NRL 2023: Andrew and Matthew Johns feud, fans furious as Storm celebrate stripped premierships

Matty Johns celebrated his 52nd birthday on Thursday but is yet to meet his brother Andrew to sort out their differences.

Andrew and Matty Johns for sport con.

Matty Johns celebrated his 52nd birthday on Thursday but is yet to meet his brother Andrew to sort out their differences.

There was talk the pair would catch up for lunch after State of Origin but it has not eventuated.

“It’s a bit like the RLPA,” Matty said, “negotiations have stalled. We might need an independent mediator.”

Andrew and Matty Johns have still not settled their feud, with Joey missing his brother’s birthday.

FANS ERUPT OVER STORM ‘TITLE’ PARTY

Melbourne Storm has created a furore by including the 2007 and 2009 NRL trophies as part of their 25-year anniversary celebrations on Friday night at Marvel Stadium.

The club was stripped of the titles for those years after an NRL investigation uncovered years of rorting in a multimillion-dollar salary cap scandal.

Social media went into meltdown on Friday night as Storm showed off replica trophies of their six grand final wins, including the two titles they lost.

Storm CEO Justin Rodski was unapologetic when we challenged him about the club’s decision to recognise titles for the seasons of blatant cheating.

Storm celebrated six premiership wins in their 25-year celebrations, including 2007 and 2009 which they were stripped for cheating.

“The club acknowledges the teams from those two years,” he said.

“They were the winners of the grand final on those days.

“It was appropriate to acknowledge those teams and the players who fought so hard to achieve a grand final victory.

“What happened retrospectively had nothing to do with the players.

“We think it appropriate to celebrate the seasons that they had. It’s part of our history that on those days in 2007 and 2009 our teams won the grand final.”

Storm paid $20,000 for each of the six replica trophies.

An NRL investigation uncovered $1.7 million of rorting from 2006 and 2010.

Rival fans were not happy after Storm showed off replica trophies for their stripped premierships. Picture: Instagram.

RLPA DIRECTORS QUIT

Two board members of the RLPA have quit at the height of the dispute with the NRL.

The highly-regarded Joanne Taylor has walked away because of increased responsibilities as managing director of Compass Group Australia.

The departure of another director, Stuart Nelson, is more mysterious.

Sources have revealed he has had reservations around the collective bargaining agreement negotiations with the NRL in the 12 months he has been on the board.

According to the RLPA website, Nelson is a veteran corporate advisor with over 30 years’ experience leading large, complex organisations and providing advisory and management advice.

Two RLPA board members, Stuart Nelson and Joanne Taylor, have quit. Credit: RLPA

VIEWERS TUNE IN DESPITE BOYCOTT

The RLPA media ban has had little or no effect on the broadcasters.

Both Fox Sports and Channel 9 ratings remain strong, despite the fact the players have been unavailable for interviews on match days at the venues for three weeks.

A couple of games have been slightly down on ratings, but only the ones that have clashed with Matildas games in the World Cup on Channel 7.

THE SUPERCOACH WHO’S UP FOR SALE

The biggest story in rugby league next year will be around the future of old super coach Wayne Bennett.

The Dolphins have confirmed the 73-year-old will hand over to Kristian Woolf for the 2025 season in a deal that was struck when the six-time premier coach agreed to join the club.

This time next year, there will be an avalanche of interest from rival clubs.

Bennett recently spoke of his future.

“I will be a free agent and I’ll weigh up my options,” he said, “right now, I am very committed to the Dolphins, but I won’t be making any decisions until I get to next year and then I will see what’s going on.”

Dolphins chief executive Terry Reader is hoping Bennett will remain at the club.

“It would be nice for Wayne to stay involved across multiple areas of the business,” Reader said.

The future of Wayne Bennett will be a major talking point in 2024, with assistant Kristian Woolf poised to takeover at the Dolphins.

“But he’ll decide when he doesn’t want to coach again. That’s Wayne’s call, not ours.”

Bennett has achieved far more than anyone expected this year – on and off the field.

Who would have thought the premiership newcomers would be in finals contention after 22 rounds.

And who would have thought they’d be closing in on 30,000 memberships, have average crowds of 32,000 at Suncorp, be number one in the NRL for merchandise sales and number two for sponsorship revenue.

Plus, they’ll be even stronger next year with the addition of Herbie Farnsworth and Tom Flegler from the Broncos along with Jake Averillo from Canterbury Bulldogs.

SAINT

Women in League round celebrating the coaches, players, officials, referees, volunteers, mums and media who have been a huge part of the incredible female growth in the game over the past decade.

SINNER

Your columnist has always supported the NRL players’ rights to fight for the best possible collective bargaining agreement. It’s fair enough. Then we got a media ban. Then they call in the unions. Then they threaten the Dally M boycott. Then they cover the NRL logo on jerseys. Clint Newton is not reading the room. The media strategy has been flawed. Seriously, this is complete and utter stupidity.

SHOOSH

Which two forwards at a struggling Sydney-based NRL club had a heated physical exchange at training last week. No wonder one of the players is leaving the club at the end of the season.

SHOOSH

Which NSW Blues State of Origin star is being linked to the Wests Tigers in a signing that would be bigger than Api Koroisau or Isaiah Papali’i. It would be for 2025.

SPOTTED

Gorden Tallis celebrating his 50th birthday over a beer at the Crows Nest Hotel with Fox Sports colleagues Nathan Hindmarsh, Bryan Fletcher, Braith Anasta, Matty Johns and others including Gordie’s old Dragons teammate Nathan Brown. Johns and cricket legend Allan Border share the same birthday as Tallis. AB turned 67 on Thursday and Matty 52.

SPOTTED

Kangaroos winger Josh Addo-Carr has signed up as an ambassador for Harness Racing NSW to promote the TAB Eureka – the $2.1 million world’s richest harness race at Menangle. It sits nicely with his popular clothing brand Lets Trot.

SPOTTED

Player agent Mario Tartak and Dolphins recruitment boss Peter O’Sullivan having breakfast at Main Beach on the Gold Coast.

SPOTTED

Former TAB odds spruiker Glenn Munsie is hosting a fundraiser for the McGrath Foundation with James Graham, Mike Whitney and comedian Jackson Aces on Friday, August 18 at Club Grandviews. For tickets email: [e-mail]

On the field he may be an enforcer, but off the field he is a wonderful role model, writes Phil Rothfield. Picture: Sam Ruttyn.

JAYDN’S ACT OF KINDNESS

St George Illawarra forward Jaydn Su’A is the most wonderful rugby league role model.

We received an email last week from a 19-year-old university student who had been hit by a car on King Street in Newtown on Wednesday night.

Su’A was walking on the side of the road about to go for dinner when he witnessed the accident.

I’ll let Austin O’Toole tell his story from the email.

“I rolled off the bonnet and landed on the ground before being picked up by a stranger,” he said, “I looked up and noticed Jaydn Su’A standing over me, along with his friend and partner Chiara.

“After checking up on me and calming me down, Jaydn drove me in his HiLux to RPA hospital where his partner had just clocked off from work. The whole car ride he kept me laughing and chatted footy with me.

“With his arm in a sling, Jaydn let me sit in the front passenger seat. We arrived and his partner walked me into the emergency area and made sure I was cared for.”

Austin was diagnosed with concussion but discharged from hospital later that night.

Boxing legends Johhny Lewis and Jeff Fenech believe Tayla Harris’ fight should have been called off after this ugly injury. Picture: Getty Images.

SOME FIGHTING WORDS

It was a sickening sight that Johnny Lewis and Jeff Fenech never want to see again.

The two Australian boxing legends agree the referee or ringside doctor should have stopped AFLW star Tayla Harris’ fight for the Australian super welterweight title last week.

Harris finished with a badly swollen left eye, the victim of a brutal assault from Milli Agboegbulen in the late rounds of a No Limit-Fox Sports fight night.

Originally published as NRL 2023: Andrew and Matthew Johns feud, fans furious as Storm celebrate stripped premierships