Andrew Johns has leapfrogged Norm Provan, Ron Coote and Mal Meninga to become rugby league's eighth immortal.
Johns, the former Newcastle star, joins Bob Fulton, John Raper, Clive Churchill, Reg Gasnier, Graeme Langlands, Wally Lewis and Arthur Beetson in the illustrious list of Immortals.
Rugby League Week owns the Immortals' brand with the latest inductee chosen by 18 judges including the five living Immortals and a host of rugby league personalities including coach Wayne Bennett and radio presenter Ray Hadley.
The judges came down to four choices - Provan, Coote, Meninga and Johns.
"I just want to thank everyone who's been involved in my life to get me where I am in rugby league. I owe everything in my life to rugby league. Ever since I was a kid. I'd hate to imagine where I'd be without the game that's given me everything. And even now it gives me everything," Johns said.
"If I'm being totally honest I felt I wasn't worthy alongside those guys. Those guys were my idols growing up."
Johns, a freakishly talented halfback, played 249 games for the Knights between 1993 and 2007 as well as 24 Tests for Australia and 23 games for NSW.
Legends such as Dally Messenger and Frank Burge, are ineligible because they played before World War II, one of the Immortals' original stipulations.
The first judges (Frank Hyde, Harry Bath and Tom Goodman) agreed in 1981 they could only judge on players they had seen in action.
Replies
Will this inspire Smell My Finger to launch another Rats and Filth newspaper article ???
joey is a great guy
good on him
Have you ever seen him away from the cameras???? I've seen him a few times at the races & he's an arrogant arse-hole! My niece asked him for his autograph & he told her to piss off. Complete embarrassment to RL!
It's based on on-field performance. In my mind Johns deserves it. He could control a game at the drop of a hat.
It's an award for the player he was, not the man he is. So based on that, he deserves the award. He's the best player I've ever seen.
Agreed Jamesy. The best player I have ever seen, better than Wally, better than Kenny, better than Sterlo, better than Locky et all. Johns changed the way the game was played, his kicks were ahead of their time, the width he created for his running back rowers.
Frankie Fong you are as stupid as your name.
Eeldeal and jamesy have it right
Drugs such as coke and heroin are removed from the body faster than performance enhancing drugs and are covered up easier.
Yep, completely overrated. 3 Dally M's, 3 RLW Player of the Year, 2 Golden Boots, 2 Premierships, 23 NSW matches and 1 Clive Churchill Medal. Based on that yeh he's completely overrated.
media and everyone who has ever been out in a night club in Newcastle knew.
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