Cooper Johns under fire for NRL baseball bat stunt in Las Vegas

With the NRL on edge ahead of the Las Vegas double-header, Cooper Johns’ red carpet act has not gone down well.

Ex-NRL player Cooper Johns is reportedly in hot water over a stunt on the Las Vegas red carpet that failed to hit the mark.

Johns, 25, is in the Nevada strip ahead of the NRL’s second season opening double-header at Allegiant Stadium in Vegas.

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A former playmaker with the Storm and Sea Eagles and the son of league identity Matty Johns, Cooper filmed content on the red carpet of a fan event in a role with the NRL’s betting partner, alongside colleague Hammy Goodman.

Johns decided to take an inflatable baseball bat with him for the interviews, adorned with images from The Simpsons, a reference to the Canberra Raiders’ high-profile scuffle from earlier in the week involving Hudson Young and Morgan Smithies.

Cooper Johns on the red carpet and Raiders coach Ricky Stuart. Photos: Supplied/AFP

Watch the exchange in the video player below

In a clip posted to Instagram, Johns kicks off by speaking with Young and declaring: “We’re not going to ask you about the elevator stuff, all right?”

He then proceeds to do exactly that.

“What’s this?” Young asks, looking at the bat.

“It’s an inflatable bat. Good to go?” Johns asks his camera operator.

“Mate, so who won in the elevator fight?”

Young shoots back: “Ah, I don’t know what you’re talking about mate.”

Johns only had a brief NRL career before moving into the media. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)

As the clip continues, Johns hits Goodman with the bat before interviews are shown with the likes of Isaah Yeo, Sam Burgess, Nathan Cleary, Karl Stefanovic and Warriors coach Andrew Webster.

It then returns to Young, with Goodman asking: “Any truth to the rumour that the Viking horn is going to be replaced with an inflatable bat on Saturday?”

A good sport, Young replied: “They should do it. It would be a great marketing tool, wouldn’t it?”

Goodman answers: “It actually would be.”

The Daily Telegraph has reported that the NRL is aware of the incident and is making inquiries.

The masthead states Ricky Stuart was hit with questions by the duo he allegedly found inappropriate before the Raiders coach was asked about Johns’ approach on the red carpet.

“It’s each to their own and the types of ways they want to do their, I don’t know if he’s a journalist, but journalism,” he said.

After making his NRL debut with the Storm back in 2020, Johns’ career in the sport failed to take off, making just 19 first grade appearances with Melbourne and Manly before retiring last year and moving into radio.

Hudson Young (left) and Morgan Smithies front the media after their hotel incident. Picture: Jonathan Ng

He spoke about the red carpet incidents on Saturday morning AEDT and downplayed his approach and the original scuffle between Young and Smithies.

”I’d never ask someone about an incident that was actually serious,” Johns said.

“I think everyone sees it for what it is now — just two blokes hitting it each with inflatable baseball bats.

“I’m great mates with Hudson and chatting with him he found the humour in it and had a laugh.

“Obviously Ricky just wasn’t in the mood to joke about it at the time. I’ll still be joining in on the Viking clap come game day.”

The Raiders are taking on the Warriors in the first match on Sunday, kicking off at 11am AEDT, before the Panthers face the Sharks at 3.30pm AEDT.

Originally published as Cooper Johns under fire for NRL baseball bat stunt in Las Vegas