It’s probably not a surprise that Matty Johns thinks that brother Andrew ‘Joey’ Johns would make a great NRL head coach: the brothers are close and are always likely to back each other up.
Speaking at yesterday’s Fox League season launch, Matty told media that he had never seen his brother happier than when he was coaching, and that he should try to do it full-time.
“I had breakfast with Joey the other day and I said to him, ‘mate, whenever you get to coach like this, I’ve never seen you happier’,” he said.
“He’s happy, he gets fulfillment, and I said, ‘You should do this full time’. He looked at me with this smile on his face, the smile he gives you when you give him a rap – he was like a dog when you give him a biscuit and his tail was wagging.
“Why not? I think it [head coaching] would make him happy. He would also handle the pressure as good as anyone.
Joey is currently in the coaching ranks at the Newcastle Knights, and has also held roles at Parramatta, Manly, Canterbury and the NSW Blues, as well as with Melbourne Rebels in Super Rugby, but has never put himself forward for an NRL head coach role as he balances coaching with extensive media commitments at Nine.
“I’ve heard good reports already about him [at the Knights],” added Matty.
“He’s even been able to help a guy like ‘Klem’ [David Klemmer]. He’s had a yarn to him and said, ‘You’re doing this, but stand here with me and you should be doing more of this’.
“Most of the time Joey was at Parramatta it was hard for him because there were times he was coaching through a wire fence because of COVID. It’s hard to coach the way he likes to coach when you couldn’t get out there with the boys.”
Last year, however, he did throw his hat in the ring for a position in the Samoa national team, alongside Sonny Bill Williams and brother Matty, though the Samoan Rugby League quickly nixed the idea and backed incumbent coach Matt Parish.
Should Joey take the plunge and go for a head coaching role, he would have a serious reputation to live up to: of the 13 Immortals, only Johns and Dally Messenger, who played in the very earliest days of rugby league in Australia, have never coached at least first-grade level.
New South Wales captain Andrew Johns reacts after scoring a try to seal tonights game. Queensland v New South Wales at Suncorp Stadium (Lang Park) in Brisbane. (Dave Hunt)
Clive Churchill, Bob Fulton, Reg Gasnier, Graeme Langlands, Arthur Beetson and Mal Meninga all went on to coach at the very highest level with the Kangaroos, while Wally Lewis, Johnny Raper, Norm Provan, Frank Burge and Dave Brown all coached first grade.
To keep up with those names, Johns would have to start quickly: Norm Provan won the Premiership in his first four attempts with St George in the 1960s. On the other end of the scale, some of those names had careers that went decades in coaching, with Bob Fulton coaching over a 20 year period in first grade and winning two World Cups and three Ashes series in the 1990s.
There are three Immortals currently alive – Johnny Raper died just last week, with Norm Provan and Bob Fulton passing away in 2021 – and of them, only Mal Meninga, the current Kangaroos coach, has enjoyed a stellar coaching career.
Mal started off with a mixed record at Canberra Raiders in the wake of the Super League War, but went on to great success with Queensland, winning eight consecutive Origins and nine of the ten that he contested, before leading Australia to their 2017 World Cup win.
Wally Lewis did coach first grade at the Gold Coast Seagulls in 1992, but finished dead last while also captaining the side. He retired from playing and stayed on as coach, but his team lost 16 games on the trot en route to the wooden spoon in 1993.
He also coached the Queensland side in 1993 and 1994, but lost both series to New South Wales, with Lewis losing four and winning just two matches as Maroons boss.
Andrew Johns has had a similarly chequered coaching career to date, focussing largely on specific positional coaching the halves as well as mentoring roles.
Famously, he was the centre of a major controversy in 2010 when he was fired as an assistant coach with NSW Blues after using racist language against Greg Inglis, causing NSW player Timana Tahu to walk out of the squad and for Inglis to call for Johns to be barred from coaching.
Johns himself said that his background might stand in his way: he told the Sydney Morning Herald that he had more chance of becoming Pope than getting a top NRL gig, though he thought that “they’d Google my name and make me spend the next 15 years in confession”.
At least if he got that gig, he’d be infallible and Immortal – none of the other 12 rugby league legends could say that.
brookvalesouth
Roar Rookie
Maybe have a hit of molly and see whether thats ACTUALLY the case....
Rob
Guest
No I haven’t taken MDMA but I have seen the excitement in those that have. Why do people take it to party? Are you suggesting WADA are clueless about what drugs they consider performance enhancing? You maybe correct but how would you or I know what any player has done during their career to get themselves up for a big performance. I personally don’t know if Joey did or didn’t do anything to get himself feeling better before kickoff. I’m fairly confident some of the best rock bands have put on some pretty good performance with a little bit help. You are suggesting they wouldn’t hold a beat or remember the words and that’s being naive IMO.
Dwanye
Roar Rookie
Don’t WADA have it on their list?
Steezy
Guest
We’ll you’ve clearly never had MDMA ???? you would not be capable of playing a game of First Grade Rugby League on MDMA. It’s actually preposterous you would suggest that.
Rob
Guest
I’m curious to know why your performance on the dance floor is enhanced? Do you pull out the moves and go harder for longer? Do you have an extremely confident euphoria? Do your neurotransmitter go to another level releasing dopamine and adrenaline above that of the normal? Hell it would be great to feel invincible on the dance floor. I wonder if the feeling helps on the football field. Nah that’s being stupid they just respect their opponents, their health and the game’s image to much to do that.
Dwanye
Roar Rookie
Hi BD. I’m with you. I think the answer is pretty easy. ‘Not interested’. What has stopped it from happening already? No club interest? Way too easy on the good coin doing tv? His done a little advising, is that enough? His done a few small rep team things. His been assistant at nsw, has anyone gone from that to first grade coach? I don’t take much from those jobs. Would he go do it in Eng for awhile? Does he just walk into a first grade role? No apprenticeship needed?
Dwanye
Roar Rookie
He did say ‘rarely’.
Tony
Roar Guru
You're right mate. Much bigger commitment coaching an NRL team week in week out.
Dwanye
Roar Rookie
Hi Tony. I agree, also in the article it mentioned immortals coaching rep teams (Mal). I love Mal, his record as Qld coach is there to see. But but rep coach compared to week in, week out NRL first grade coach is different. Plus, doing that successfully.
Big Daddy
Roar Rookie
While I don't think he would be a good coach you only look at guys who have retired who haven't got into it and wondered why . Lockyer is a prime example of one who was great and has never bothered . It's not as easy as it looks . Other greats have tried at club level and failed miserably and we have a couple of current guys who are still persisting in the hunt for a title .
Rob
Guest
Confidence, fearlessness, vision and enthusiasm are very important in a player’s performance. MDMA increase your brains ability to focus whilst also giving you an increased level confidence. A person on theses drugs can often exhibit above normal strength due to increased levels of endorphins in their system? Horses are known to greatly improve their speed with these drugs present in their system so hence they are banned? Not sure we can categorically deny it is of no benefit to a athletes performance especially when it’s a international banned substance for athletes? What’s always questionable for me is many Knights players were found guilty of steroids during that period also?
Rob
Guest
I think gifted players especially those with the vision to play what’s in front of them can struggle. Those great players reacted to the moment and certainly that is incredibly difficult if not impossible to teach. It would also be incredibly frustrating for some of them watching players that aren’t so instinctive. Stuart was a strategic half but Langer was instinctive. Cronk was a more strategic half and Thurston was incredibly instinctive? I know who I’d back to make the successful transition to coaching players. Johns or Thurston would have plenty of great tips to playing their position but how do they coordinate or identify a game plan when much of their success came off the back of unpredictability and playing what they saw in front of them? It’s the same in many sports. In cricket I hear Warne talk about fast bowling, fielding and batting? I’m sorry but for me he is clueless in much of his assessment about those skill sets. He would however be brilliant to learn the art of leg spin and getting into a batsman’s head with banter.
Cam
Roar Rookie
Good list and there are always exceptions, but those names reinforce my point that elite ex-players should only coach elite level teams. Real Madrid, Barcelona and Liverpool contain more next-level players than 99% of international teams. I reckon Jürgen Klopp would struggle coaching the Central Coast Mariners, playing in front of 2,000 punters at Campbelltown and trying to explain the fundamentals of gegenpressing to the likes of Josh Nisbet. Good club players generally make good club coaches.
Forty Twenty
Roar Rookie
Bennett ran at 45% at the Knights while Michael Hagan won a title with them as a coach. Barrett did 40% at his much-maligned spell at Manly. Get a great roster and solid management and a club is on its way hopefully whether the coach is Paul Green, Michael Hagan, or Wayne Bennett.
brookvalesouth
Roar Rookie
I think the only 'performance' a pinger would 'enhance' is on the dance floor...
Nat
Roar Guru
I'm sure they helped his performance on the dance floor.
the outsider
Roar Rookie
Not much dispute this morning. Violently agree with most comments He is too loose a unit. Peter Pan syndrome too – never grown up. Pls play for my life, i wouldn’t want him near me as a coach. https://www.theroar.com.au/2021/07/04/great-players-do-not-make-great-coaches/
Malo
Guest
He’d be a great coach, just needs a good assistant .
Griffo 09
Roar Rookie
I don't quite agree. In the VFL/AFL Leigh Matthews was named player of the century and is one the greatest coaches off all time. One of the things than can help make a player great is their understanding of their game. That can help make them a great coach. But certainly there other factors in making a great player or great coach.
Burwale
Guest
Zidene zidane, klopp and whoever is couching Barcelona. Some decent ex tennis players do alright coaching. Maybe you need round balls.