Andrew Johns reveals cops used to drive him home after massive nights out so he’d be OK to play footy – and confesses Kalyn Ponga’s pub toilet drama has left him ‘sad, not angry’
- Footy legend admits to getting picked up by cops and making one sit in the back
- Johns, 48, has admitted openly to drug and alcohol abuse throughout his career
- ‘Joey’ feels it’s hard for him to comment on the Kayln Ponga cubicle fiasco
Footy legend Andrew Johns has talked openly about a huge night out in Newcastle which ended with him being driven home by the cops as he revealed Knights superstar Kalyn Ponga’s pub toilet fiasco has saddened him.
The rugby league Immortal was commenting on the ‘perks of being Andrew Johns in Newcastle’, and more broadly on the Kayln Ponga cubicle drama, on Wide World of Sports’ Freddy and the Eighth show on Wednesday night when he made the confession.
‘A few times I walked out of a nightclub and the coppers picked me up and drove me home without handcuffs,’ said Johns.
NRL legend Andrew Johns talked openly about the time he was driven home by the police and made one of the officers sit in the back seat
Johns is pictured playing for NSW in 2005. The rugby league star has had a string of off-field scandals during his incredible career
‘So the coppers say, “Get in – you’ve got to play on the weekend.” I said, “That’s sweet.”
‘They get in the car and I knock on the window and go, “I don’t ride in the back.” And the lovely policeman got out and sat in the back!’
The star halfback has admitted candidly to long-term drug and alcohol abuse throughout his adulthood, having managed to avoid detection by NRL drug testers during his career.
Rugby league immortal Andrew Johns (pictured playing for Knights in 2001) has admitted to drug and alcohol abuse throughout his career including going on a wild five-day drinking ‘bender’ before a rugby tournament
The Knights are having a horror season on and off the field with star fullback Kalyn Ponga and injured teammate Kurt Mann being filmed getting thrown out a toilet cubicle by security on Saturday night – resulting in the pair being drug tested by the NRL.
Ponga and his father Andre told the club Mann was helping him out at the time after he drank too much and fell ill, but it has been reported neither player was intoxicated and they were only in the hotel for 25 minutes.
Despite being the Newcastle’s greatest ever footballer, Johns admitted he’s not the best person to weigh in on the current situation.
‘It’s hard for me to comment, because I lived a colourful life,’ he said. ‘But it makes me sad, not angry.
‘It’s not a good look when your team is playing away and the captain’s out, and you’re out on the drink.’
The eighth NRL immortal was also asked about the questions being raised over Ponga’s ability to captain the club.
‘Probably those questions are warranted,’ Johns said.
‘I think he does (need the captaincy). He’s their best player.’
Andrew Johns is pictured playing for the Newcastle Knights in 2006. Johns was named rugby league’s eighth immortal, winning the Dally M Medal for best player three times
Johns went on to say that Knights head of football Peter Parr was the right person to mentor Ponga through the scandal.
‘I thought something Peter Parr said was that when JT [Johnathan Thurston] first went to the Cowboys, there was some rough edges and a few up and downs when JT first got the captaincy,’ he said.
‘But “Parry” mentored him and we all know the captain and player and leadership qualities of Johnathan Thurston, so hopefully with that sort of influence Kalyn can be that captain.’
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