How Immortal Andrew Johns delivered English star Will Pryce to Newcastle Knights
English prodigy Will Pryce has revealed that he grew up studying the game of Andrew Johns and was gobsmacked to receive a call from the Newcastle icon as the Knights worked overtime to lure him to the NRL.
Pryce has agreed a deal to join the Knights from 2024 after Newcastle
fended feverish competition to land the 19-year-old, regarded as one of the most exciting prospects to emerge in the English game for years.
Having made the decision to join the Knights, Pryce has set his sights on becoming one of the best players in the game.
“To be honest with you it has probably been one of my lifelong ambitions really,” Pryce said.
“I have always watched the NRL since I was 11 or 12. Me and my dad would get up early in the morning in the UK to watch any big game, the Origin matches.
“It is the occasion, it is the big games, the calibre of players, the coaching you can get over there,. It is the full package really.
“I want to test myself and prove myself against the best.”
BONDI BEACH
Let’s start with Bondi Beach and the famous quote by his rugby league playing father Leon 16 years ago, when he claimed he preferred Blackpool to one of Australia’s most iconic destinations while on tour with England.
The back pages at the time screamed: “Whingeing Pom” and “Beach wail”.
“I have never been to Australia but I have seen the photos of it [Bondi] and obviously my dad is quite well known for that comment.” the 19-year-old English prodigy told News Corp.
“I am sure he was only joking because I have been to Blackpool a fair few times in my life and I don’t think I have ever been there when it was sunny.
“I am looking forward to experiencing the lifestyle.”
Leon Pryce was one of the most gifted players of his generation but he never made the move to the NRL despite interest from Australian clubs.
He urged his son to take the opportunity when it came along.
“When it became quite serious …, he kind of put it into perspective,” Pryce said.
“When he was playing in the early 2000s there were a lot of Australian players who were coming to England in the prime of their careers — Matt Gidley, Jamie Lyon.
“They were playing Super League because it was the best of the best. Obviously now roles have reversed and players are going over there because that is where you want to play — against the best players in the best league.
“He just said if you want to have a real crack at this, at the end of the day every rugby player wants to retire and never work again, but if you want to achieve something great in your career, you want to go where you can do that.
“Go to Australia and test yourself against the best. I want to go over to Australia and spend the rest of my career there.”
THAT CALL
Pryce met Knights recruitment boss Clint Zammit back in February as Newcastle got on the front foot and flew to England to speak to him and his agent Iestyn Harris.
Zammit had already been in talks with Pryce’s Australian-based agent Liam Ayoub but it was the meeting in February that moved Newcastle to the front of the queue.
“I got a chance to meet up with Clint Zammit earlier on in the year – in February,” Pryce said.
“They really sold it to me. The direction the club is looking to go in the next few years and the long term plan … was really interesting to me.
“I got to speak to Andrew Johns, who is one of if not my favourite player of all time. He is looking forward to being able to work with me and that is a big factor why I wanted to go over.
“I want to go somewhere where I feel like it is a home away from home.”
Johns’ call was crucial.
“I was a bit shell-shocked,” Pryce said.
“I was a bit gobsmacked. It was one of those phone calls that take you back a bit. It has been quite a tough journey to get to where I am now,
“There have been a lot of setbacks. Me and my dad have always talked about Joey Johns – he has played against him, he has played the top level and he has always said he has done things in the game that none else has done,
“When you study someone and they are an idol, and then you get a phone cal off them, it feels a bit unrealistic. It was crazy when I received the phone call from him.
“We chatted about the ambitions of the club and his ambitions for the team going forward, the spine in particular.
“Coming in as a spine player and Joey Johns being one of, if not the best … seven of all time, it is a massive thing to get a call from someone like that.”
HIS BEST POSITION
Pryce has the ability to play anywhere in the backline but his long-term goal is to become one of the game’s best five-eighths.
“I have only played 30 first grade games now,” Pryce said.
“I try to be as confident as I can. A dynamic running player — that has always been my game.
I try to make sure I keep that strong and keep my hands on the ball, running it all the time and taking players on.
“I have been able to play in virtually every position in the backline. Doing that at a young age you learn a lot more.
“For me it is about being versatile and being able to play many positions wherever I am needed in the team. Myself, as I am progressing, I want to develop into an all around six or a running standoff.”
Having made the decision to come, Pryce has no plans to leave any time soon.
“Obviously, it is a huge decision,” he said.
“I have made the choice to leave a lot of people behind in England. I am quite a family man. It is obviously a big decision but one I think I can’t really pass up on.
“It is a once in a lifetime opportunity. If I passed it up now and didn’t get the opportunity later on, I think I would be pretty annoyed at myself for turning it down.
“Hopefully everything goes well, I will be made to feel at home in Newcastle and stay there.”
