Johns arrested and cautioned in London

[perverse]

how can a knights fan condemn joey? he was our hero on the football for so many years... brought us so much success.. and because he's had massive issues off the field, we are just to turn our back on him?

well... each to his own... but i'll always remember him for his on field exploits and the glory he did bring us. he's always had these off field problems... and some of us may have been in denial about that... but he showed absolutely huge balls in going public with this and he has my support for the future.

 

[roopy]

how can a knights fan condemn joey? he was our hero on the football for so many years... brought us so much success.. and because he's had massive issues off the field, we are just to turn our back on him?

well... each to his own... but i'll always remember him for his on field exploits and the glory he did bring us. he's always had these off field problems... and some of us may have been in denial about that... but he showed absolutely huge balls in going public with this and he has my support for the future.

His drug use has to be viewed in light of his mental illness.
He basically described a bi-polar illness, which is a very difficult illness to control and one where poor lifestyle decisions are actually one of the main symptoms, and 'self medicating' with illicit drugs is very very common.
When i thought his behaviour was as a result of him being a big headed showpony i wasn't in much of a mind to forgive him for his erratic behaviour - but it is all very consistant with a serious mental illness, and i find it remarkable that he has achieved all he has in his life.

 

[Jobdog]

There's little doubt that what Joey did tonight took a whole heap of balls to do. But the fact still remains that what he did was totally stupid and now he'll be remembered for being a "drug cheat" no matter how unfair that tag may be. I would still like answers from the Knights.

 

[RABK]

Once my hero, still my hero, always my hero.

 

[Doctor]

There's little doubt that what Joey did tonight took a whole heap of balls to do. But the fact still remains that what he did was totally stupid and now he'll be remembered for being a "drug cheat" no matter how unfair that tag may be. I would still like answers from the Knights.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think there is any performance benefit from recreational drugs. Illegal, yes. Contrary to the rules, yes. Stupid, indeed. Understandable, no but the cause of the behaviour, including feelings of isolation are understandable. Performance-enhancing, no. If anything, they would make him a wreck, not a wrecking ball.

 

[perverse]

His drug use has to be viewed in light of his mental illness.
He basically described a bi-polar illness, which is a very difficult illness to control and one where poor lifestyle decisions are actually one of the main symptoms, and 'self medicating' with illicit drugs is very very common.
When i thought his behaviour was as a result of him being a big headed showpony i wasn't in much of a mind to forgive him for his erratic behaviour - but it is all very consistant with a serious mental illness, and i find it remarkable that he has achieved all he has in his life.

me too - and i know all about bi-polar.. one of my best mates had it (before he was lost to this world) and a member of my family was also diagnosed with it - so i do know quite a lot about the illness - and joey's situation is very familar. it is indeed remarkable that he has achieved what he has despite it all.

Once my hero, still my hero, always my hero.

 

[[furrycat]]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think there is any performance benefit from recreational drugs. Illegal, yes. Contrary to the rules, yes. Stupid, indeed. Understandable, no but the cause of the behaviour, including feelings of isolation are understandable. Performance-enhancing, no. If anything, they would make him a wreck, not a wrecking ball.

Wrong in many contexts.

A lot of the drugs produce adrenaline like, or conversely calming like effects which are considered performance enhancing.

In saying that, I don't see Johns' ability being under any cloud.

 

[strewth_mate]

It seems to me that if he wasn't Andrew Johns, the club would have come out with this very happily a long time ago, but the club, and to some extent the fans, appear to have been more inclined to milk him for the sake of the Knights' success. It was inevitable that all of this would have been 'revealed' at some point after the end of his career when there's nothing left to lose by doing so.

I hope whatever problems he has can be sorted out, because nobody deserves to suffer from a mental disorder. However, he has to cop whatever is handed down to him, because I don't think it can be argued that he wasn't functional in any way for the past 15 years and therefore totally helpless and free from responsibility for his own actions. This is life after football for Joey.

All other parties involved or aware need to be looked at also, but this is not to pass the buck as they are different circumstances.

I do not condone his drug use and it ends at that.

Utterly indebted to him for his actions on the field, but those and his actions off the field are mutually exclusive.

 

[roopy]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think there is any performance benefit from recreational drugs. Illegal, yes. Contrary to the rules, yes. Stupid, indeed. Understandable, no but the cause of the behaviour, including feelings of isolation are understandable. Performance-enhancing, no. If anything, they would make him a wreck, not a wrecking ball.

a lot of the type of drugs he would have been taking are definately performance enhancing - but they would have been detected if he took them before a game because they take 6 to 12 hours minimum to get out of your system.
He said he took drugs after he had 6 beers or so - can't see that happening the day of a game.

 

[Jobdog]

Strewth, why is it that you have such a good way with words?

 

[perverse]

a lot of the type of drugs he would have been taking are definately performance enhancing - but they would have been detected if he took them before a game because they take 6 to 12 hours minimum to get out of your system.
He said he took drugs after he had 6 beers or so - can't see that happening the day of a game.

correct - from what i've been told a pinger would be performance enhancing if taken about 1/2 hour before a game.. but damaging if taken at any other time. apparently the "come down" is quite severe and draining.

 

[Rod]

From what I can gather from that interview from the footy show is, there was something that didn't really surprise/worry me and something that did surprise/worry me.

Firstly, I wasn't surprised how he admitted to dabbling in drugs, especially in the off-season. Would that have surprised anyone? *edit*

The thing that did surprise and concern me was the reasons behind the drug-taking. Its one thing to pop the occasional E after a few beers to have a good time at a nightclub, IMO it's something completely different to using them to deal with any depression/emotional issues he may have been having regarding the huge pressures in his career. I guess now we can understand really how much people expected of him. Everyone in his life, everyone he saw or talked to, expected miracles, and I guess unbelieveably, more often than not he delivered. In the end we now realise those came at a certain cost.

 

[roopy]

I don't think it can be argued that he wasn't functional in any way for the past 15 years and therefore totally helpless and free from responsibility for his own actions.

There are provisions in the mental health act that basically say that anyone with a bi-polar illness can't be held accountable for any debt they incur due to their illness.
Making 'insane' decisions during a so-called 'manic' episode is what the illness is about.

 

[Serc]

Good on him for coming clean - but I'm still pretty gutted...we (being the Knights) are gonna cop it so hard from now on about drugs, just when the Robbie O and Mad Dog thing has started to be forgotten too!

Like Warney, I've always disconnected myself from the off field antics of the pair of them and enjoyed what they've displayed on the field. Nothing changes for me, Johns will always be one of the greatest.

PS: Does this mean he has zero chance of being an immortal now?

 

[perverse]

The thing that did surprise and concern me was the reasons behind the drug-taking. Its one thing to pop the occasional E after a few beers to have a good time at a nightclub, IMO it's something completely different to using them to deal with any depression/emotional issues he may have been having regarding the huge pressures in his career. I guess now we can understand really how much people expected of him. Everyone in his life, everyone he saw or talked to, expected miracles, and I guess unbelieveably, more often than not he delivered. In the end we now realise those came at a certain cost.

yep.. it's called self-medication.. and it's a much much bigger problem than casual.. or even habitual illicit drug dependancies.

Serc - it remains to be seen how this will effect his chance at being an immortal. i voted that he shouldn't become one in the poll in the NRL forum.. but i'm very divided now. not knowing what the criteria for an immortal is i can't really say.

 

[Serc]

Yeah for sure...I have a horrible feeling that they couldn't possibly put his name up there now with those guys in your sig...

 

[Gene Krupa]

I must admit to going of half cocked. To see someone you idolised fall so far, to have to explain to your son, who worships Joey almost as much as I do, why I was ripping Joey's posters off his wall, was heartbreaking. And when I think about how I went through a similar situation as Andrew, WITHOUT the pressures and expectations of a whole town riding on my shoulders, it all puts things in perspective.

Yes I'm disappointed, yes I'm pissed off but I am willing to forgive someone for being human.

 

[Bicey_18]

Am I the only one that shed a few tears while watching that? Hard 2 watch

 

[jhonny bravo]

I cannot believe that no one really can believe this admission. The Knights live in the fish bowl that is Newcastle and when ever someone says something daming against any of the players or the club no one in Newcastle wants a bar of it. **edit** I agree something needs to be done but who was going to tell Andrew that what he was doing was a bad thing and destroy him. NO ONE. If his own family knew this was going they probably have tried to help him along the road but he would of fobed it off and said its ok. Its taken something this large for him to realise he has been ashamed and embarassed for him him to maybe stop taking drugs.
I really had no respect for the man before tonight, or any Knights player for that matter (barring a few) but what he did tonight took alot of guts and have gained more respect for that half hour on TV than 12 years of great things on the footy field. Dont get me wrong the bloke is one of the best footballers to ever live and respect him as a footballer more than any other. This took alot of PRIDE to do what he did tonight and good on him for doing this.
I ask anyone who is shaming Johns over this, asking why something was not done sooner and why it wasnt brought to the publics attention sooner to ask themselves would they have the guts to shame someone they cared for that much for them to stop something they thought was ok. The answer would be they you would find it very difficult to do and has taken something this big for him to realise this.

 

[keeney]

correct - from what i've been told a pinger would be performance enhancing if taken about 1/2 hour before a game.. but damaging if taken at any other time. apparently the "come down" is quite severe and draining.

Pfft, there is no way being on a pill would be beneficial while on the field. Despite the adrenaline, there is quite a loss of judgement, fine motor skills, mental coherence, even vision (eye wobbles). It just wouldn't work.