Alex Johnston has his sights set on a new contract, hopefully at South Sydney, and the game’s long-standing try-scoring record, that will hopefully never be broken.
There has been plenty of focus on the fitness of Cameron Murray, Campbell Graham and Cody Walker in the countdown to South Sydney’s opening game against the Dolphins next month, which will mark the return of supercoach Wayne Bennett to the Rabbitohs.
But Johnston has been working just as hard behind the scenes to get back after rupturing his Achilles tendon against Canberra in July.
The premiership-winning winger broke down in the game at GIO Stadium, and for about 65 minutes, sat in the sheds fearing his career was over.
“I thought I was done,” he said.
But seven months on, Johnston is back running, and if he falls short of a return in round one he says he will be aiming to be back soon after that. Connor Watson was at Newcastle in 2021 when he returned in seven months following Achilles surgery.
Alex Johnston crosses against the Eels in round 12 last year for yet another try in his celebrated career.Credit: NRL Photos
Not only does Johnston want to prove he is worthy of a new deal at Souths – fans signed an online petition the last time they feared he would be let go by the club – he is also in reaching distance of Ken Irvine’s famous all-time first-grade try-scoring record of 212 tries.
Johnston sits on 195 tries from 227 NRL games, has only just turned 30, and before injury interrupted last season, had scored 23 tries in 2020, 30 in each of the 2021 and 2022 seasons, and another 21 tries in 2023.
Billy Slater finished with 190 career tries (in 319 NRL games) and sits third behind Johnston on the all-time list, followed by Manly legend Steve Menzies (180) in fourth and former Dragons, Canterbury and Roosters flyer Brett Morris (176) in fifth.
The only current NRL players on the leaderboard who remain an outside chance of overhauling Irvine’s remarkable mark are Roosters veteran Daniel Tupou (164 tries and 33 years of age) and Parramatta recruit Josh Addo-Carr (140 tries and 29 years of age).
Johnston has avoided questions about reeling in Irvine’s record, which has stood since 1973, for fear of jinxing himself.
“And now you know why I didn’t want to talk about it last year,” Johnston told this masthead. “Everyone was talking about it last year, how I was going to get it, and then I get injured.
Alex Johnston is helped off after injuring his Achilles in Canberra.Credit: Getty
“It doesn’t take much for [the record chase] to get pushed back.
“It’s close, but it’s still so far away.
“Just to be in this position, it’s something you’d never even dream of.
“To think I could do something that people thought was impossible ... it would be pretty special to do it.”
Johnston’s Rabbitohs deal runs out at the end of this year and Souths are happy to see how he returns from the serious injury before starting a conversation about his future.
“I feel good,” he said. “I don’t know how long my contracts will be from now; I [might have to] take one or two years at a time.
“I’d love to stay at Souths; Souths is where it is at.
“[The injury] put a lot into perspective. I’m grateful for what I’ve accomplished so far. I consider myself lucky I’ve played for so long, and [I know] how hard I now need to work to get back to where I want to be.
“If I’m playing good footy, I’m sure the contract will sort itself out.”
Johnston commenced running in late January and said one of the biggest challenges was adjusting from running in joggers to football boots.
Souths are expected to start the year with 20-year-old Tyrone Munro on the left wing, while Isaiah Tass has spent most of the pre-season on the right wing.