Pundits always talk about how good Lockyer is, which is true, he is a fantastic player. However he’s not in the same league, in my opinion. Lockyer is a player who is at the top of the game and rarely, if ever, plays poorly, though no one I’ve ever watched play can control and dominate a game and bring out the best in those around him like joey. Does anyone know a team that would go from strong favorites to strong underdogs when one player is out of action? The knights would go from the whipping boys to the best team in the league when johns was on the ground.

He seemed to play his very best towards the end, perhaps the time away from the game fueled him? It was a bizarre scene to watch the wooden spoon knights be virtually unbeatable once johns came back in 2005.

The injuries add up and its probably a reflection of the game these days, the players are huge and very strong, people are just beaten to a pulp. If you are someone as dangerous as joey it puts a big sign on you saying “hit me”, I think sonny bill saw that sign The powers that be are fantastic at enforcing new rules for about 6 weeks at time then changing it around so no one knows what is what anymore a few times through the year, but their partial crack down on the charge down was a good move. It seems to have dropped off now though, its stupid that you can smash someone to bits just because they are kicking, the tenuous justification that you are going for the ball is rubbish, everyone knows why they do it “hey, I’m not too far from this guy so I can just ram straight into him and the ref wont do anything, my coach will love that”. Compared to high tackles, which can very often just be bad timing, falling players,(,and hey, just happen so damn fast even if you see you are going high you are to tired to move in the 100ms you have) these parts of the game can be improved via suspensions. Most suspensions are for things that aren’t really intentional (or at least preventable). The difference between a lifting tackle and a non lifting tackle can be almost none, you have 3-4 strong guys pushing on 1 guy, a tiny push can turn someone face into the ground. Though I still think the rules regarding this are appropriate, . In comparison late hits, hits on “suspicion” can be reduced, its in the best interests of the game to keep our stars playing as long as possible. 32 is too young to be gone, and if he wasn’t the great player he was, I’m sure he would still be fit to play.

On a side note I’ve heard a few people saying making the fields wider (which would be impractical because of the existing grounds) or reducing the number of players by 1 or two would be a good idea. At first I thought it was stupid, but over the past couple of years its started to make sense. It would promote more ball play and curb the trend towards 120-130kg trucks that smash down the middle, its not as much fun to watch that play and it helps stop 200-300 kg of front rowers pushing on your knee as happens all too often with the style of football this favors. It hurts the starts of the games, which hurts the game and there is also the silent victims of forwards that get hired early for their size, get a career ending injury and are left with no skills and a bum knee for the rest of their lives. All for the about the kinda pay you would get working for the council.

But back to the point of the Great Joey John’s, being a crazy All Blacks fan, I was forever grateful that he decided to stay with League.

Now that is the greatest compliment a die hard All Black supporter could give, because I believe he could of single handedly, changed the way Rugby Union would of been playd here in Australia & helped them dominate the game like in the late 90’s.

I also believe that he alone would of formulated a game plan to actually defeat the great All Blacks more often then not.

But seeing that he had competed in the most physical game of all & excelled to the point where all are convienced that he was the greatest of all time, we can now thank the boyz from youtube, for allowing us all the opportunity to forever remeber though the great medium of vid the achivements & acohlades this champion provided

As a kiwi, I am honored to have watched him destory my kiwis in test matches live & honoured to have seen a true legend play in the flesh, at times I watch great re-runs of past champions like Ali & foreman & wished I was thier to witness the magic, atleast now I can say I watched the greatest players of all time in the flesh!

God Bless you Joey!! even the kiwis are crying!!!

I just love my Rugby, Cricket & sport in general.

I do get annoyed when I miss a punctuation in my writing, or missing a capital ‘I’, etc.

As for paragraph spacing, I find people can follow your arguments more easily if you space the paragraphs out, rather than present one large continuous blob.

And no, I’m not after a gig, although I’m probably a frustrated journo, truth be told!

I had good teachers back in my primary school days. Basic spelling, maths & comprehension, I reckon I’m okay. All I have to do now, is find a useful & productive outlet for my talent!!!!! Still searching…………………

Fair point what you say about Messenger. I know we’re getting off the topic, but until Zac or Zolton contact me to sort out the ‘contribute’ problem, this is my only access.

You mention Dr.Herbert ‘Paddy’ Moran. In his book on Wallaby captains, Max Howell relates the convoluted manner in which Moran ascended the Wallaby captaincy for the 1908-09 tour of Great Britain.

With your article elsewhere on this site, on the eqalitarian nature of Australians selecting their cricket captains, Moran’s ascendency provides a contrast.

This is my understanding of it.

At the beginning of 1906 Harry Judd (a backrower) was the captain of NSW, & captain-designate of the Wallabies. When he broke a leg in an interstate game, he retired. The captaincy passed mostly to Cecil Murnin (a lock), & several others, Wally Matthews for example.

In 1907, when the ABs toured, Murnin failed to make the Wallabies. Why, I don’t know – illness or form? Peter Burge (another lock) led the Wallabies in both Sydney tests, while Allen ‘Butcher’ Oxlade (a hooker) led the Wallabies in Brisbane.

For the tour of GB in 1908-09, it appears the NSWRU/MRU (underwriters of the tour) wanted a good public speaker to lead the team, also apparently one who seemed to be part of the establishment. Oh, & a New South Welshman to boot.

Several Sydney University players were unable to tour, including outstanding backrower brothers Jim & John Hughes, both medical students. Oxlade, a Queenslander, was also unable to tour.

Burge & Murnin, who had recently led Australia & NSW respectively, were chosen for the tour, but as working-class stock, were seen as unsuitable for the captaincy. Murnin took ill en-route, & never appeared in a tour match. And never played for the Wallabies in a test.

So during 1908, it appears the selectors manouvered Moran into a position to accept the captaincy. Moran was a useful backrower, but probably not top-drawer. He may have been among the top 6 backrowers in the country, but not among the top 3-4 backrowers.

So here we had a situation in 1908, where the Wallaby captain was selected for reasons other than strict ability. no doubt, Spiro, you can add more to the story.

PS. Maybe what you meant to say at the end of your article was “When comes such another?” Antony’s apotheosis of Caesar. Good question.
Andrew Johns was a one off. I just hope he’s still with us.

Sorry to be picky, but I always thought, from my reading of the union-league split in Australia 1907-09, that the defection of 14 leading Wallabies from the 1908-09 tour to Great Britain had a far greater lasting effect on the fortunes of union & league, than the defection of Messenger in 1907.

Despite breathing life in 1908, as its second year (1909) ground to a close, league was on its knees, until it signed 14 Wallabies to play exhibition matches with the Kangaroos. And this despite having Messenger as its ‘marque’ player throughout 1908-09.

This block of 14 Wallabies being expelled from union as professionals, had a greater effect on the fortunes of the two codes, I believe, than the original defection of one man, Messenger.

On Andrew Johns, I agree he was a legend. the best of the past dozen years, & the best halfback I’ve seen since watching league from about 1970.

Rugby should have tried to get him the first time his contract came up for renewal, back in 2000-01, I think it was.