Joey Learns Value Of A Five-letter Word
Sydney Morning Herald
Friday August 18, 2006
FROM the start of the Andrew Johns judiciary hearing on Wednesday night, there was an air of inevitability about the result. It quickly became clear that if Johns apologised sincerely enough and profusely enough, he would get the downgrading of a contrary conduct charge that he required to have his suspension cut from four games to two. Fortunately, someone with the minimum of half a brain that it would have taken to give him the right advice got in Joey's ear in time. "Go down there, admit you stuffed up, apologise with feeling to everyone involved and hope for the best," we can hear someone telling him. We're not saying that Johns wasn't genuine in his remorse. He certainly sounded sincere and the chances are that when the enormous publicity surrounding his case hit home, he realised he had let himself and the game down with his verbal abuse of touch judge Matt Cecchin and genuinely regretted his actions. But he didn't start off too well, with that ill-advised newspaper column in which he said he wouldn't be apologising to Cecchin and that Cecchin should be apologising to him. Four games would have been harsh for what Johns did. Two games was fair, so they got it right in the end.
DRAGONS' DECADE: Graeme Langlands was the No.1 fullback of the '70s but in the team of the 1960s announced last night at Luna Park, "Chang" had to settle for a centres berth alongside Reg Gasnier. The pair was among six St George players named in the 13-man line-up (there was no interchange then). The Dragons won seven of their 11 consecutive premierships in the 1960s. Manly's Bob Fulton, Balmain's Arthur Beetson and South Sydney's Ron Coote were other members of the '70s team named last year to also make the '60s side, which is: Les Johns (Canterbury), Ken Irvine (Norths), Reg Gasnier (St George), Graeme Langlands (St George), Johnny King (St George), Bob Fulton (Manly), Billy Smith (St George), Johnny Raper (St George), Ron Coote (Souths), Dick Thornett (Parramatta), Noel Kelly (Wests), Ian Walsh (St George), Arthur Beetson (Balmain).KILLER LOOK: Johns has a range of headwear and when he emerged from a team video session in cap and sunglasses on Monday - the day he was charged with abusing a touch judge - he brought back memories of the greatest vigilante of all time: Charles Bronson, star of the Death Wish films. Bronson has killed more back-alley trash than anyone in the history of movie-making. He was a crack shot, too, rarely wasting a round as he mowed down crims and thugs. So we've got Bronson, cleaning up the streets, and Joey, cleaning up the fields.YOU'RE GOING NOWHERE: Steve Turner doesn't want to move from Melbourne to the Gold Coast to honour an agreement to play with the Titans, yet just over a year ago he asked for a release to join South Sydney. The Storm refused to let him go at the time and are again keen to retain him after Warrington's Australian centre, Brent Grose, rejected their offer to remain with the English club. TAHU GONE: Parramatta centre Timana Tahu is unlikely to play again this season, even if the Eels progress in the finals. Coach Jason Taylor confirmed yesterday the Origin star was still a long way off returning from his knee injury. "It's a long shot," Taylor said. Halfback Tim Smith is more of a chance of returning after the home-and-away rounds, although Taylor isn't banking on it. "I'm not counting on any of that stuff. I'm really confident in the team we're putting out there."CHAIRMAN GALLOP : Souths chief executive Shane Richardson praised David Gallop in Tuesday's Herald for ensuring that the same rules applied to Andrew Johns as all other players, but the NRL boss mistakenly came out sounding more like Lenin than Lennon. Richardson described the decision to charge Johns as "utilitarian" but unfortunately the word appeared as "totalitarian", which has the opposite meaning.DO IT FOR TOMMY : Tommy Raudonikis's recent heart surgery will force him to miss tomorrow's 25th anniversary reunion of Newtown's 1981 grand final team, but the former Jets captain has recorded a video message that will be played at the lunch hosted by John Singleton. Coach Warren Ryan and almost every other member of the side beaten 20-11 by Parramatta will attend the function at Petersham RSL club before travelling to Henson Park to watch the top-of-the-table premier league clash between Newtown and the Eels. The winner is almost certain to claim the minor premiership but the Jets will be strengthened during the finals by Josh Lewis, Shaun Foley and a number of other players involved in Sydney Roosters' bid to become the first club to record 1000 first-grade victories against Parramatta on Sunday. Meanwhile, the Newtown Jetettes tonight take on Canley Vale Kookas in the grand final of the Sydney metropolitan women's rugby league competition at Henson Park.
© 2006 Sydney Morning Herald