Charlie Saab said:
I couldnt give a sh!t about johns...the sooner he retires the better the game will be.
Surely you cannot believe that Charlie? Yes, there will always being new talent coming into the game to replace the greats from yesterday though Andrew Johns is a once in a lifetime player who we as Rugby League fans are privledged to have seen in his prime.
The irony here is this, IF the NRL did not step in and ensure we kept in Andrew Johns in Rugby League, they would be bagged for once again letting go a former NSW and Test player to the "dark side". Today, they did what was right and kept Johns in the code and yet are continually bagged for not attempting keep Lote, Sailor and Rogers? Is is unreasonable to think perhaps they learnt their lesson on letting a guy like Lote go in which they were not going to chance losing our one time show piece? I think so though in the same sentence I would not envisage the NRL throwing a lifeline to every NRL player who perhaps is contemplating Rugby. That would not be a sound "business decision" if you will.
As for the injury to Johns, it is not as bad as first thought. When O'Meley broke his jaw (he had it wired) he was not able to put together two words (admittedly he was more coherent than Mark Geyer) and lost alot of weight. Johns on the other hand is able to talk and will have more options food wise than Mark did. Where Mark was reduced to attempting to blend a steak to keep his weight up, Johns will be able to endure some softer foods with the normal untensils and not a straw.
Good to see his spirits are still up.
p.s. Andrew Johns is a player that people want to hear about and hear from, it makes perfect sense that CH9 are going to 'flog this deadhorse' as the general RL public want to listen to Johns in comparison to say Chris Hicks (no disrespect to Hicks there) as he is one of our greats. I, like the majority here, would like to learn more about the "other" players running around the NRL though IMO it is necessary to continually get the "inside scoop" from the Lockyers, Slaters, SBWs etc. as they are the games best.
Johns was what Jordan was to basketball, Warne to cricket, Beckham to the EPL...individuals arguably the best at their chosen profession (Beckham is excluded there) who are also add glamour and intrigue to their sport such is their profile on a wider level. They sell merchandise, they put bums on seats and given the media something to talk about. Fans want to hear from them.