League legend calls it a day
Andrew Webster | April 10, 2007 - 3:15PM
Newcastle halfback Andrew Johns has played his last game of rugby league and will announce at 4pm today that he has retired.
Sources close to Johns have told smh.com.au that he has a bulging disk in his neck and he has decided to retire immediately.
Johns was expected to tell his teammates at 3pm and will make an announcement at EnergyAustralia Stadium at 4pm.
He underwent a CAT scan this morning and has been in a meeting with renowned spinal specialist John Yeo and Knights doctor Neil Halpin since midday.
He was due to hold a press conference at 1pm but his manager, John Fordham, told reporters that would now occur at 4pm.
“No decision has been made yet in relation to his future football career, but that will be determined in the next hour or so,” Fordham said at the time. "There are still some considerations being made about the findings of the CAT scan."
Asked if the delay meant the scan results on the former Australian captain were of more concern than initially thought, Fordham said: "No, it's a process that's obviously very important because it's dealing with his ongoing footballing career."
Johns suffered the injury while attempting a tackle on Canberra five-eighth Todd Carney eight days ago and aggravated it during a training session on Thursday.
Johns, 33, has a history of neck injuries after he was forced to miss the last five matches of the 2003 season because of a bulging disk that threatened to end his career.
The two-time premiership winner is contracted to play with the Knights until the end of the 2008 season but was expected to make a decision midway through this year on whether he would play again next season.
Johns was extremely disappointed when he appeared on Channel Nine news on Friday to confirm the latest in a long list of injury problems for him in recent years. Apart from neck problems, he has had a knee reconstruction, a broken jaw and broken bones in his back.
"I hurt it in Canberra, late in the game, and I knew I'd be sore. Then I hurt it last night. There were no pins and needles, but I knew it was more than a knock. I saw Dr Yeo and he pulled me out of the game."
Johns's brother, Matthew, speaking during Friday night's coverage of the South Sydney-Bulldogs game on Channel Nine, suggested the injury could convince Johns to retire, saying his brother had nothing left to prove.
Johns has had a wretched start to the season. He was knocked unconscious by a high tackle from Bulldogs forward Sonny Bill Williams in the fourth minute of their first-round clash and missed the second round while recovering from the concussion. He returned against the Raiders, but the rust showed and he had a poor game.
Previous injury news on Johns that affected his availability for games has resulted in betting plunges by big punters, and it was reported in The Sun-Herald thatthree rapid-fire bets worth $15,000 were placed on Melbourne beating Newcastle just moments after Johns suffered the neck injury.
Reports on Saturday alleged Eddie Hayson, who owns horses with Andrew and Matthew Johns, had wagered $200,000 in a series of bets on the Storm beating the Knights.
It is understood Hayson lost a huge amount of money when the Knights suffered a shock defeat to Canberra on Monday night in Johns's return from the concussion suffered in round one.
