, legend John Raper called out "the man is a genius".  Joey has been called a genius so often he may well have formulated the unified field theory of physics that stumped Albert Einstein.  He semi-collapsed after converting a try, yet, with 44seconds left, kicked a 40:20 and celebrated with an Irish jig.  While Joey is a natural-born thriller, the video referees did their level best to murder the game with bumbling, endless replays of the tries he scored and engineered.  If Mick Stone and Tim Mander ran an emergency room, they would be calling for leeches to drain a haematoma.  While they examined every replay angle, small invertebrates were born, got married, took out mortgages and expired.  At least Stone admits he knows he was teasing the audience. When challenged on the eternity it took to make a decision, he said: "It's all theatre. Remember what Al Jolson said, 'Always leave them wanting another one'."  The only problem was the endless replays left us as dizzy as a concussed prop.  Long-term league vice-president Charlie Gibson said: "I've always said it would be a good game without referees, and now I'm sure of it."
When Johns converted a try, Charlie said: "It's a wonder they didn't call for a video replay to make sure the ball went between the sticks."  In the preceding first-division game, in-goal touch judge Ken Mildwater became so excited, he followed the play down the field, prancing and dancing like a second fullback.  Ken has something in his water, but it ain't mild.  Sharks captain David Peachey was also involved in the theatre of the evening, gaining maximum attention by deliberately forcing the ball only millimetres from the dead-ball line.  It prompted yet another replay to determine whether the ball had touched the chalk, a display of exhibitionism which invoked the wrath of Sharks coach John Lang.
If Newcastle second-rower Ben Kennedy scores a try in Sunday's grand final, expect a two-arm salute in the manner of Russell Crowe in Gladiator. Expect the Parramatta trainer to be choreographing the penalty kicks while standing on the field, pointing his arms to the goalposts or the sideline, in the manner of a navy semaphore with a twitch. Anticipate Parramatta coach Brian Smith's daughter to be on the sideline if the Eels triumph. Count on Joey re-enacting the death scene from Othello if he gets whacked in back play. You'll have to go back to the Vietnam ballot to find so many healthy young men faking serious injury. Still, Sunday's cast will at least wait until the grand final. NRL chief executive David Moffett has already begun the self-congratulation, saying a tribal grand final is the culmination of all his work. Expect him to say he ordained the Knights would play in the 2001 decider. After all, it was Moffo who chose the code's first night grand final.

Boogie Knights, Sydney Morning Herald, 30 Sept 2001. 
STEVE MASCORD looks at the key players from the Newcastle Knights. 
ANDREW JOHNS 
Position: halfback. Height: 179cm. Weight: 89kg. 
Andrew Johns. A key player. Perish the thought. Parramatta coach Brian Smith believes it's a little offensive to other Newcastle players to bill Sunday's grand final as the best team versus the best player - but plenty of people still believe it is. Could go from legend to deity if he turns in one of his best performances and the Knights win on Sunday. Off the field? It's not certain that we can expect another picture of Johns skateboarding down the street with a beer in his hand on Mad Monday. "Joey" has become tired of being mobbed, of having his back slapped, and it wouldn't surprise if he is subject to similar mood swings to rock stars. His mood for this summer will be determined by one thing - the result on Sunday. "Joey seems very comfortable with everything this week," says winger Adam MacDougall. "He is handling all the media well, he's confident. Some big-time athletes struggle with all the duties that are associated with their job but not him. It's a good sign for us." 

Injury Troubles Joey, By Steve Mascord 
Newcastle captain Andrew Johns could be forced to relinquish part of his tactical kicking arsenal in the grand final because of his thigh injury, Knights coach Michael Hagan conceded last night.  Johns, whose kicking in general play is a cornerstone of the Novocastrians' premiership hopes, was keeping a low profile on day one of grand final week, deciding not to attend Newcastle's players' player awards luncheon to work on the most talked-about injury in the game. The Knights are certain the quadriceps problem - not a hip flexor as first thought - will not stop him playing in Sunday's decider, to be watched by the fourth-largest crowd in Australian league history after the last of 91,000 tickets were sold in an hour yesterday.  But the Australian Test No7's line-kicking, bombs, banana kicks and chips are key elements in his armoury, and Hagan admitted contingency plans would have to be drawn up in case he was not able to perform those.
"Yeah, that's something we will have to consider this week," Hagan said, claiming this may have a hidden tactical advantage to the Knights. "I'm sure they'll put some pressure on him, won't they? So that will be something to think about. "It's really only going to be a factor for him when he kicks."
Sydney specialist Neil Halpin made a special trip to Newcastle to spend time with Johns on Sunday and left convinced he would get through Sunday's game safely and be fit for the Kangaroo Tour of Papua New Guinea and England. It's understood Australia will allow Johns to miss the trip to Papua New Guinea for the October 7 game against the Kumuls if he is still suffering from the effects of the injury. Both sides are set to name identical team line-ups tonight to those released last week, the Eels having spent a couple of nights in Wollongong and the Knights having a day off yesterday aside from the lunch, at which second-rower Ben Kennedy was players' player. Knights winger Adam MacDougall (groin) will also be nursed through the week.This week, both the Eels and the Knights have a policy of not splitting prizemoney with their players. First prize on Sunday is $400,000. 

Johns calls for change 
 Newcastle Knights skipper Andrew Johns has called on the National Rugby League (NRL) to change the timeslot of the grand final. The NRL scrapped the Sunday afternoon timeslot of 2pm in favour of an 8.10pm night game, which will put more pressure on players. "It would be a lot easier if it was a day game because a lot of the boys struggle to relax during the day," Johns said. "You try to have a sleep during the day but it's very hard, especially leading up to a big game like this." 
Andrew Johns is arguably the best rugby league player in the world. When the Knights line up against Parramatta Eels in Sunday's National Rugby League grand final, the premiership hopes of the Knights, their fans, and the entire city of Newcastle will rest on the shoulders of the playmaking genius. But as common wisdom holds, if Johns is contained, so too are the Knights, and the Eels are the most likely candidates to mange the skipper. Fans expect to see a vintage Johns' performance in which the half back torments the opposition with a fiendish kicking game, bamboozles them with awe-inspiring stepping and passing, and drives them into the turf with punishing tackles. They may be disappointed: Johns is struggling with a recurring quadriceps injury, which has limited him to restricted activity at training. There's even talk that Knights coach Michael Hagan might be forced to relieve Johns of general kicking duties; while such a move is unlikely, the fact that it is even being discussed suggests all is not well with the half back, who suggested yesterday he might not kick-off, but he'll be raring to go when it comes to kicking for goal or in general play. Indeed, it seems that Johns, the Knights' greatest asset, may prove to be their Achilles' heel in the grand final. He is the grand strategist and chief playmaker for his team, with his very presence bringing composure and confidence to his team-mates. The Knights rely solely on Johns when it comes to big plays. In contrast, the Eels do not rely on one individual, but instead have the most balanced squad in rugby league for some time. No player is indispensable - Eels coach Brian Smith can replace any player in the side with a player of equal impact. Smith can swap halves Jason Taylor and PJ Marsh, and hookers Brad Drew and Daniel Irvine. He can switch Michael Buettner and Daniel Wagon at pivot, shuffle his centres and his back row. The Eels match-winning show carries on without interruption. The Knights, however, have few such options when it comes to Johns. Five eighth Sean Rudder has made an important contribution as a steady foil for Johns, but is competent at organising play without offering the spark that the Knights need. Hooker Danny Buderus has deputised admirably at half back, but is nothing more than a stop-gap measure. What the Knights desperately need is Johns firing on all cylinders and playing his natural game, but the Eels are expert at containing playmakers with speedy and punishing defence. Should Johns' options be limited and his decision time reduced, the Knights will be leaderless and in disarray when confronted by the Eels juggernaut. Johns can get frustrated and cranky under pressure, and the Eels will no doubt look to exploit that rare weakness. 
No single player has been so crucial to a team's grand final hopes in recent years. Last year, Brisbane Broncos relied heavily on Gorden Tallis, but also Darren Lockyer and Kevin Walters, while Sydney Roosters had Brad Fittler, but Adrian Lam was there as back-up. In Melbourne Storm's 1999 win, Tawera Nikau and Steve Kearney assisted playmaker Brett Kimmorley against a St George Illawarra side featuring both Trent Barrett and Anthony Mundine. In the early '90s, the Broncos built their success on a pair of mavericks - Allan Langer and Kevin Walters - while Canberra Raiders duo Ricky Stuart and Laurie Daley kept the wheels of the Green Machine turning. When the Knights won the 1997 decider against Manly, Johns was just one of a number of players capable of inspiring his troops to victory, alongside brother Matthew and veteran props Paul Harragon and Tony Butterfield. Now, the onfield responsibility rests with him alone. The rest of the team, including such stars as Adam MacDougall, Ben Kennedy and club captain Bill Peden, are effectively members of a supporting cast. Yet despite the injuries, despite the pressure of being sole playmaker, and despite the calibre of the opposition, there's no doubt that Johns will rise to the occasion. This leaves us with the fascinating prospect of a grand final showcasing a team lead by the best player in the world matching up against the best team in the world. It ought to be compelling viewing.

The Johns factor 
Knights fans will deny it until the cows come home but there can be little doubt - if you stop Andrew Johns, you go a long way to stopping Newcastle. The Test half is as important to Newcastle as any player has been to a team in memory.  He is their captain, their goal-kicker, he does most of the kicking in general play, his defence is well renowned and when it comes to inspiration, no other Knight revs up the team as much as the one they call ``Joey''.
Newcastle's record this season with Johns on the paddock is 16 wins, three losses and one draw for an 80 per cent success rate.  However, when Johns has been absent, the Knights have been a different team. When he suffered a knee injury against St George Illawarra earlier in the season, Newcastle scrambled to narrow wins over the struggling Northern Eagles and wooden spooners Penrith.  They then lost four games straight before bouncing back with a 44-0 triumph over Brisbane - in Johns' comeback game. When Johns missed two games due to suspension in rounds 23-24, the Knights blew a 24-point lead in losing 36-32 to the Wests Tigers and were then flogged 38-12 by the Dragons at Marathon Stadium. So while the Knights win 80 per cent of their games with Johns, their success rate this year without him is just 25 per cent.  Their lack of success without Johns is reflected in every one of the major statistics. Newcastle score 10 more points a game with Johns and concede 11-12 points more when he is not around. Without Johns, Newcastle's completion rate drops, they make fewer hit-ups and metres with the ball, and not as many line breaks or off-loads.  They are forced to make more tackles, they miss more tackles, they concede more line breaks and metres over the course of a game, and they come up with more handling errors. Johns said his hip/groin/quadriceps injury will not cause him discomfort in tomorrow's grand final against Parramatta and he is confident of making it through the 80 minutes. Knights fans hope this is the case or they are likely to be drowning their sorrows after the full-time siren sounds around 10pm tomorrow night.

Master craftsman's full bag of tricks By Brad Walter 
By his own high standards, it was a quiet night at the office for Andrew Johns. Sure, he was the official man of the match, and there's no-one who doubts he deserved to win the Clive Churchill medal, but Johns's performance was more blue-collar than blue-chip. Still, he's one hell of a tradesman.
Kicking, tackling, running, passing - the Newcastle captain and playmaker made it all look so easy. Just like Ricky Stuart and Allan Langer used to do.  "To be like those blokes is something I want to do," Johns said. "I want to win Clive Churchill medals and to win premierships, that's what you play for."  For the rest of us, seeing Johns play is what we pay for.  Yet some people were complaining that Johns didn't have the impact they had expected.  Talk about hard markers - and Newcastle supporters among them, too. Mostly they wanted to point out that the Knights aren't a one-man band.  Yet if it was possible to clone players, they'd all be demanding the inclusion of 17 Andrew Johnses in the squad. Johns is destined for even more glory. Undoubtedly the world's best player, the Newcastle captain may end up being the game's greatest by the time his career ends.  Is there anything Johns can't do?   In the first half last night, he continually peppered the Eels with kicks. "We were backpedalling for most of the first half," Smith said. For the first time this season, former Knights winger Jason Moodie must have wished he'd stayed in Newcastle after he fumbled a bomb that led to Peden's second try, in the 21st minute. Johns had taken on the Eels line in the opening minutes, shrugging off Nathan Hindmarsh before being pulled down just short. Peden scored on the next tackle, setting the Knights on their way. Three minutes later, Ben Kennedy recovered a Johns kick that ricocheted off a Parramatta defender, and Simpson was over. A 14th-minute Johns penalty goal put the Knights ahead 12-0, and the Eels had hardly even had the ball as Moodie and Brett Hodgson were treated to the works from the little master's bag of tricks. Moodie's knock-on gave Newcastle a scrum feed on their opponents' line, and two tackles later Johns again combined with Kennedy to put Peden over near the posts.  Another Johns run, in which he pushed off three defenders, and Kennedy was in to give the Knights a 24-0 lead after 32 minutes.  It seemed all too simple, and we haven't even mentioned defence yet. At 86kg, Johns defends like a back-rower, and his tackle count last night probably resembled that of one. There were ball-and-all tackles, driving cover tackles and back-to-back tackles.  Then there was his try-saving tackle on PJ Marsh just three minutes before half-time, in which he knocked the ball out of his hands.  "He defies belief," Newcastle coach Michael Hagan said.

Triumphant Johns pays tribute to medal immortal Steve Ricketts,  01 Oct 01
Clive Churchill Medal winner Andrew Johns has always been a great believer in the traditions of the game and is proud of the history of the code in Newcastle and the Hunter Valley. And he reminded the tens of thousands of Knights fans at Stadium Australia last night that the medal was named after one of the great sons of the Hunter. The late Clive Churchill was probably the greatest fullback to play for Australia and he played in and coached South Sydney premiership sides. In his acceptance speech, Johns said he hoped Churchill was looking down and was proud of the Newcastle players of 2001. No one in rugby league would doubt that. There was never any doubt Johns would win the medal. 
In 1997, when the Knights won the ARL title, Queensland fullback Robbie O'Davis won the medal. O'Davis was outstanding last night. So were second-rowers Ben Kennedy and Steve Simpson and five-eighth Sean Rudder, but Johns was "the man". Still, his forwards had to lay some sort of platform and they did that better than many people believed they could against the powerful Parramatta pack. "People have bagged our pack all year," Johns said. "We have lost a lot of experienced forwards over the last couple of years, but these blokes stood up and did the job. "There is such a responsibility representing the people of Newcastle. Fifty thousand of them lined the streets to farewell us. This is what it is all about." Johns said debutant Newcastle coach Michael Hagan was a "great bloke" and the players believed in him to a man and would do anything for him.

Churchill medal just reward for little master.
Andrew Johns capped off the match of his life by winning the greatest individual honour in a grand final. Andrew Johns was named the Clive Churchill medal winner last night, and no more fitting honour could be bestowed upon the gifted Newcastle halfback.  Clive Churchill was one of the greatest players of them all: an Immortal. Churchill was proud of his Newcastle background. he came from Newcastle to make his mark on the greatest game of them all as a legend at South Sydney.  Johns continued the tradition last night - his legendary status will now be set in stone for eternity.  Johns is also a great student of the game and acknowledged the Hunter bloodlines in Churchill in accepting the medal. Johns is the best player in the world, yet he was in awe of his team mates when awarded the medal.  'It is such an honour to be part of this team,' he said. 'We are mates and we do play this game for each other. Parramatta are a great side but I knew we could win because this side would rise to the occasion. The forward pack provided the go forward and so did our crowd, our people from Newcastle. They did not just cheer us on, they made us surge.' 
Johns said it was a night he would never forget. 'The first grand final win was so exciting but this one does mean more to me,' he said. 'I had the honour of captaining the side, and honour is the right term. I hope all our players remember this as long and as dearly as I will.' 

Maestro calls tune 
The so-called experts thought Parramatta could beat Newcastle by rattling Joey's cage. Bad move that, because Andrew Johns plays mind games just as good as he plays rugby league. It was mentioned long before grand final kick off that intimidating or sledging Andrew Johns would put him off his game. That was never going to happen to the world's best player. At 6pm, Johns walked confidently onto Stadium Australia with his Newcastle team mates. He may have been absorbed in the battle ahead but Johns spotted a familiar face, walked over and sat to joke with his greatest fan. If Johns was feeling any nerves they were put to rest by his mum Gayle. He left her and walked back to his mates with an air of confidence. The next good omen occurred through Joey's other love - punting. He called right at the toss of the coin and the Knights star was on a roll. After a good start, where he continually fed willing team mates, Johns took the game to Parramatta and they felt his power. Joey's huge thighs pumped towards the goal line and it took four players to pull him down. With so many players out of the defensive line, it took two passes and Bill Peden was in for the first try. Joey was cooking now. Within a few minutes, he had the Knights on the attack again and threw a beautiful pass to Sean Rudder. Rudder gave the ball to Steve Simpson near the line and the Knights suddenly led 10-0. A Johns penalty made it 12-0. 
The complete player was showing all his skills. Johns put Parramatta on the back foot with his superb kicking game. When he was not making breaks, Johns showed his great defence as he tried to stem the Parramatta attacks. Just minutes into the second half, Joey had Parramatta reeling again. He launched a kick that most thought would go over the dead ball line. It didn't - it obeyed Johns' command and Brett Hodgson was forced to try and run the ball back into the field of play. Parramatta's players were still trying to get back onside. The platform had been set for the second half by Johns. His kicking game was awesome. Whether it was high bombs, long kicks or beautifully placed touches just behind the defensive line, Parramatta could not combat him. Joey's name showed on the score sheet as kicking five goals. His contribution was far greater, securing the Clive Churchill Medal. All that was left to do was to lift the trophy. Of course, Joey, as captain, did that.

Johns saves best for last Monday 1 October 2001
Oh, Joey, you made it look so easy. So easy, in fact, that there were people muttering after last night's game that you didn't have the impact they were expecting.  Talk about hard markers, and Newcastle supporters, too. Mostly they wanted to point out that the Knights are not a one-man band. Yet if it was possible to clone players, they'd all be demanding the inclusion of 13 Andrew Johns in the starting line-up. 
Undoubtedly the world's best player, the Newcastle captain may end up being the game's greatest by the time his career ends. Is there anything he can't do? In the first half last night he continually peppered the Eels with kicks.In fact, Johns unloaded with his full range of kicking artillery - and it proved effective. The Test half--back had taken on the Eels' line in the opening minutes, shrugging off the would-be tackle of Nathan Hindmarsh before being pulled down just short. The next tackle, and Bill Peden scored - his fourth-minute try indicating what wwas to follow.Three minutes later, Kennedy recovered a Johns kick that ricocheted off a Parramatta defender and Simpson was over. A 14th-minute Johns penalty goal put the Knights ahead 12-0. It was all so easy that after 32minutes the Knights had extended their lead to 24-0.
At 86 kilograms, Johns defends like a back rower, and his tackle count last night probably resembled one. There were ball and all tackles, driving cover tackles and back-to-back tackles. Then there was his try-saving tackle on P.J.Marsh just three minutes before half-time.By then the game was as good as over - as was Taylor's career. Replaced minutes earlier, he was forced to endure the agony of defeat from the sideline. No doubt, he, too, probably thought Johns had made it all seem so easy.Not bad for a quiet night at the office

How Joey brought them home,  By PAUL KENT -  01 Oct 01
GREATNESS came in small doses last night. Andrew Johns was the best player on the field. It is still up for debate whether he was the most dominant.  There was Ben Kennedy and Steve Simpson, Josh Perry and Matt Parsons. They all played hard and with luck and on the back of their first 40 minutes they set Newcastle on the way to Grand Final glory.  Then Johns brought them home. For that he won the Clive Churchill Medal and ensured, if it is not already set in stone, that his name will be recognised as one of the all-time greats. After a week in which Johns was almost the total focus of Newcastle's ability to win last night's decider, the halfback showed what he does with pressure. He eats it, spits it out. 
He came out with such a measured game of football it is hard to find the words for how brilliant he is. The worry for a competitor like Johns, heading into last night, was always that he would overplay himself. That he would put too much of himself into the game and, with Parramatta applying suitable defensive pressure, that it would lead to frustration and missed chances and a Parramatta victory. But Johns was even too smart for that. "I just steered them around the field," he said. "I didn't want to go to the line too early and to get knocked around. I wanted to kick long and just concentrate on my own game." He played it perfectly.
After a brief snap four minutes in - a break that led to Kennedy's try next tackle - Johns played cool. With the Knights forwards driving, he merely pointed them at the holes. He kicked smart, he played smarter. Later, he was in a dressingroom that stunk of cheap champagne, wearing a football jumper soaked in it. He will smell worse this morning. He was the first to crack the champagne bottle and the first, after the fizzing, to tip it to his lips.  The dressing room was madness. Robbie O'Davis had a video camera. They sang the team song. Michael Hill called "quiet" and said there was one guy who had not yet got a premiership ring. Then he presented one to Hagan.  Late last week Adam MacDougall talked of Johns, saying, more than anything, what he learns from Johns is his love for the game. "He's up at six in the morning on game day, jumping around like he just can't wait," MacDougall said.  Clinton O'Brien was at a boxing session, saying aside from the brilliance and all we see on television or from the sideline, what impressed him most, was: "He just wants to win so much." He put emphasis in every word. We saw it last night.   "He just handled the week so well," Hagan said. "For the amount of pressure he's been under and the accolades he's given, he keeps defying belief in the way he plays. His understanding and control and the patience and knowing what to do, it makes my job so good." 
After the 24-0 lead, the Knights had done enough to win the match, provided they played smart. Aware of that, Johns went out with a mindset telling himself how hard it was going to be.  "Going out after halftime, comfortably in front, knowing that it was 40 minutes of hard work," he said. "Knowing they were going to throw everything at us and knowing we couldn't play as good as we did in the first half." 
The Knights were prepared for it. Johns chipped away, chipped away. The Knights held a meeting Saturday night, just Hagan and the 17 players that took the field.  "It was just in respect to the occasion and to the fact that we probably don't get a shot at something like this every day," Hagan said. Later in the dressingroom, after shaking hands with Prime Minister John Howard and Opposition leader Kim Beazley, Johns backed out from the celebrations to pick up a mobile phone. He was looking to share it with the one guy he wanted to: his brother Matthew. He hung on the phone trying to call England. He never got through.

Joey admits to United ambitions -  04 Oct 2001,  Newcastle Herald
 CHAMPION Australian and Newcastle Knights rugby league half Andrew Johns has done just about everything a footballer could wish in his career. But he has his sights set on another goal. The Clive Churchill Medal winner in Newcastle's 30-24 grand final win against Parramatta now wants to score a National Soccer League goal. Yes, change codes ? even for only one match. `I'd love to play for Newcastle United and hammer home a goal,' Johns said amid the Knights' grand final celebrations. Johns has set higher standards than any other footballer at the Knights since the club was formed in 1988. And few who have witnessed his kicking skills would doubt he could handle the change to the round ball. The 27-year-old from Cessnock made his first-grade debut with a pointscoring record against South Sydney at the SFS, and now holds almost every club record. United general manager Jock Graham claimed last week the books were closed for new signings for this season, which starts with the match against Melbourne Knights at Marathon Stadium on Friday night. That management decision could certainly change if Joey presses to play out his dream. Johns and the Knights have been invited to parade before the crowd on Friday night. 

Man in tights - The Daily Telegraph, 3/11/01 
Australian half back Andrew Johns has started wearing tights to overcome a hip injury he sustained three months ago. Johns has worn the compressive garment at kangaroo training all week and will wear the tights on the teams Monday flight to Britain. While some remain sceptical about the effectiveness of the tights, Johns is prepared to try just about anything to heal the injury. Australian trainer tony Ayoub said, "What it does is aid the blood flow back through the heart, wearing them makes decreases the lactic acid and makes the person get over fatigue." The injury was sustained in round 22 against the Sharks and has hampered him ever since. Johns says he is feeling fresh, "they medical tights, are comfortable and help me with my hip, my legs feel fresh and my hip feels good."

Kangaroos kick up stink about in-goal - Sydney Morning Herald, 11/11/01 
Australian officials believe they have uncovered a plot to limit the effectiveness of halfback Andrew Johns in the first Test against Great Britain - and admit they may be powerless to stop it.  When the Kangaroos trained at Test venue McAlpine Stadium on Thursday, they were shocked to be told by the groundkeeper that he had been instructed to make the in-goal areas just six metres deep for the Test tomorrow morning (Sydney time).
ARL chief executive Geoff Carr said he had reached an agreement with Britain's Rugby Football League that the measurement would be the NRL standard of eight metres, allowing Johns to make full use of his deadly kicking game.  When The Sun-Herald contacted RFL football director Greg McCallum, he denied any knowledge of the instruction and insisted that if Great Britain team management had sent the offending fax to the curator, they should not have done so.
British coach David Waite said: "All I asked is that the in-goals be the same depth at all three Tests - I think that is fair."  McCallum promised to have the ground re-marked but after consulting with British team management, reversed his position.  "In my view, that has never happened before and it remains our position that if we were told eight metres, and it can accommodate eight metres, then there is no reason why it shouldn't be eight metres.  "We've got a lot of players with great kicking games. We would be of the opinion that Joey [Johns] can play with a one-metre in-goal area.

Johns named Player of the Ashes Series
Andrew Johns finished off a great year being named as the player of the Guinness Ashes series. Johns captained Newcastle to the NRL Telstra Premiership this season and continued his fine form into the Test matches where he played a major role in Australia's victory.  Johns is one of the three candidates to replace Brad Fittler has Kangaroos captain next season and did his chances on harm with his performance during the Ashes series and also the way he conducted himself on and off the field throughout the tour. Champion Newcastle and Australian halfback Andrew Johns said said that Britain is moving closer to Australia in standards and singled out Leeds Rhinos for their development of youngsters.  Johns watched the Super League closely this season due to his older brother Matthew playing for Wigan Warriors and was impressed by the improving standards of the British game.

Andrew Johns wins Golden Boot award
Newcastle half-back Andrew Johns has added to his packed trophy cabinet after winning the prestigious Golden Boot award for the second time.  The Golden boot is awarded to the premier Rugby League player in the world and adds to the halfbacks growing list of accomplishments and ever-increasing praise from his peers.  Former Great Britain captain Shaun Edwards believes that Johns is the "best player in history," and others have been keen to lavish praise on the little number seven. Former Australian No.7 Peter Sterling has called him the best halfback of all time and another Test scrum-feeder, Ricky Stuart, has said: "Joey is the complete package, the most complete footballer in my time."  Johns, 27, has been in the Australian team as either halfback or hooker since 1995 and since then, his trophy cabinet and list of achievements have filled up fast. The first of his two premiership medals was secured in 1997 when he slipped into open space from dummy half to send winger Darren Albert over in the dying seconds against Manly, turning the SFS into a mass of red and blue Newcastle flags, streamers and flags.  He was Newcastle's captain against Parramatta in last year's decider in front of 92,000 fans at Stadium Australia, also picking up the Clive Churchill medal for good measure.  Johns won the Dally M award in 1998 and 1999, was the most valuable player of the 1995 World Cup and man of the match in the final, won by Australia. He's taken out the Provan-Summons people's choice award for the last four years. Last year, in a Rugby League Week survey, an overwhelming 81 per cent of NRL players voted him the best in the game.  He scored a world record 32 points in a one-off Test against Fiji in 1996, equalling the record of 12 goals in a Test set by New Zealand's Des White in 1952.  He was given the honour of leading his country in a World Cup warm-up match against New Zealand Residents in October, 2000.  Johns has played 16 Tests and 15 State of Origin matches for NSW and is the highest points scorer in Newcastle's history with 1,435 from 168 first-grade matches. The Golden Boot is decided by Rugby League World magazine from a poll of media representatives from Australia, New Zealand and Great Britain.  The following world team, dominated by Australians, was named (Australian unless noted): Darren Lockyer, Adam MacDougall, Lote Tuqiri, Matthew Gidley, Jamie Lyon, Trent Barrett, Andrew Johns, Brad Fittler, Ben Kennedy, Nathan Hindmarsh, Shane Webcke, Keiron Cunningham (Great Britain), Nathan Cayless (New Zealand).