To judge his skills on the basis of the last few seasons is a mistake -- Johns was in his prime around 2000-2003 and will be remembered for his ability to make anyone look good around him.
It's a huge loss to the game but a big blessing for the Knights. The fact is that having the world's best league player in your team actually diverts attention from other players who need recognition. The Knights have several players who will now step out of the shadows -- Buderus, Mullen and Simpson to name only three.
It's a real shame the Knights have struggled without Johns for several years. The good news for Knights fans and bad news for those who persist even this season with one-man team suggestions, is that the Knights have actually performed better without Johns. They won both games without him, lost his comeback game against the lowly-ranked Raiders and then narrowly missed out against the competition's best team, Melbourne.
For too long they have settled for being easy-beats without Johns, and now they get their opportunity to celebrate his career and move on. They will play better for now knowing he won't come back to save them and they can now swim by themselves and stick it to other teams under their own steam and own powers.
It's unfair on Johns, the Knights, the Knights fans and the wider competition for Johns to continue to be injured -- if his body has had enough then why expect him to continue?
A stella career comes to an end. The collective weight has been lifted from many Novocastrian shoulders, not the least from a man who has carried the hopes of a half a million people for more than a decade. If he isn't the most complete player ever, I challenge you to find one who is.
