Joey Johns: our biggest dickhead in the game

[legend]

I thought I answered it with my reference to Fittler. I think he was a better captain but even he fell short of the mark of what is expected of a Captain. Hate to say it but Daley was the shining light both on and off the field. His leadership and profile as a captain will never be questioned. He handled the job superbly. As for Tallis, well I personally don't think he sooks as much as Johns but he is still not the ideal captain.

I see someone like Steve Price as the ideal captain, much in the same mould as Daley but at the end of the day, this thread is about Johns, not Tallis, Fittler, Daley and Price. Talk of the others is merely sidetracking the thread and i'm just as guilty as the next bloke.

Joey is not alone, I put Hodges in the same class but IMO, there are a select few genuine dickheads in the game and most play for Newcastle for some reason. I put O'Davis in that class.

Johns has had a chequered past. I remember watching Canberra beating the Knights in Canberra back in 2000 and Johns stuck his finger up at the crowd after Canberra scored and had a post try celebration. Funny thing is Johns and his dopey mates at Newcastle were the ones who started the post try celebration and when they had it done to them, they didn't like it one bit. Johns again shoed how much of a bad sport he is. If you are interested, I can dig up further examples but I think the argument is pretty compelling at the moment.

 

[legend]

Sorry Willow, but Dubby again has a valid point. Waugh is ten times more talented than you and me, but he is a gritty, determined batsman rather than an elegant stroke maker like Gilchrist, Hayden or Ponting. Waugh is not the flashiest player to watch, but he always gives 110% and never throws his wicket away and I say this with Steve Waugh as my favourite cricketer. He is not the most talented in the Australian team but is by far the best leader and has the most desire to win but they are different qualities to talent.

 

[Willow]

"Sorry Willow, but Dubby again has a valid point. "
Thats allright mate, you don't have to apologise for that.

And anyone... what happened to the face of League? Its a little interesting that it fell by the wayside in terms of being a good product.

 

[imported_justme]

Hate to say it but Daley was the shining light both on and off the field. His leadership and profile as a captain will never be questioned.
Sorry, butnot so.IMOhe made a total goose of himself with his ridiculous comments during the SL period, as did Meninga.While he has since quite oftenacknowledged the incorrectness of what he said he neverthelessstill allowed himself to be manipulated and that is NOT leadership.

Johns may bea goose but even he has enoughgrey matterto keep his trap shut and not allow himself to be misused politically.

 

[Willow]

The best captain I've seen over the last 10 years is Mark Coyne. Seen him in action, seen him talk and read his column in the crappiest paper on Earth, the GoldCoast Bulletin.
OK.. my red and whites are shining but I make no apologies for that and I doubt anyone can find fault with the bloke. Except for the fact that he is a Queenslander, but hey, no one is perfect.

 

[imported_justme]

the GoldCoast Bulletin
I'll admit toreading that for the first week I was up here, pleased to report I quickly recovered my senses and have not bothered with it since

Iagree on Mark Coyne but also rate Stacy Jones very highly, don't understand why they took the captaincy off him.

 

[Willow]

justme: I have successfully conditioned myself to read the inside back page only and I'm fortunate that the paper is bought by someone else during the lunch break.

 

[imported_justme]

I have successfully conditioned myself to read the inside back page only
You must have converted to aBronco fan then,that's all they ever write about.

 

[Willow]

No no no no no... bastard! LOL
The first thing I noticed about the SE Qld press was that it wasall Broncos. It has assisted me greatly in depising them on a even greater level than I could have ever imagined.

 

[misspunter]

Who was your role model dubby..they did a lousy job.If you can get on here and criticise someone you have never met in your life and abuse him because he drink's alcohol and bets on horses.Get a life!

 

[dubby]

Misspunter, read between the lines, my point was his whole attitude and swagger. Obviously, you need to get a life my dear, this thread goes back months....

Don't jump to conclusions

 

[CanadianSteve]

This was a good thread, I missed it the first time around. Probably one of the last good ones here before the slowdown. (But there will be more in future.)

Not to go back over the whole thing, but one point strikes me as an outside observer. I would think league would want a more classy individual as the face of RL. To present a good image like John Eales did for union. From what I've read it sounds like Lockyer would be a better choice than Johns or Tallis, even if it's not his "turn" to be captain of the Kangaroos.

I think Canadian hockey is similarly a sport with its share of both gentlemen and tough guys, and the NHL is very conscious of who is the spokesman for the game. The ideal example was Wayne Gretzky, who was universally respected and carried himself well at all times, such as in the 1998 Olympics. There isn't anyone quite like him playing now, but they try to pick someone like that as say, captain of Canada's Olympic team.

 

[imported_midas]

A few real pretenders being put forward here.Cross out Daley and Mal,that,s really grabbing at straws .Cross out Coyne,he spoke so bloody fast (faster than Mark Taylor even)that he was impossible to understand and which is why his media career floundered.
Cross out Freddy,Gordy etc.
To get a captain capable of conducting himself off the field as well as Waugh and Eales (Actually,while I,ve got the sharp pencil out,cross out Eales),you have to go back to George Peponis and before that,to Reg Gasnier.
That,s just the nature of the game-it,s a working -class game and some of our past players have not had the best of formal educations.
The situation is actually getting worse,now.With these "talent identification programs"young players are devoting disproportionate amounts of their lives to footy at a very early age at the expense of their education.There will be a price to pay for this down the line.
I still find a lot to like about Joey Johns and only regard him as an "almost" dickhead.

 

[Willow]

midas: "That,s just the nature of the game-it,s a working -class game and some of our past players have not had the best of formal educations."
I was actually the same conversation yesterday with someone. While it's true that professional footballers now earn more than ever before, its doesnt mean anything when looking at their background. They'll still slur their words and slip up with the grammar... its the nature of their upbringing. But it doesnt mean that they're stupid.
Union was and still is the domain of the higher educated but equally, it doesnt make them any smarter.

midas, I'd add Craig Smith to that list. I thought he was a good talker and before Jim Hall booted him out of the NRL, he was skipper of St George and I pretty sure that he was the NZ captain for a bit.

AKiwi League player that knew his graces and was a front rower to boot.... what odds on that eh?

 

[misspunter]

Johns was handed the state and nationalcaptaincy so someone must of thought his on field and off field conduct was up to scratch.