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Rugby league legend and commentator

Andrew Johns

  • Born: 19 May 1974, Cessnock, New South Wales, Australia
  • Age: 52

Andrew "Joey" Johns is an Australian rugby league great, aged 52, born in Cessnock, New South Wales. The Newcastle Knights halfback, State of Origin and Test star and eighth Immortal of the game is now a television and radio commentator. He made his…

Andrew Johns: films and works

  • Revealed - Craig Bellamy: Inside the Storm poster

    Revealed - Craig Bellamy: Inside the Storm

    2025 · Documentary

    Himself (interviewee)

    Stan Original documentary on the Melbourne Storm coach Craig Bellamy, directed by Adrian Brown and Scot Edwards, in which Johns is one of the NRL figures interviewed.[16][25]

    Where to watch it
  • Plum poster

    Plum

    2024 · TV series

    Himself (cameo)

    Six-part ABC drama created by Brendan Cowell about a retired rugby league player living with the effects of concussion, with cameos from several league identities including Johns.[17][18][25]

    Where to watch it
  • Ray Warren: Calling Time

    Ray Warren: Calling Time

    2022 · TV special

    Himself (contributor)

    Nine's Wide World of Sports tribute to the broadcaster Ray Warren, aired on 30 September 2022 before the NRL grand final, with Johns among the guests who spoke about him.[19]

  • The Footy Show poster

    The Footy Show

    2018 · TV series

    Panellist

    Nine's rugby league variety show in its 25th and final season, where Johns sat on the panel with host Erin Molan, Ryan Girdler, Darryl Brohman and Beau Ryan.[20][21]

  • The Two of Me

    The Two of Me

    2007 · Autobiography

    Author, with Neil Cadigan

    His candid autobiography, published by HarperCollins in the year he retired, covering his career and his personal struggles.[1]

About Andrew Johns

Andrew "Joey" Johns is an Australian rugby league great, aged 52, born in Cessnock, New South Wales. The Newcastle Knights halfback, State of Origin and Test star and eighth Immortal of the game is now a television and radio commentator. He made his first-grade debut off the bench for Newcastle on 17 April 1993 and, in his first start at halfback in 1994, scored 23 points against South Sydney and was named man of the match. He formed a halves partnership with his older brother Matthew, played for New South Wales and Australia from 1995, and was named most valuable player of the 1995 World Cup. In 1997 he helped the Knights to their first premiership with a famous blind-side pass to Darren Albert six seconds from full time, and in 2001 he captained them to a second, winning the Clive Churchill Medal as best on ground in the grand final. He also won the Dally M Medal three times (1998, 1999 and 2002), won the Golden Boot as the world's best player in 1999 and 2001, and captained New South Wales to the 2003 State of Origin series win. A neck injury forced him to retire on 10 April 2007, aged 32, as the highest point scorer in Australian first-grade history with 2,176. The honours followed: Halfback of the Australian Rugby League's Team of the Century in 2008, the eighth Immortal of rugby league on 27 September 2012, the Sport Australia Hall of Fame in October 2012 and the inaugural Stadium Australia Hall of Fame in 2025. Since retiring he has built a second career in the media and in coaching. He became a commentator for Nine and Triple M, sat on Nine's NRL Footy Show panel, worked as a coach with the Wallabies, Melbourne Rebels, Parramatta, Canterbury, Manly and the NSW Blues, and in October 2008 walked from Newcastle to Sydney to raise money for the Black Dog Institute. He is a co-founder of Steel City Brewing in Newcastle, has appeared as himself in the ABC drama Plum (2024) and is an interviewee in Stan's Revealed documentary on Craig Bellamy (2025). He is not the British actor of the same name with 1970s and 1980s television credits, nor the British triathlete.

Born
19 May 1974, Cessnock, New South Wales, Australia[1][3][5][6]
Age
52 years[1][3][5][6]
Nationality
Australian[1][2]
Known for
Newcastle Knights and New South Wales halfback, eighth Immortal of rugby league, now a television and radio commentator[1][3][4]
Height
1.79 m (5 ft 10 in)[1]
Spouses
Cathrine Mahoney (married October 2007; separated 2014)[1][13][14][15]
Children
At least two sons[13]
Net worth
No reliable public figure[2]

Fun facts about Andrew Johns

  • He debuted for Newcastle off the bench on 17 April 1993 at Seagulls Stadium in Tweed Heads, and in his first start at halfback the next year scored 23 points against South Sydney.
  • In the 1997 grand final he played with the effects of fractured ribs and a punctured lung from a fortnight earlier, then went down the blind side to set up Darren Albert's winning try with six seconds left.
  • He holds the State of Origin record for most field goals, with four, and won four player-of-the-match awards in the series, three of them at Stadium Australia.
  • In 2005 he returned from a broken jaw to play Origin II in Sydney and was involved in all five New South Wales tries in a 32 to 22 win over Queensland.
  • In 2004 he turned down a lucrative offer to switch to rugby union, after which most commentators had assumed he would be picked for the Wallabies.
  • He walked from Newcastle to Sydney over six days in October 2008, backed by the then Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, and had already raised $2.1 million for the Black Dog Institute before his first step.
  • The Knights have named a grandstand after him and his number 7 jersey was retired for his farewell match in April 2007.
  • His nephews Jack and Cooper Johns, sons of his brother Matthew, are also rugby league players.

Famous Andrew Johns quotes

“I'm still in shock. It was really tough telling my family.”
BBC Sport, on his retirement, 2007

Andrew Johns's career, year by year

  1. 1974

    Born in Cessnock

    Andrew Gary Johns is born on 19 May 1974 in Cessnock, in the New South Wales Hunter Valley. He plays soccer first, then junior rugby league, much of it for Kurri Kurri teams.[1][3][9]

  2. 1993

    First-grade debut

    He plays his first game for Newcastle off the bench against the Gold Coast Seagulls at Tweed Heads on 17 April.[3][5]

  3. 1994

    First start and instant impact

    In his first start at halfback he scores 23 points against South Sydney and is man of the match, beginning a halves partnership with his brother Matthew. He is voted the Norwich Rising Star for the season.[3][5][6]

  4. 1995

    Origin, Kangaroos and the World Cup

    He makes his State of Origin debut for New South Wales and his Test debut for Australia, and is named most valuable player of the World Cup, which Australia wins in England.[1][5][6]

  5. 1997

    Newcastle's first premiership

    He plays through injury in the grand final against Manly and sets up Darren Albert's try with six seconds left, giving the Knights their first title.[3][5]

  6. 1998 to 1999

    Back-to-back Dally M Medals

    He wins the Dally M Medal as the NRL's best player in 1998 and 1999. He is named best player in the world with the Golden Boot in 1999.[3][5]

  7. 2001

    Captain, premiership winner and Clive Churchill Medallist

    He captains Newcastle to a 30 to 24 grand final win over Parramatta and takes the Clive Churchill Medal. He goes on the Kangaroo tour, wins player of the series against Great Britain and collects a second Golden Boot.[1][5][6][8]

  8. 2002

    Third Dally M Medal

    He captains both New South Wales and Australia and wins the Dally M Medal for a third time, a first for any player.[3][5]

  9. 2003

    Origin series win as captain

    He captains New South Wales to a State of Origin series victory.[5]

  10. 2004

    Rugby union offer declined

    He is made a lucrative offer to change to rugby union and counter offers from the NRL persuade him to stay.[6]

  11. 2005

    Origin II comeback and a spell at Warrington

    Back from a broken jaw, he is involved in every New South Wales try in the 32 to 22 win in Origin II, a performance the Knights rate among the great Origin games. He also plays three games for Warrington in England.[5][6][7][8]

  12. 2007

    Retirement

    On 10 April, aged 32, he retires on medical advice after scans reveal a disc injury in his neck. He retires as the highest point scorer in Australian first-grade history with 2,176 points. The same year he publishes his autobiography, The Two of Me.[1][3][10]

  13. 2008

    Team of the Century and the Black Dog walk

    He is named halfback in Australian rugby league's Team of the Century. In October he walks from Newcastle to Sydney to raise money for the Black Dog Institute and encourage people with bipolar disorder to seek help.[3][8][11][12]

  14. 2012

    Eighth Immortal

    On 27 September he is named the eighth Immortal of rugby league at the Men of League Gala Dinner in Sydney, and on 11 October he is inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame.[4][6]

  15. 2018

    Nine panel and the Blues

    He is on the NRL Footy Show panel in its final season and returns to help coach New South Wales under Brad Fittler for Origin.[20][22]

  16. 2021

    Steel City Brewing

    Steel City Brewing launches in Newcastle with Johns among its founders, alongside Matthew Johns, Danny Buderus and Kurt Gidley.[23]

  17. 2024 to 2025

    On screen

    He appears as himself in the ABC drama Plum in 2024 and is interviewed for Stan's documentary on Craig Bellamy in 2025. In 2025 he is among the inaugural inductees of the Stadium Australia Hall of Fame.[1][8][16][17]

Awards and festival selections

30 awards won and 0 other nominations and festival selections.

YearFestival or awardResult
2025Stadium Australia Hall of FameCareerWonInaugural inductee[1][8]
2017NSW Rugby League Hall of FameCareerWonInducted[5]
2012Rugby League ImmortalsCareerWonNamed the eighth Immortal on 27 September[3][4]
2012Sport Australia Hall of FameCareerWonInducted on 11 October[6]
2012Newcastle Knights Hall of FameCareerWonInducted[5]
2008NRL Hall of FameCareerWonInducted[5]
2008Australian Rugby League Team of the CenturyCareerWonNamed at halfback[3][6][8]
2008New South Wales and NSW Country Teams of the CenturyCareerWonNamed in both teams[3]
2006Premiership scoring recordCareer pointsWonPassed Jason Taylor to become the highest point scorer in Australian first-grade history, finishing on 2,176[1][3]
2005Dally M AwardsRepresentative Player of the YearWon[1][5]
2002Dally M AwardsDally M MedalWonThird Dally M Medal, a first for any player[3][5][6]
2002Dally M AwardsHalfback of the YearWon[3][5]
2002Rugby League WeekPlayer of the YearWon[3][6]
2001NRL Grand FinalClive Churchill MedalWonBest on ground in Newcastle's 30 to 24 win over Parramatta[3][6][8]
2001Golden BootWorld's best playerWonSecond Golden Boot[3][5]
2001Kangaroo tourPlayer of the series v Great BritainWon[1][6]
2001Australian Sports MedalContribution to rugby leagueWon[1]
2001NRL PremiershipNewcastle KnightsWonSecond premiership, as captain[3][5]
1999Golden BootWorld's best playerWonFirst Golden Boot[3][5]
1999Dally M AwardsDally M MedalWonSecond consecutive Medal[3][5]
1999Dally M AwardsHalfback of the YearWon[3][5]
1999Rugby League WeekPlayer of the YearWon[3][6]
1998Dally M AwardsDally M MedalWonBest player in the NRL[3][5][6]
1998Dally M AwardsHalfback of the YearWon[3][5]
1998Rugby League WeekPlayer of the YearWon[3][6]
1998 to 2002Provan-Summons MedalFans' favourite playerWonFive times, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001 and 2002[5][6]
1997NRL PremiershipNewcastle KnightsWonFirst premiership[3][5]
1995Dally M AwardsHalfback of the YearWon[3][5]
1995Rugby League World CupMost valuable playerWonAustralia won the tournament in England[1][6]
1994Norwich Rising StarDebut seasonWon[6]

Frequent collaborators

  • Matthew Johns

    His older brother. They formed the Knights' halves partnership from 1994 and are co-founders of Steel City Brewing. Matthew is now a television host and commentator.[1][5][6][23]

  • Brad Fittler

    The New South Wales coach who brought Johns back into the Blues' coaching staff in 2018 and co-hosted the final series of Nine's NRL Footy Show.[21][22]

  • Phil Gould

    The Nine commentator and former State of Origin coach who called Johns the greatest rugby league player of his generation and arguably the greatest of all time.[3][19]

  • Craig Bellamy

    The Melbourne Storm coach profiled in Stan's Revealed documentary (2025), in which Johns is one of those interviewed.[16]

  • Paul Vautin

    Longtime host of Nine's The Footy Show, on which Johns appeared as a guest host in the early years and later as a panellist.[20][21]

  • Erin Molan

    Host of the 2018 NRL Footy Show, on whose panel Johns sat.[20][21]

Style, technique and reception

Johns was regarded as the complete halfback. The NRL's Hall of Fame profile says his passing and kicking games became the benchmark against which other halfbacks are judged, and he was a prolific goal-kicker: he finished with 2,176 first-grade points, the most in the competition's history at the time. He also played hooker for Australia in the 1995 World Cup and for New South Wales, and Phil Gould called him the greatest player of his generation and arguably of all time. In 2008 Rugby League Week voted him the best player of the previous 30 years, ahead of Wally Lewis, Brad Fittler and Darren Lockyer. He still holds the State of Origin record for most field goals, with four.[1][3][26]

His playing career was shaped by injury and by public candour. A broken bone in his back in the 2002 finals, a serious neck injury in 2003, a knee ligament injury in 2004 and a broken jaw in 2005 interrupted his seasons, and the NRL's profile notes that the Knights struggled to win without him. In August 2007, after being cautioned in London over an ecstasy tablet, he said on Nine's Footy Show that he had used the drug during his playing career, and he later discussed his personal struggles in his autobiography and through the 2008 Black Dog Institute walk. In June 2010 he was removed as a New South Wales assistant coach after a remark about a Queensland player during a training session, for which he apologised.[1][3][11]

After retiring he became a commentator for Nine and Triple M and in 2018 was both a Wide World of Sports commentator and a panellist on Nine's Footy Show. He has also been hired as a part-time coach by the Wallabies (kicking, 2007), Parramatta, Canterbury, the Melbourne Rebels, Manly and the NSW Blues, a mix that makes him a rare figure who is both a broadcaster and a working coach.[1][20][22][24]

Where to watch Andrew Johns's films in Australia

Where to watch: JustWatch, checked 15 November 2026. Services change their catalogues often.

Latest releases

Questions about Andrew Johns

Who is Andrew Johns?

Andrew "Joey" Johns is an Australian former rugby league halfback who played for the Newcastle Knights, New South Wales and Australia. He won premierships with Newcastle in 1997 and 2001, three Dally M Medals and two Golden Boots, and was named the eighth Immortal of rugby league in 2012. Since retiring in 2007 he has worked as a commentator and coach.

Who is Andrew Johns' wife?

Andrew Johns married the public relations executive Cathrine Mahoney in October 2007, and the couple separated in 2014. He was married once before. He keeps his current relationships largely private, and no reliable source we found documents a current wife, so we do not name one.

What is Andrew Johns' net worth?

There is no reliable published figure for Andrew Johns' net worth, and we do not repeat estimates from net-worth websites. What is sourced: he was the highest point scorer in Australian first-grade history when he retired, he turned down a lucrative rugby union offer in 2004 to stay in league, and since 2007 he has worked as a commentator and coach, written an autobiography, The Two of Me, and co-founded Steel City Brewing in Newcastle with his brother Matthew and others. The same applies to searches for Joey Johns' net worth.

How old is Andrew Johns?

Andrew Johns is 52 years old. He was born on 19 May 1974 in Cessnock, New South Wales, and retired from rugby league on 10 April 2007, aged 32.

How tall is Andrew Johns?

Andrew Johns is listed at 1.79 m (5 ft 10 in) in a published profile of him cited by Wikipedia. We found no second reliable source for his height.

Does Andrew Johns have a partner?

Andrew Johns has not publicly confirmed a current partner in a source we could verify, so we do not name one. His marriage to Cathrine Mahoney began in October 2007 and ended with their separation in 2014.

Does Andrew Johns have children?

Yes, Andrew Johns is a father. The Newcastle Herald reported in March 2009 that he had a son from his first marriage and that a second son was born that month with Cathrine Mahoney. We do not name his children.

Is Joey Johns the same person as Andrew Johns?

Yes. "Joey" is Andrew Johns' nickname, so Joey Johns and Andrew Johns are one person. His brother Matthew is the other Johns in rugby league, and Matthew's sons Jack and Cooper are the next generation of Johns players.

What did Andrew Johns win in his career?

He won two Newcastle Knights premierships (1997 and 2001), three Dally M Medals (1998, 1999 and 2002), two Golden Boots (1999 and 2001) and the 2001 Clive Churchill Medal, and was most valuable player of the 1995 World Cup. He was named Halfback of Australian rugby league's Team of the Century in 2008, the eighth Immortal in 2012, and he is in the Sport Australia Hall of Fame (2012) and the Stadium Australia Hall of Fame (2025).

Why did Andrew Johns retire?

He retired on 10 April 2007, aged 32, on medical advice. Scans after a training collision showed a previously unknown disc injury in his neck that, doctors told him, risked a catastrophic spinal injury if he played on. He had played 249 first-grade games for Newcastle and finished as the competition's highest point scorer.

Is Andrew Johns an actor?

No. Andrew Johns is a rugby league champion and commentator, not an actor, although he has appeared as himself on screen: in the ABC drama Plum (2024), in Nine's tribute special Ray Warren: Calling Time (2022), in Stan's documentary Revealed - Craig Bellamy: Inside the Storm (2025) and on The Footy Show. A British actor of the same name, with television credits in the 1970s and 1980s, is a different person.

What TV shows and movies has Andrew Johns been in?

As a commentator he works for Nine, and he sat on the NRL Footy Show panel in 2018. He appeared as himself in the ABC series Plum (2024), the Nine special Ray Warren: Calling Time (2022) and the Stan documentary Revealed - Craig Bellamy: Inside the Storm (2025). He also starred in a DVD in 2002, according to the Newcastle Herald.

Who is Andrew Johns' brother?

His older brother is Matthew Johns, a former Newcastle Knights and Australian five-eighth who is now a television host and commentator. The brothers formed the Knights' halves pairing and are co-founders of Steel City Brewing with Danny Buderus, Kurt Gidley and Matt Hoy.

Sources

  1. [1]Wikipedia: Andrew Johns
  2. [2]Wikidata: Andrew Johns (Q2846645)
  3. [3]NRL Hall of Fame: Andrew Johns, Immortal profile
  4. [4]NRL.com, 27 September 2012: Johns becomes the eighth Immortal
  5. [5]Newcastle Knights: Andrew Johns, Hall of Fame profile
  6. [6]Sport Australia Hall of Fame: Andrew Johns
  7. [7]Rugby League Project: Andrew Johns
  8. [8]Accor Stadium: Stadium Australia Hall of Fame
  9. [9]Cessnock Advertiser, 3 October 2012: Johns joins the elite of Rugby League
  10. [10]BBC Sport, 10 April 2007: Neck injury forces Johns to quit
  11. [11]NBN News, 4 September 2008: Joey's fundraising walk
  12. [12]NBN News, 19 October 2008: Johns raises $2.1 million before walk begins
  13. [13]Newcastle Herald, 2 March 2009: Baby boy for Andrew Johns and Cathrine
  14. [14]Newcastle Herald, 2021: Cathrine Mahoney opens up on love and life with Andrew Johns
  15. [15]Mamamia: Cathrine Mahoney on her divorce
  16. [16]Stan: Inside the Storm, a portrait of one of the greatest coaches in NRL history
  17. [17]ABC News, 18 October 2024: Plum is an unflinching look at rugby league
  18. [18]Wikipedia: Plum (TV series)
  19. [19]Mediaweek, 19 September 2022: Ray Warren: Calling Time
  20. [20]Mediaweek, 16 February 2018: Ryan Girdler to join Nine's NRL Footy Show
  21. [21]Wikipedia: The Footy Show (rugby league)
  22. [22]SportsNews, 31 May 2018: Andrew Johns returns to Blues' brain trust
  23. [23]Pubtic, 16 April 2021: Newcastle legends behind launch of Steel City Beer Co
  24. [24]The Fordham Company: Andrew Johns
  25. [25]TMDB (titles, dates and posters)
  26. [26]Wikipedia: State of Origin series

Profile researched from these sources and reviewed 5 November 2026.