Joey is ready to quit

[northey]

Set to dump NRL and Australia

THE world's best league player, Andrew Johns, is contemplating quitting the NRL and moving to England if handed a season-ending four-match ban at tonight's judiciary hearing.
In the biggest judiciary case in the NRL's history, Johns' season could be over if he fails to have a dissent charge downgraded and misses the finals.

The charge arises from a 79th minute incident in the match against Manly last Friday night when Johns called touch judge Matt Cecchin a "f...ing c...".

The Newcastle captain faces either a two-match or four-match ban. His manager John Fordham said Johns could walk away from the NRL if banished for the season.

Fordham stressed Johns had not stated he would quit, but was tiring of the intense scrutiny of his high profile in the NRL.

"The immediate playing future of Andrew Johns, one of rugby league's greatest players, ambassadors and characters, will hinge on the result," Fordham said in an exclusive column for The Daily Telegraph.

"If the NRL judiciary votes in favour of a four-match ban and the Knights subsequently either fail to make the final eight or survive the first semi-final without their chief playmaker, would you blame him if he suddenly decided he's had enough?

"Will he have had enough of the pressure-cooker environment, the scrutiny and the witch-hunts that are part of being the game's highest profile and best player?

"The NRL can ill afford to drive its No.1 drawcard away from playing the game in this country.

"What nobody appears to be disputing is the penalty far exceeds the severity of the offence."

Fordham said Johns lived under intense scrutiny in Newcastle.

"Joey has often complained about the constant off-field pressure, focus and scrutiny that come with the lofty status he's achieved on the football field," Fordham said.

"In Newcastle, a city he loves dearly, he lives in a fishbowl. Whenever he can escape to enjoy the simple things in life - surfing, a concert and, yes, even visiting an art gallery, he is at his happiest.

"Over the years, he's had to put up with people encroaching on his property, causing a racket as they drive past his house or even ringing his doorbell to say hello.

"This intrusion has driven him to the edge on many occasions."

Newcastle's defence team this evening will be Allan Sullivan QC and barrister James McLeod.

"We in no way condone swearing at match officials, however, we believe the severity of the charge is out of proportion," Knights chief executive Ken Conway said.

Former Australia captain Brad Fittler last night backed Johns.

"I think the penalty is a bit harsh. It sounds heavy.

http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,20140203-5001021,00.html

 

[Bring it home Knights]

he wont leave. This is simply a ploy to get the charge down graded.

 

[Burwood]

No surf, No Sam. Nahhh, he won't be going anywhere.

However, it is a very good ploy by Fordham. He is really playing up the whole "martyr" aspect of this incident.

 

[Bicey_18]

I saw this last night on the news and was shocked! I mean I have marvelled at the skill and passion of Joey for many years now but this is ridiculous...
The guy is that used to winning football games as is Bedsy that if decisions dont go their way they chuck the biggest hissy fit... they have to realise that chucking a spaz wont change the ref's decision.. if that were the case, then fine everyone would do it, but its not like that, thats life im afraid. Now I am one of the biggest Knights fan u'll see but when I see Joey carrying on like a little brat when things dont go his way... I can see why people cant stand him.

We cant have our captain showing the poorest of sportsmanship eg Not showing up for his presentation at Parramatta Stadium.. what example does that show to the younger guys like Mullen etc? We cant have our captain abuse officials when calls dont go our way... especially as bad as what we saw on friday night.

Now we see the the great Joey Johns ready to take his lil ball and go home cos he didnt get his way.

This whole thing reeks of childishness and poor sportsmanship ..... something i never thought I would say against Joey... and it hurts to say this but its the truth

 

[ShadesOfTheSun]

He won't leave because the NRL won't give him four weeks. It would simply do too much damage to them if he chose to walk out because of the ban. It would give the media ammunition to blast the NRL with for years to come, and the impetus to attack the judiciary and the rules that govern the game. More, it would create the exact opposite effect that the NRL would have hoped for in suspending him in the first place - media scrutiny would focus on bad refereeing decisions and children would have less respect for on-field officials rather than more.

The NRL won't do it. There is too much at stake if they call Johns' bluff and he really does leave.

Threatening to quit is neither childish nor unsporting - it's really quite a brilliant strategy.

 

[Bring it home Knights]

yeah fair point

 

[skeepe]

Good riddance.

 

[Gene Krupa]

Good riddance.

f**k off!

 

[Bicey_18]

Good riddance.

Yes we will be saying that after Canberra get knocked out in the 1st round of Semis.... ;-)

 

[Gene Krupa]

Yes we will be saying that after Canberra get knocked out in the 1st round of Semis.... ;-)

Exactly.

 

[northey]

Joey could leave Australia, says manager
Nick Leys and Dan Box
August 16, 2006
ANDREW Johns's manager has suggested the Newcastle captain might quit Australia if the NRL judiciary imposes a four-match ban for swearing at a touch judge when it meets tonight.
In an apparent attempt to publicly pressure the judiciary through a column in Sydney's Daily Telegraph newspaper, John Fordham has said the player's future will hinge on the judiciary's decision.

"The NRL can ill afford to drive its No1 drawcard away from playing in this country," Mr Fordham wrote. "Would you blame (Johns) if he suddenly decided he has had enough?"

Johns faces a dissent charge, which arises from an incident in the 79th minute of the match against Manly last Friday where he called touch judge Matt Cecchin a "f..king. c..t"

Johns faces a possible four-match ban, which could effectively end his season.

Mr Fordham last night insisted he had not heard Johns express any desire to leave Australia, but confirmed he had recently received interest from at least one overseas club.

It is understood Johns will apologise to the touchjudge and the NRL for his outburst.

While Johns spent yesterday surfing at Merewether Beach, outside Newcastle, opinion in the town itself was divided.

Half the town seemed to back the Knights' captain and the other half remained angry that his outburst might have cost the side a finals berth.

"He f...ked up - he's a human being," Mick Allen told The Australian in the front bar of Merewether's Burwood Inn hotel, the same pub Andrew Johns calls his local.

"When you are that passionate about the game you don't see yourself as possibly letting down the team and a whole city. And you don't become the best player in the world without that sort of passion," Mr Allen said.

Howie Peters, who says he drinks with Joey, concurred.

"Joey is very passionate - maybe too passionate for his own good," he said. "They denied Newcastle a chance to win the game and I think he had a right to blow up. Newcastle won't hold it against him."

Across the bar, others are furious at Johns's performance and what it may mean for the a team that has an appalling track record when he isn't playing.

Brett Meredith says the outburst is another reason for Johns to retire. "If they retired him they could use the money to buy some new younger players," he said. "What he has done is unforgivable. He's let the team down and it's not the first time."

Phil Swain is more complacent about the situation.

"Novocastrians are fifty-fifty about Joey," he said.. "Some people hate him because he's a tall poppy; others love him because of what he and that team are capable of. They can lift the whole city."

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,20145413-5003340,00.html

 

[Johns-All-Day]

I can see a few people on here think that suggesting Joey will leave is a brilliant strategy. I totally see their point of view, but in a way I hold another one. I think it's an arrogant thing for John Fordham to suggest. It's lucky for us that one of the NRL's biggest priorities is money, and they therefore can't afford to lose Joey; because if it wasn't for that, they'd probably be half inclined to call his bluff and tell him to get lost. I'm sure if a lesser player had the hide to suggest it, they'd tell him where to go. Of course then again, if a lesser player had said "F*** off c***" in the first place, there wouldn't be the storm in the teacup that we're seeing now.

 

[Master Vippo]

If he leaves cause of a 4 match ban, that would have to eb the sinlge most sookiest thing i have ever seen from an adult.

I hope its a gee-up.

 

[Ice777]

Threatening to quit is neither childish nor unsporting - it's really quite a brilliant strategy.

How the hell is it a brilliant strategy when everyone with half a brain can see right through their plan? All it does is make him look like a petulant little school kid who took his bat and ball home because he didn't get his own way. How he's carrying on here, not to mention the childish display he put on after not accepting the game ball for the points record, has only damaged his credibility and has lost him a sh*tload of respect from not only alot of Knights fans, but the rugby league loving public as well.

That's the saddest thing about it, if arguably one of the greatest players to ever lace up a boot were to leave over a possible 4 match ban that wasn't downgraded, that's not the way for a champion to bow out of the game and it's certainly not the way a champion should be remembered and like it or not, people will remember the way he's acted this year. Yeah, great strategy to make him look like a world class, A grade sook :roll:

 

[ShadesOfTheSun]

I can see a few people on here think that suggesting Joey will leave is a brilliant strategy. I totally see their point of view, but in a way I hold another one. I think it's an arrogant thing for John Fordham to suggest.

I agree, but the fact that it's arrogant doesn't make it any less effective as a strategy.

 

[ShadesOfTheSun]

How the hell is it a brilliant strategy when everyone with half a brain can see right through their plan?

Because it's subtle enough that the NRL cannot claim that they are being blackmailed - Fordham's comments are sufficiently ambiguous for him to be able to turn around and say that the NRL are overreacting if they object to the threat implicit in them, which will only give them worse press. Even if it's obvious to everyone what's going on, the NRL cannot afford to take the risk of calling Johns' bluff and having him actually quit - it would hurt them too much.

The fact of the matter is that if he were to leave, the articles calling him a sook would peter out and die in a week. Media attention would rapidly turn to the NRL, and soon every writer and his dog would be digging through the archives looking for evidence to 'prove' Johns' claim that the judiciary was unfair. You'd have twats like Gould writing articles criticising the rules and the referees, and the NRL's stock would dip even lower.

The media is fuelled by reader interest - stories about corruption and incompetence in the NRL will remain sensational long after Johns has gone. No matter how much Johns is censured if he does decide to quit, the damage to the NRL will be far greater.

It's brilliant, in short, because he's managed to threaten the NRL judiciary with an allmighty whallop without actually saying anything they can really object to.

 

[northey]

Don't quit Australia, Joey: Beazley

Opposition Leader Kim Beazley has pleaded with Newcastle Knights rugby league star Andrew Johns not to leave Australia.

Johns is reportedly considering moving to England if he receives a four-match ban from the NRL judiciary for abusing a touch judge.

Mr Beazley, a keen Newcastle supporter, urged Johns, regarded as the world's best rugby league player, not to quit Australia.

"Joey Johns, don't go," he told reporters.

"You've got five good years left in you and Newcastle needs five premierships.

"Whatever you do at this disappointing time, don't leave the country, don't leave Newcastle."

Mr Beazley called for Johns to be punished "as little as possible" for his indiscretion.

"He needs to make amends but he mustn't go," he said.

"It would be a very great tragedy for the Newcastle Knights and the game of league if he disappeared."


www.smh.com.au/sport

 

[bluesbreaker]

What a farce this is developing into.

 

[keeney]

How the hell is it a brilliant strategy when everyone with half a brain can see right through their plan? All it does is make him look like a petulant little school kid who took his bat and ball home because he didn't get his own way. How he's carrying on here, not to mention the childish display he put on after not accepting the game ball for the points record, has only damaged his credibility and has lost him a sh*tload of respect from not only alot of Knights fans, but the rugby league loving public as well.

That's the saddest thing about it, if arguably one of the greatest players to ever lace up a boot were to leave over a possible 4 match ban that wasn't downgraded, that's not the way for a champion to bow out of the game and it's certainly not the way a champion should be remembered and like it or not, people will remember the way he's acted this year. Yeah, great strategy to make him look like a world class, A grade sook :roll:

Man f**k, you and every other idiot who over uses this word needs to chew on my left nad. Why not tap taht super awesome vocabulary and come up with a synonym?

 

[Cletus]

Man f**k, you and every other idiot who over uses this word needs to chew on my left nad. Why not tap taht super awesome vocabulary and come up with a synonym?

Pedant.