Alex Johnston

[Bazal]

A record breaker who I doubt would even make a diehard Souths fans top ten wingers of the NRL era. Well, maybe Mensa Man. I think that's pretty indicative of where he stands.

He made the most of the things he could do to an incredible extent and should be recognised for that. Definitely a smart winger who knows exactly his strengths and role and plays both perfectly. Seems a pretty humble kind of guy too

 

[yobbo84]

A record breaker who I doubt would even make a diehard Souths fans top ten wingers of the NRL era. Well, maybe Mensa Man. I think that's pretty indicative of where he stands.

He made the most of the things he could do to an incredible extent and should be recognised for that. Definitely a smart winger who knows exactly his strengths and role and plays both perfectly. Seems a pretty humble kind of guy too

It's a sad thing that wingers are now judged on their ability to make yardage metres from dummy half and not, you know, scoring tries.

 

[Bazal]

It's a sad thing that wingers are now judged on their ability to make yardage metres from dummy half and not, you know, scoring tries.

Ehhh I both agree and disagree equally with that I think?

The game evolved. I do think it's sad that it's gone away from rewarding genuine footballers towards having bigger focus on pure athletes, but I also think in an era of incredible professionalism etc it was inevitable. Plenty of other footballers were born in the wrong era and never made NRL at all, or played three games. So AJ had enough modern winger attributes to keep him in the top grade.

 

[JJ]

Amazing record... hugely impressive career

 

[nick87]

A good player but would not be in the top 10 wingers in even NRL history let alone RL history
To that point him holding the record doesn't feel right... like beyond the record no one outside of Bunnies fans will be bouncing grand children on their knee waxing lyrical about Alex Johnston

But stats don't give a shit about feelings. He's going to get the record and probably hold it for a long, long time.
From all reports he's a pretty decent bloke so happy for him, its a remarkable achievement and he's done it (or is going to) so all kudos to him

 

[speedster]

Even though the game has changed he has remained. Most wingers of his type have been replaced by metre eaters.

I generally forget about him and think of great finishers with a bigger frame like Brett Morris. But that try scoring record held by Johnston is pretty crazy. Deserves to get the number one spot.

There's still a combo of both types of wingers in many sides. You have one outright speedster usually on the left where more quick shifts go because most players are right handed and therefore pass better left and then your metre eater on the other wing, usually right side.

 

[Manu Vatuvei]

I feel like this thread proves he's still underrated.

Putting aside the other aspects of his game (yardage carries, defence) he has a better per-game try scoring record than any of his contemporaries despite apparently lacking the physical attributes (extreme speed, footwork, strength, being a major threat under the high ball) which you would think would relate directly to being able to score tries.

Yes he has played inside some good ball-players (Latrell, Walker), but no more so than many other wingers. The Rabbitohs have not been a dominant team throughout his career. This criticism would make more sense if he been playing on the wing for Penrith or Melbourne, for example.

The reality is that there have been a litany of extremely talented wingers, some of them playing on better teams, who theoretically should have matched or bettered his try scoring rate, but no-one could. This strongly suggests he is out on his own as an elite finisher, even if few people seem to be able to pin down exactly what it is he does better than his bigger, faster counterparts,

 

[Manu Vatuvei]

I also don't think it's as simple as his style of winger being out of vogue. Addo-Carr is only 6 months younger than Johnston and of very similar dimensions, and he basically held down a rep spot which Johnston was competing for for years.

 

[The Mad Hatter]

A good player but would not be in the top 10 wingers in even NRL history let alone RL history
To that point him holding the record doesn't feel right... like beyond the record no one outside of Bunnies fans will be bouncing grand children on their knee waxing lyrical about Alex Johnston

But stats don't give a shit about feelings. He's going to get the record and probably hold it for a long, long time.
From all reports he's a pretty decent bloke so happy for him, its a remarkable achievement and he's done it (or is going to) so all kudos to him

I guess you’re right. I dunno. I’m trying to figure out what a winger’s role is, the KPIs.

212	10	1965	Ken Irvine	North Sydney, Manly Warringah Sea Eagles	1958–1973
2	200	72	2020	Alex Johnston	South Sydney Rabbitohs	2014–
3	190	48	2009	Billy Slater	Melbourne Storm	2003–2018
4	180	26	1999	Steve Menzies	Manly Warringah Sea Eagles, Northern Eagles	1993–2008
5	176	59	2014	Brett Morris	St. George Illawarra Dragons, Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs, Sydney Roosters	2006–2021
6	170	71	2020	Daniel Tupou	Sydney Roosters	2012–
7	166	22	1994	Andrew Ettingshausen	Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks	1983–2000
8	164	17	1988	Terry Lamb	Western Suburbs Magpies, Canterbury Bulldogs	1980–1996
9	163	53	2011	Brett Stewart	Manly Warringah Sea Eagles	2003–2016
=10	159	36	2003	Matt Sing	Penrith Panthers, Sydney City Roosters, North Queensland Cowboys	1993–2006
38	2004	Hazem El Masri	Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs	1996–2009

Most of the top ten try scorers here have been wingers. Or played 280-300+ games. I can’t see why, if AJ does break the record, why it isn’t highly regarded. I mean if it was easy, they’d all do it. His hit rate is pretty much on par with Irvine too. Probably gets it 2 years ago if not for 18/19 seasons At FB being lean or injured last year. I reckon it’s because he’s just a decent guy doing decent stuff that many are meh. Maybe he needs to f**k someone’s wife, grope some chicks or shit in a hallway to be respected?

 

[King hit]

A good club man who’s been lucky to be on the end of a good backline for almost the entirety of his career. Knows his job and does it. Comes off as a good guy as well.

 

[nick87]

I reckon it’s because he’s just a decent guy doing decent stuff that many are meh. Maybe he needs to f**k someone’s wife, grope some chicks or shit in a hallway to be respected?

I don't think it's that he needs to be controversial. I just think he's a winger in an era where wingers are some of the most insanely dynamic athletes who are doing some of the craziest shit we see on a RL field... and this rock steady, clinical finisher just isn't very exciting

When people think of AJ, they think about a well worked backline movement that results him catching the ball, running 5-10m and scoring untouched.
And he's done that a lot! 200 tries IS incredible. And you're right to say that if it was easy everyone would do it. So AJ gets credit but i just thing he's done it in a style that... to be honest, feels just a bit boring
Like when he breaks the record there is going to be a montage of his tries and that montage just isnt going to slap the way you'd want it to for the games all time try scorer... not the way a Slater, or Morris or Stewart... or even guys not close to the record like Inglis or Tedesco

But like i said, stats don't give a shit about my feelings. He's gonna catch and fall his way to the record and the flashy athletic types and someone like me who wishes that record was held but someone more exciting will have to suck eggs on that haha

 

[Danish]

His biggest achievement is I will no longer have to listen to my dad and his f**king fossil mates wax lyrical about how I can never understand how “good” Ken Irvine was.

 

[Apey]

The Rabbitohs have not been a dominant team throughout his career.

Disagree on this.

Since 2014 when Johnston debuted Souths have finished:

14: 3rd (Premiers)
15: 7th
16: 12th
17: 12th
18: 3rd (Prelim)
19: 3rd (Prelim)
20: 6th (Prelim)
21: 3rd (GF)
22: 7th (Prelim)
23: 9th
24: 16th

That's a better run than any team not named the Storm, Panthers or Roosters.

Cody Walker for all his faults would be one of if not the best left-side attacking player in the last 10 years.

Johnston obviously does something right though. Plenty of other wingers would screw up their chances.

 

[Manu Vatuvei]

Disagree on this.

Since 2014 when Johnston debuted Souths have finished:

14: 3rd (Premiers)
15: 7th
16: 12th
17: 12th
18: 3rd (Prelim)
19: 3rd (Prelim)
20: 6th (Prelim)
21: 3rd (GF)
22: 7th (Prelim)
23: 9th
24: 16th

That's a better run than any team not named the Storm, Panthers or Roosters.

Cody Walker for all his faults would be one of if not the best left-side attacking player in the last 10 years.

Johnston obviously does something right though. Plenty of other wingers would screw up their chances.

I'm not sure that string of results really contradicts my point. I wasn't saying the Rabbitohs are bad, just that the Storm and Panthers jump out as the dominant teams and yeah, probably Roosters 3rd. The Rabbitohs are in the mix for 4th, sure. But being a winger in the 4th best team in the comp doesn't exactly = likely to be the most consistently prolific try scorer of the last 50 years.

Perhaps someone (not me, I cbf) could do a statistical breakdown and confirm that actually yes, the Rabbitohs left-edge attack 2014-2025 is the greatest edge in modern rugby league history. That certainly doesn't strike me as intuitively true though.

 

[gerg]

Excellent finisher. His last try (200th) on Sunday. DWZ caught him and he switched the ball to his right hand so he could reach out further to score the try. Was classy stuff.

 

[mikail-eagle]

I read a comment on social media that claimed he has also benefited from the corner posts no longer being a part of the touch line.
But I don't see too many of his tries being scored while he is diving and airborne while going into touch. He seems to always score well inside the try line.

 

[Mr. Shaman]

I read a comment on social media that claimed he has also benefited from the corner posts no longer being a part of the touch line.
But I don't see too many of his tries being scored while he is diving and airborne while going into touch. He seems to always score well inside the try line.

That’s because most of his tries are walk overs

 

[Det.Wojciehowicz]

That’s because most of his tries are walk overs

 

[The Mad Hatter]

I don't think it's that he needs to be controversial. I just think he's a winger in an era where wingers are some of the most insanely dynamic athletes who are doing some of the craziest shit we see on a RL field... and this rock steady, clinical finisher just isn't very exciting

When people think of AJ, they think about a well worked backline movement that results him catching the ball, running 5-10m and scoring untouched.
And he's done that a lot! 200 tries IS incredible. And you're right to say that if it was easy everyone would do it. So AJ gets credit but i just thing he's done it in a style that... to be honest, feels just a bit boring
Like when he breaks the record there is going to be a montage of his tries and that montage just isnt going to slap the way you'd want it to for the games all time try scorer... not the way a Slater, or Morris or Stewart... or even guys not close to the record like Inglis or Tedesco

But like i said, stats don't give a shit about my feelings. He's gonna catch and fall his way to the record and the flashy athletic types and someone like me who wishes that record was held but someone more exciting will have to suck eggs on that haha

Apologies. I re read my post and I’m come across bitchy. I love the guy because he’s dependable. Reading your reply, I absolutely understand your point too. Apologies if I was a merkin.

 

[Munky]

Johnston obviously does something right though. Plenty of other wingers would screw up their chances.

Robert Jennings was a complete spud who scored a shitload of tries on Souths left edge in 2018.