Johns and Kimmorley renew rivalry

[reptar]

By Dean Ritchie and Barry Toohey
July 27, 2006

SHARKS halfback Brett Kimmorley acknowledges that confronting Andrew Johns one-on-one is unconditionally the toughest challenge in rugby league.

Kimmorley and Newcastle counterpartJohns renew their amazing 13-year rivalry in tomorrow night's match at Toyota Park. The pair have competed against one another for nine years, while Kimmorley, before that, was Johns' understudy at Newcastle.
Kimmorley and Johns have constantly jostled for representative spots over the years, and played against one another in 12 matches - with each winning six games.
The battles between the two have been compared to Steve Mortimer's clashes with Peter Sterling in the 1980s and Ricky Stuart's confrontations with Allan Langer in the 1990s.
Newcastle and the Sharks sit on 22 points - the loser tomorrow night possibly slipping to 10th spot.
Asked if Johns provided rugby league's biggest challenge, Kimmorley said: "I think so. He can change a game so quickly.
"Playing against Joey is a great challenge.
"But I will be making a conscious effort to sit back a little in this game."

Advertisement:
<!-- Hide from old browsers // Cache-busting and pageid values random = Math.round(Math.random() * 100000000); if (!pageNum) var pageNum = Math.round(Math.random() * 100000000); document.write('<SCR'); document.write('IPT TYPE=&quot;TEXT/JAVASCRIPT&quot; SRC=&quot;http://mercury.tiser.com.au/jserver/acc_random=' + random + '/SITE=FOXS/AREA=SPORT.LEAGUE.STORY/AAMSZ=300X250/MAAMZ=/pageid=' + pageNum + '&quot;>'); document.write('</SCR'); document.write('IPT>'); // End Hide --> var gnEbMinZIndex = 10000; var gfEbInIframe = false; var gEbBAd = new Object(); gEbBAd.nFlightID = 129755; gEbBAd.nWidth = 300; gEbBAd.nHeight = 250; gEbBAd.nDownloadMode = 3; var gstrEbRandnum = new String(Math.random()); gstrEbRandnum = gstrEbRandnum.substring(gstrEbRandnum.indexOf(&quot;.&quot+1 , gstrEbRandnum.length); gEbBAd.strNonSupported = &quot;http://bs.serving-sys.com/BurstingP...Page=&PluID=0&Width=300&Height=250&Pos=&quot; + gstrEbRandnum;
<a href='http://bs.serving-sys.com/BurstingPipe/BannerRedirect.asp?FlightID=129755&Page=&PluID=0&Pos=3621' target='_blank'><img src='http://bs.serving-sys.com/BurstingPipe/BannerSource.asp?FlightID=129755&Page=&PluID=0&Pos=3621' border=0 width=300 height=250'></a>

<A HREF=&quot;http://mercury.tiser.com.au/adclick/SITE=FOXS/AREA=SPORT.LEAGUE.STORY/AAMSZ=300X250/MAAMZ=/pageid=1&quot;> <IMG SRC=&quot;http://mercury.tiser.com.au/nserver/SITE=FOXS/AREA=SPORT.LEAGUE.STORY/AAMSZ=300X250/MAAMZ=/pageid=1&quot;></A>
Kimmorley admitted his Sharks had fallen away in recent weeks. "We are letting ourselves down and putting pressure on ourselves," he said.
"Maybe it's the same for them. They were favourites at the start of the year."
Johns last night spoke about his battles with Kimmorley.
"We have never been close mates but there has never been a problem there either," Johns said.
"We have just been two guys doing everything we could to get our sides home when we played against each other."

http://foxsports.news.com.au/story/0,8659,19924149-23214,00.html

Christ! Well, they've definitely been compared to the epic Joey vs Kimmorley battles now, haven't they? And it took TWO journalists to come up with this tripe?

 

[Mr Saab]

Johns owns Kimmorley. Yes, Brett got the better of him big time in 2002 at shark park, but apart from that noddy has nothing on Johns.

 

[Big_Bad_Shark_Fan]

looking forward to another chapter in this great battle.
Another chance for each to put there case forward as to who is the best half

 

[skeepe]

Johns owns Kimmorley. Yes, Brett got the better of him big time in 2002 at shark park, but apart from that noddy has nothing on Johns.

Was at that game. Fantastic performance by the Sharks that day. Something like 42-0 at half time.

Shame about the crowd though, they were feral particularly to those unfortunate enough to be dressed in a Knights jersey. I can't remember seeing one Knights fan make it to the exit without being pushed over or having things thrown at them.

 

[Breadman]

Majority of times they line up against each other Kimmorley plays better.
Don't get me wrong, I know Johns is 1000 times the player than Noddy
but he just seems to lift against Joey, heres to hoping he does it on Friday night.

 

[Raoul Duke]

who is better: Kimberley or Johns? :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[stevie013]

i hope kimmorley doesnt try too hard on friday night, or it will be another loss for the sharkies! hopefully it will be the adam dykes show! looking forward to the game.

 

[strewth_mate]

Kimmorley steps up against the Knights and I reckon he usually plays over the top of Johns. He seems to really worry us with his running game and the rest of them are generally very keen to run off his short passing. Hope it's a good clash.

 

[bluesbreaker]

Majority of times they line up against each other Kimmorley plays better.
Don't get me wrong, I know Johns is 1000 times the player than Noddy
but he just seems to lift against Joey, heres to hoping he does it on Friday night.

Dun dun, wrong mate. Johns still has a 1 game advantage on Kimmorley.

 

[Raider_69]

i actually agree with him
IMO more times then not kimmorley plays better then johns head to head
that said johns is a far superior player, just kimmorley seems to lift a gear against johns

 

[bluesbreaker]

Yes, but that's because you're a biased idiot, Raiduh. I've already posted a thread debunking this theory, I add to it each time the Sharks and Knights play. From memory, it's 7-6 Johns in the head to head encounters, and that's not including games when Johns played allll over Kimmorley, but Sharks got the victory, like the golden point win last year for instance.

 

[bluesbreaker]

Actually, I didn't add to it last time Sharkies beat us, cause I was in South Aus, with no interweb. My apologies to the Sharks fans waiting to give it to me about that game .

 

[Pantherjim.]

Andrew Johns is the best halfback to ever grace God's earth. Methinks Kimmorley would have to eclipse Craig Gower before he would even come close to Joey's class.

 

[stevie013]

Yes, but that's because you're a biased idiot, Raiduh. I've already posted a thread debunking this theory, I add to it each time the Sharks and Knights play. From memory, it's 7-6 Johns in the head to head encounters, and that's not including games when Johns played allll over Kimmorley, but Sharks got the victory, like the golden point win last year for instance.

its actually 6-6 in the head to head, so a leader will be found tomorrow night!

 

[t-ba]

Gimmemorely grows an extra leg against joey. During his Storm years, he was playing better football than Johns as well. As a Footballer though, One-Nut Noddy has nothing on the Mouthguard chucker.

 

[The Dodger]

Dun dun, wrong mate. Johns still has a 1 game advantage on Kimmorley.

kimmorley Vs Johns

Their at 6 wins each

 

[The Dodger]

Yes, but that's because you're a biased idiot, Raiduh. I've already posted a thread debunking this theory, I add to it each time the Sharks and Knights play. From memory, it's 7-6 Johns in the head to head encounters, and that's not including games when Johns played allll over Kimmorley, but Sharks got the victory, like the golden point win last year for instance.

6 all.

maybe you think johns is on top because your a biased idiot...

 

[Breadman]

Dun dun, wrong mate. Johns still has a 1 game advantage on Kimmorley.

As someone else said 6-6.
I wasn't actually referring to which TEAM had won more games anyway.
IMO Kimmorley has had the better of their individual battles and had as
close as you can come to a perfect #7 game in the massive beating a year or two back.

 

[Raider_69]

Yes, but that's because you're a biased idiot, Raiduh. I've already posted a thread debunking this theory, I add to it each time the Sharks and Knights play. From memory, it's 7-6 Johns in the head to head encounters, and that's not including games when Johns played allll over Kimmorley, but Sharks got the victory, like the golden point win last year for instance.

:lol: your an absolute clown, the fact you have the hide to call me biased, given your posting record is proof of such
stick ya second head back up your arse, you silly twat

 

[Timmah]

Wow. Two halves whose teams are in the middle of a form slump WITH the pair in question at the helm. Both sides languishing and risking a fall out of the eight... what a battle :roll:

I know our halves aren't crash hot, but geez, greats? Johns hasn't seen greatness since that Origin game, and Kimmorley's been an over-rated nuffy since 2000.