James Bracey lifts lid on Joey Johns’ infamous ‘bulls**t’ blow up

NRL legend Andrew Johns’ infamous “bulls**t” swipe after last year’s Origin decider loss was a perfect storm — and now we know why.

Cameron Smith didn't know what to do. Photo: Channel 9

Channel 9 rugby league host James Bracey has revealed the truth behind Andrew Johns’ infamous post-match blow up after the 2022 decider.

The Maroons pulled off another series win, claiming the decider in a 22-12 victory that didn’t reflect the true closeness of the result.

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From head injuries inside the opening three and a half minutes that left the Maroons down two players and Blues down a man, frantic attack, brutal tackles, an all-in brawl that left two men in the sin bin and some of the most miraculous moments you’ll ever see on a rugby league field, the game had it all.

The match was only decided when Ben Hunt plucked a Nathan Cleary chip kick out of the air and ran away to score the match winner.

It sent the Maroons fans into hysterics and the entirety of NSW into depression.

While most New South Welshmen could turn off their TVs and cry themselves to sleep after the match, one of the greatest Blues’ night was just starting.

The eighth Immortal and Channel 9 commentator Andrew Johns is about as passionate a New South Welshman as you’ll ever meet and he famously unloaded on Maroons colleagues after the result.

Cameron Smith didn't know what to do. Photo: Channel 9

But Bracey, who was in the thick of the action, has revealed another aspect of why Johns was a such powder keg primed to exploded.

Speaking on Denan Kemp’s Bloke in a Bar, Bracey said being sideline at Suncorp Stadium for an Origin decider was a “get it in my veins” kind of moment.

However, it’s next level when you’re surrounded by some of the greatest players of all-time.

He added that Origin was tough because he’s close with both Brad Fittler and Billy Slater through their work on the Channel 9 commentary team but one man will have to lose.

“It’s like it’s going to be a tough few weeks at work after that, no matter what,” he said.

Asked what the tension was like, Bracey said: “Oh, horrible.

“It is legit tension. Not even the Brad and Billy thing, mate, the whole commentary team.

“The first year I started, that was one of the first things I noticed. I went ‘oh, Origin is different.

“You’d be there on Origin night and they wouldn’t talk to each other, there was this weird vibe in the comm box before the game.”

He said the tension was “so real” and it meant so much to each of them.

James Bracey revealed what really happened last year. Photo: YouTube

Which brought him back to Johns’ reaction after the 2022 decider.

“It was the match they (NSW) shouldn’t have lost, it was all so extraordinary, game three decider, Brisbane,” he said. “And there’s one place you don’t want to be if you’re Andrew Johns. And it’s right there in that moment, and there’s nowhere to hide because it’s live freaking television.

“Where we put our set in the corner at Suncorp, it’s on the pitch but it’s close enough to the stands for you to hear verbatim what anyone is saying.

“Poor old Joey, for anyone that watched the coverage, I’ve got Queenslanders with me and we’re chatting away and we’re talking about Queensland and how amazing it is — they’re doing their thing.

“Joey’s on the end and not only is he having to listen to us talk about how great Queensland is, and he’s already so upset about what just happened, then it’s salt in the wound.

“And then — I love Queensland and I love Queenslanders, but Queensland on Origin night does feral better than anywhere else in the world. The s**t he’s copping from these guys, oh my god. There’s like 300 people behind the cameras. And the poor guy, they just go for the jugular.

Joey and Anthony Minichiello after winning the 2005 series in Queensland.

“So they’re giving it to him, he’s got Queenslanders standing next to him giving it to him inadvertently because they’re talking about how good Queensland is, so I’m watching Joey.

“I get my phone out and text the producer and I’m like ‘ticking time bomb here, what do you want to do about Joey?’

“They said ‘we’ve just got to ask him for one comment about NSW?’ I was like ‘okay, can we hurry this up?’

“I’m host so I can get there when I want to get there so I eventually go ‘Andrew …’”

And the rest is pretty memorable Origin history.

Johns was standing alongside Cameron Smith and Paul Vautin, when Bracey asked: “Where did that (the biff) come from?”

Johns gave nothing back, other than to say, “Well, it’s no tomorrow.”

Bracey replied: “It was a hard watch out there for you tonight wasn’t it?”

Johns responded: “Yep. It means so much.”

When Vautin asked about where things went wrong, Johns had clearly had enough.

“Why? Well, you won the big moments,” he said.

“Now we have to listen to all the bulls*** from you (Queenslanders) in the next 12 months. It drives you mad.”

The outburst sparked plenty of discussion online as fans debated whether Johns was a sore loser.

But Bracey could see just how hurt Johns was.

“He is so emotional and as a mate and a fellow commentator, I just wanted to cuddle him,” Bracey continued. “Because at home, you can’t hear what these muppets are saying in the crowd.”

TV is a cruel game. Photo: Channel 9

But it didn’t end there, as after Johns left the desk, he was caught on camera looking like he’d rather be anywhere else.

“We’re cruel in the TV industry — he’s sitting up the tunnel and we swing a camera around and get a live shot of him with his head down all sad. I’m like ‘who are we — but god this is good TV’,” Bracey said.

“I’m Switzerland on the night because I’m host, so I’m playing half producer and half friend and you just want to cuddle the bloke.

“But that’s Origin. And that's why Joey is the legend that he is. And that’s why you would have wanted to play for him because that passion has never died with him. He’d run out there tomorrow if he could. You can’t buy that, it’s just there and it’s raw. As much as Joey probably hated it, it was great TV.”

Kemp added that Johns had every right to wash his hands of the Origin arena and say “I’ve done my part” but it shows that he feels it just as much.

Days after his outburst, Johns told WWOS’ Immortal Behaviourhe was “still broken”.

He also lashed out at comments during and post the decider which reignited the age-old debate over whether the Maroons jersey means more to Queenslander than the Sky Blue does to NSW.

“All I’ve wanted to do since I started playing footy was one, play for the Knights, and two, represent my state,” Johns said.

“The Blues jersey means everything to me and I find it insulting and a kick in the guts when they talk about their jersey meaning more to them. It gets me so emotional.

“I’d love to get ‘em, all the halfbacks who have played for Queensland. (Daly) Cherry-Evans. ‘Does your jersey mean more than my jersey?’. And I know what the answer is – ‘no’.”

And the fire is still burning.

Hopefully the boys’ll be alright. Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

Johns and his Fox League star brother Matthew have reportedly had a falling out over a live radio argument.

On Matthew’s Friday SEN show Morning Glory two weeks ago, the Fox League star poked the bear when he began to talk up Queensland’s chances.

Joey replied: “You’re blowing smoke up their backsides, I couldn’t care about Queensland, he (Matty) said they’re easy to admire — they’re the enemy.

“(We) grew up hating them, we grew up watching the king (Wally Lewis) absolutely kill us.”

Originally published as James Bracey lifts lid on Joey Johns’ infamous ‘bulls**t’ blow up