Andrew Johns’ Lingering Regret Over State of Origin Retirement
Rugby league icon Andrew Johns has revealed a deep-seated regret regarding his State of Origin career, stating he feels he was effectively “pressured” by his former club, the Newcastle Knights, into stepping away from the representative arena. Johns, a legend of the game, represented New South Wales in 23 State of Origin matches between 1995 and 2005. His final Origin campaign in 2005 was nothing short of spectacular, capping off a storied career in the sky-blue jersey.
Despite his continued prowess on the field, Johns played for another two seasons with the Knights before ultimately hanging up his boots from the National Rugby League (NRL) in 2007. The decision to step away from Origin was not entirely his own. In 2006 and 2007, Newcastle Knights officials approached Johns with a request to forgo playing representative football for both New South Wales and Australia. Their reasoning was to allow him to concentrate solely on his commitments to the club.
At this stage of his career, Johns had battled a number of significant injuries. In an effort to repay his beloved Newcastle club, he ultimately agreed to their terms. His final contract with the Knights contained a specific clause stipulating that he could no longer participate in representative fixtures. Reflecting on this decision now, the now 52-year-old admits he harbours considerable disappointment.
“I was disappointed I was sort of pressured into retiring by the Knights,” Johns candidly shared this week. “If I had it all over again, I’d say to them ‘no’.”
The Maroons’ Dominance and Johns’ Helplessness
Johns’ absence from the NSW Blues proved to be a pivotal moment. He watched from the sidelines, a spectator rather than a participant, as Queensland seized the 2006 State of Origin series. A defining moment of that series, and indeed a symbol of Queensland’s impending dominance, was Darren Lockyer’s game-winning try in the dying moments of Game 3. This victory marked the beginning of an unprecedented era of success for the Maroons, who went on to secure an astonishing eight consecutive Origin series wins.
“It was horrible,” Johns recounted, the pain still evident in his voice. “I felt helpless just on the sideline, watching them going, ‘come on, you’ve got to be doing this, got to be doing that’. What hurts even more is that was the start of the eight-year dominance, so that period was so hard.”
He continued, “It ripped my guts out. I was like, ‘I should be out there’. In my mind, I was still fit, ready to play.” The feeling of being unable to contribute to his state’s cause during such a crucial period clearly weighs heavily on the former halfback.
A Near Comeback and a Career’s End
Adding another layer to his regret, Johns also revealed that he was contemplating a shock return to State of Origin in 2007, contingent on receiving the green light from the Newcastle Knights. However, his NRL season that year was severely curtailed. He managed to play only two games for the Knights before the persistent injuries that had plagued him finally forced him into an early retirement from the game.
Johns’ illustrious NRL career saw him play 249 games for the Newcastle Knights. He also had a brief stint in the Super League with Warrington in 2005, playing three games. On the international stage, he represented Australia in 26 Test matches. His extraordinary contributions to the sport were later recognised when he was inducted as the eighth NRL ‘Immortal’, the highest honour bestowed upon a player in Australian rugby league.
