Cooper Johns quits NRL, announces shock career switch to join Kyle & Jackie O

The son of Matty Johns has announced he is quitting the NRL to join the biggest radio duo in Australia in a surprise career switch.

Cooper Johns has quit the NRL to pursue a media career.

The son of rugby league personality Matty Johns will follow in his father’s footsteps after announcing he was retiring from the NRL to pursue a media career.

Cooper Johns confirmed on Monday he was joining KISS FM full-time to join breakfast radio hosts Kyle Sandilands and Jackie ‘O’ Henderson in a major career switch.

Johns, 24, had not been offered a new deal from the Manly Sea Eagles and announced his media move in a tongue-in-cheek Instagram post.

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“Loved my time in the @nrl but after some late nights pondering over a couple of schooners of Malibu and Coke no sugar I’ve decided to step away for a bit and switch out the leather pig skin for a microphone,” Johns wrote on Instagram.

“Never in my days would I have expected such an outpouring of sorrow, grief and emotion.

“But in all seriousness I’ll never forget the lifetime friends I’ve made & the ones I hope I never see again (@bradparker04 @harrrygrantt & @tyranwishart) just to name a few.

“The memories … so many to pick from… first game… first try … first offseason scandal shoutout to @munster94 @hecticcheese.

Cooper Johns with dad Matty Johns. Photo: Instagram.

Cooper Johns is joining Kyle and Jackie O fulltime. Photo: Instagram.

“And finally to all my coaches particularly Craig Bellamy …who refused to select me regardless of mediocre form and numerous bribes, don’t expect a reference when you’re looking for another club to drag through the mud.

“And finally to my family, who cause me nothing but stress… get f****d. Is this the end who knows … one thing I do know is rugby league is the greatest game of all.”

Cooper is a rising talent in the media landscape and was a regular contributor to the Kyle and Jackie O show last year.

“We’re not sure what he does yet but we’ve just secured his services,” Sandilands joked while announcing the move live on air on Monday morning.

“The reason why we got Coops is because I thought he’s very, very good. We were paranoid and thought ‘we’ve got to secure this guy’.”

Cooper Johns played for the Storm and the Sea Eagles. Picture: Phil Hillyard

Jack Johns and Cooper Johns played a handful of NRL games. (Photo by Brendon Thorne/Getty Images)

Cooper replied: “Nobody really knew what I was doing (in here this morning) and I don’t actually know what I’m doing either.”

Sandilands said he had to convince Fox League personality Matty Johns that it was the right move for his son.

“His father was on the phone saying, ‘Don’t let my son get screwed. You really want him to quit footy? It’s got to be worth his while’,” Sandilands said.

Johns was a five-eighth with Manly, playing eight games in 2023 on a train and trial deal with the Sea Eagles. He also played 11 games for the Melbourne Storm between 2020 and 2022.

His dad Matty, who played in Newcastle’s 1997 premiership, has transitioned into a full-time media career with Fox League, SEN and his own Matty Johns podcast after retiring from rugby league.

Cooper’s uncle Andrew Johns played in two premierships with Newcastle and is the most recent players to be named a Rugby League Immortal.

Cooper’s brother Jack Johns, 26, played two games for the Rabbitohs and 14 games for Newcastle before announcing he was leaving the Knights at the end of the 2023 season.

Originally published as Cooper Johns quits NRL, announces shock career switch to join Kyle & Jackie O