Joey Millionaire - six of the best may earn Johns a small fortune overseas
The deal that will enable Andrew Johns to play an end-of-season cameo with English club Warrington could earn the superstar more than $500,000 for six games.
The staggering figure will only turn up the heat in the debate over whether Johns should put playing in the English Super League grand final ahead of playing a Test for Australia.
Australia are scheduled to play New Zealand in the opening match of the Tri-Nations series in Sydney on October 15 - the same weekend as the Super League decider. Speculation about how much Johns would earn from his English stint, which would have him play a minimum of four games and a maximum of six, has been rife since news of the deal broke last weekend.
The Newcastle and NSW star, who is certain to be chosen as the Australian halfback if fit, is managed by one of the shrewdest operators in the business in John Fordham, and Warrington are known to be prepared to pay big money for Australian and New Zealand players. Speculation over what Johns will earn was fanned by another high-profile client of Fordham's - veteran broadcaster John Laws, on his radio 2UE show yesterday.
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AdvertisementA caller rang Laws about 9.15am and was critical of Johns over the English club versus Australia situation. Laws defended Johns, saying he had only a short time as a footballer to make good money.
The caller asked what Johns would get for his stint with Warrington and Laws replied: "I don't know what he is getting paid, but he is probably getting about 40,000 [dollars] a match." After the call had ended, Laws said: "Let's see if we can find 'Fordo' and find out what was in his letter [to the ARL]."
Laws revisited the Johns issue after the 10am news, saying: "Just back to Andrew Johns, the world's greatest league player. He's got a tough choice. Does he give up a chance to make a small fortune in England, or does he make himself available for Australia? And that's the rub.
"The word is this: English club Warrington is prepared to pay Andrew Johns more for just six games with that club than he can earn in a whole season with Newcastle. Now this is a hell of a lot of money. That's a very, very lucrative offer."
Johns is understood to be earning $500,000 per season from his deal with the Knights. Told of the comments by Laws, Fordham said last night: "I've got no idea where that has come from. I haven't spoken to John today." Fordham said he had a strict rule when it came to his clients and their financial arrangements. "I don't discuss what my clients earn with anyone," he said. "I've got a policy to say nothing about that."
Asked about a report in today's Newcastle Herald that suggested Johns could earn as much as $200,000 per game playing for Warrington, Fordham replied: "Look, that is European soccer or American football money. All I will say is that Joey is being remunerated at a level that reflects his standing in the game."
Fordham was adamant the overwhelming attraction for Johns in the deal was to get the chance to do something he hadn't done and possibly share in an English grand final win.
"It was about the fifth phone call between Joey and I on the matter before I mentioned anything about money," Fordham said. "It was the opportunity that excited him."
Should Warrington make the grand final, Johns will ask for a special exemption to miss the Test. It is expected the ARL will deny him that, forcing Johns to then make a decision.
And there could be a wildcard factor for him to consider, with the Herald learning that if Johns and five-eighth Darren Lockyer are both fit and selected for the Test there will at least be a debate at ARL board level over which of the two should be captain.
After former Australian captain Brad Fittler retired from representative duty at the end of 2001 the captaincy was handed to Johns but he held it only for two Tests before a run of injuries put his Test career on hold.
Lockyer took over as captain in the absence of Johns and even with Johns in the side Lockyer would have the inside running to be appointed again, but Johns has admirers, too, and rather than be automatic, an appointment would only be made after a discussion.
http://smh.com.au/news/league/joey-...fortuneoverseas/2005/08/03/1122748702244.html
