'Dreadful role model'

Premier Peter Beattie has labelled Andrew Johns “a dreadful role model” after the troubled former football star admitted to taking drugs.

Andrew Johns has confessed to using drugs throughout his sporting career.

Premier Peter Beattie has labelled Andrew Johns “a dreadful role model” after the troubled former football star admitted to taking drugs.

The former Knights skipper last night said he took drugs, had a problem with alcohol and suffered bouts of depression during his stellar on-field career.

Johns’ drug use came to light after he was arrested and cautioned in London on Sunday with an ecstasy tablet in his pocket.

Mr Beattie today described himself as a fan of Johns, but said the footballer was no role model for children.

“I understand from a personal point of view that he was a man who became a star at 19, and I know how difficult that is, fame, fortune and all that sort of stuff,” Mr Beattie told ABC radio.

“I can understand the point about pressures and what that meant, and therefore I have some sympathy for him as an individual.

”But I have to say as a parent, this is a dreadful role model, and no one can say otherwise.“

Mr Beattie said footballers often achieved instant star status and heavy paypackets, making it difficult to resist the temptation of drugs.

”I don’t want to be pious about this, but there is a real problem because of what that does for young people who look up to him,“ Mr Beattie said.

”He’s one of those guys all the kids know.“

Mr Beattie said the only way to stop drug use was to educate children.

He said he and his wife Heather had often spoken to their three children about drugs and, to his knowledge, they had steered clear.

”We think one of our sons had a bit of a smoke here and there of tobacco, which I don’t like either,“ Mr Beattie said.

NRL won't abandon Johns: Gallop

The National Rugby League (NRL) says it will not abandon former Test captain Andrew Johns in the wake of his admission of drug and alcohol problems.

"He's achieved so much in the game," NRL boss David Gallop said on Southern Cross radio today.

"No doubt he's damaged his reputation but hopefully it's a watershed moment for him, an opportunity for him to get things back on track and we, obviously, want to help him, make sure he's part of rugby league for many years to come.

"We won't be abandoning him.

"Certainly, in the immediate term there may be some things that need to be reviewed because he's not going to be in great shape, I wouldn't have thought, in the next few weeks."

Johns, regarded by many as rugby league's greatest player, revealed he had taken drugs for more than a decade and had been on medication for depression for five years.

Johns described how he was arrested, handcuffed and spent six hours in a London jail cell after being caught with an ectasy tablet following a visit to the Church, a popular hangout for Aussies.

"It was probably the scariest moment of my life,'' he said, describing 'crazy' men screaming in the cells. "It just really shook me up.''

Speaking on The Footy Show, the former Kangaroo and Newcastle star also revealed his shame as he he tried to explain to his seven year old son Samuel what he had done in London.

"It's not until you wake up in the morning and realise you're the one on the front of the paper.

"I have not slept in days. I have not eaten. I just can't describe how bad I felt, sitting there this morning trying to explain to my seven year old son what I had done in London.''

"I can't describe how humiliating it is not only for you but your family,'' he said.

"It surprised me about how much he knew as a seven-year-old,'' he said. "It's just incredibly selfish behaviour.''

Johns, who has only been retired four months, admitted he had intended to take the drug given to him in London but maintains it was put in his pocket by someone he did not even know.

He said he had taken drugs for more than a decade, mainly during the off-season.

"My past 10 or 12 years has been like a fairytale. I have been so lucky and I have experienced so much but I think about some of the great times I have had and they have just been destroyed because of drugs. I look back now and I am just so ashamed of it.''

Johns indicated he was relieved that it was out in the open.

"I feel like it is a lie I have lived for a long time.''

He said he had experienced 'incredible highs' with drugs but would invariably crash to experience such lows that he would 'not leave the house for four days'.

"One minute I could be literally ready to take on the world and (another) I would turn up on the field and not talk to anyone,'' he said.

He admitted 'playing Russian roulette' with drug-testing through the season, fearing his face would end up on the front page of the newspaper after being caught.

Johns said he took the drugs to escape from the pressure and get away from being a football player that everyone looked up to.

Johns refused to be drawn on how widespread drug taking was in football ranks. "I don't know and I don't want to answer. I am here to talk about myself. I'm not here to talk about other players.''

But he said other players, including Newcastle team mates and the club, knew of his drug taking.

Johns vowed to end his drug abuse. "I will never go near it again,'' he said.

The former Kangaroo star also said he would like to play a role in turning young people away from drugs.

'I thought he was dead,' says Matthew Johns

The brother of rugby league great Andrew Johns says he feared his younger sibling had died when he received the phone call from a former teammate about a drugs arrest in London at the weekend.

Matthew Johns says he immediately thought the worst when former Knights winger Brian Carney called at 3.30am to advise him 'mate I've got some bad news on Joey'.

“Knowing Andrew and his reckless behaviour I thought he was dead,” Matthew Johns told the Nine Network.

“I thought this was the phone call I've been waiting for.

“To be honest when he (Carney) told me he's (Joey) been arrested with drugs, it sounds strange but I was relieved.”

Matthew Johns, who won Newcastle's first premiership with his brother in 1997, says he feels partly responsible for Joey's private battle with drugs.

Matthew said the family had kept Andrew's personal battle with depression private but hoped making it public would help his brother stop using drugs.

“Tonight everyone got an insight into how unstable Andrew's life has been over the last 10 or 12 years,” he said.

“A lot of that stuff was rightfully or wrongfully we kept to ourselves.

"His ups and downs and what not.

“I probably didn't have the guts to act.

"I take certain responsibility in there as well.

“If this arrest means he never touches a drug again then well then I think it's a real positive and a good thing.”

A distressing confession, says NRL chief

NRL chief executive David Gallop said it was a distressing confession from Johns.

"It is an insight into the pressure he has been under for a number of years," he said.

"He should be given credit for his frankness."

Gallop also said he was "not aware of Johns ever failing a drug test throughout his career".

Johns, 33, was not charged over the London incident and won't have a conviction against his name, but NSW Premier Morris Iemma said if he'd been caught with the drug in NSW he could have been prosecuted.

The Australian Rugby Union (ARU) had been considering using Johns to help the Wallabies in their build-up to next month's Rugby World Cup in France, but today promptly dropped the idea.

Johns was arrested by London transport police conducting routine searches at Kings Cross underground railway station following the annual Notting Hill Carnival, a statement released this morning from Johns' management The Fordham Company said.

"Johns said he recalled an unknown person pushing a tablet into his jeans at a crowded club on Sunday – his last day in the United Kingdom following a six weeks overseas holiday."

In the statement Johns said: "I was having such a good time, seeing it was the last day before I flew home.

"I stupidly forgot about the tablet and instead of getting rid of it I left myself in a situation I soon deeply regretted."

Johns is regarded as a role model in the sport and he acknowledged his actions would disappoint many young fans.

"I have been a very foolish person and realise I have brought great disappointment to my family, friends and many people, including lots of youngsters who have looked up to me over the years," he said in the earlier statement.

"It has left a black mark on my reputation which I will work very hard at erasing."

Johns' manager John Fordham said news of the bust had been "devastating" for the former player.

"But he's working hard at getting control of all of that – they're difficult times," he told Nine Network.

Mr Fordham admitted Johns was lucky to have escaped with just a caution.

In Britain a formal caution does not mean a criminal conviction.

However it is recorded on the police database and may be considered in court if a person is tried for another offence, the UK Home Office says.

Johns, who was forced out of the game in April by a recurring neck injury, has been holidaying in Europe and the UK.

Originally published as 'Dreadful role model'