General Johns charge downgraded: two week suspension

[warriors_ballboy_CEO_old]

Andrew Johns has been successful at the NRL judiciary tonight and his charge was downgraded to two weeks suspension.

Johns apologised unreservedly to all parties, he wrote letters of apology to both Paul Simpkins and Matt Cecchin.

More to come on this as the story builds.

 

[MiXmasterreece_old]

what a bloody travesty.

bloody typical, the nrl buckles and gets all weak at the knees at soon as there is some controversy stirred up in the media.

Cop-out

 

[*Kimmy*_old]

Pathetic..as soon as he says "if i dont get my babyish way im out of the nrl" they bow down to him!!..you wait..he'll burst out again!!

 

[MiXmasterreece_old]

I'd eat a goats testicle if it meant i never had to listen to another one of John's "Boo hoo hoo I'll leave the game" rants.

The guy thinks hes bigger than the game, he has for a while.

 

[*Kimmy*_old]

The sooner he leaves the better..no one wants him here except for his bro.

 

[westie stylz_old]

Well he's going to be playing for us sometime soon.

"Us" as in the Kiwi's.

 

[sebastian_old]

Personal opinion's aside 3-4 weeks for swearing at a touch judge was always pretty harsh.

 

[aussie_warrior_old]

I would probably won't mind the 2 weeks if he comes out on TV and apologises and admits fault and says how much of an idiot he is (newspaper column as well?)... rather than 4 weeks and he didn't apologise.

 

[Sinbad_old]

From NRL.com

Johns has learnt his lesson: Knights CEO
Thursday, August 17, 2006 - 5:46 AM

Newcastle chief executive Ken Conway believes Andrew Johns has learnt his lesson after the Knights skipper had his contrary conduct charge downgraded at the NRL judiciary.

Johns had a four-match suspension cut in half by the judiciary panel and is now free to play in the NRL finals after being charged for abusing sideline official Matt Cecchin at EnergyAustralia Stadium on Friday night.

Conway said Johns had acknowledged what he had done was detrimental to the game after the Knights playmaker had initially refused to apologise to Cecchin for abusing the official.

"With the fullness of time and a cool head, Joey has had the opportunity to reflect on his own behaviour and he was and is extremely apologetic," Conway said.

"It was as good a result as we could have expected, and it sends a strong message that officials are not there to be abused."

The official at the centre of the storm said he was prepared to move on from the incident. Johns wrote a letter to Cecchin in which he unreservedly apologised for his comments.

"I accept the apology, I have no trouble in putting it behind me," Cecchin said.

Although not condoning Johns' comments, NRL chief executive David Gallop said the Knights skipper's apology showed he felt genuine contrition for what had happened.

"I am entirely comfortable with our judiciary process and the result, importantly Johns has had time to prepare his defence properly, he should be given credit for his clear apology," Gallop said.

"This is not a case about mere swearing on the field, it was a case about the abuse of an official.

"We have a responsibility for junior sport and the community in general to promote respect for authority."

Johns will miss matches against North Queensland and Penrith before Newcastle's last round bye.

"What a load of rubbish !!"

He has been slapped with a wet bus ticket and that's all.

Be different if it was a kiwi player aye?

 

[Esoj_old]

it is offical now Andrew Johns is bigger than the game.

what a farce this is.

 

[warriorfaithful*_old]

Well he's going to be playing for us sometime soon.

"Us" as in the Kiwi's.

What?? Andrew Johns is going to play for the kiwis?? Is tah what you are saying lol. IM LOST!

 

[Esoj_old]

yes he will be for the All Golds tour that will I believe replicate what daily messenger did all those years ago

 

[casso_old]

4 weeks too harsh?

I don't think it was harsh and the league should have given him the 4 weeks.Fair enough if he didn't agree with the decision but he did the same thing a couple of weeks ago and then to come out in his newspaper column and say that he would not apologise,it seems to me that he is starting to have a big head and the league backing down and giving into him every time he threatens to quit the game is laughable at best.Andrew Johns is a very good player but IMO he wouldn't be half as good as Wally Lewis was.He had his fair share of run ins with referees and touchies but I don't think he made it his buisness to attack the officials personally which is the way it should be.Like them or not they are an essential part of our game.
I personally believe that if it was a Queenslander or a Kiwi who did the same thing the outcome would be completely different.
If Andrew wants to play in England let him go I say and I must say that I have had a gutful of his childish manner this last year.First there was he being some type of a saviour to some mid table English team and he comes home with his tale between his legs when they miss the finals.Then there was the farciacal behaviour of him wanting to be selected for some Rep teams and not others and now he seems to think that he can abuse the officials personally and the come out in the media and be a smartarse about the whole thing and get away with it.
I hope he retires at the end of the season and good riddance!

 

[edguy_old]

Nrl u are gutless.........

if that was one of our blokes .......forget 4 weeks would have been 6 .

andrew johns is god .........and is treated as such ....

he was the best player in the world .....id much rather watch sonny bill or benji play any day

 

[Skinny_Ravs82]

Joey is one of my all time fave players but this whole thing is just screwed. Maybe 4 weeks was much but why is it when he threatend to leave the NRL they let him get away with it? For goodness sake the NRL can survive without Andrew Johns damn it. He's not 'it'. Shove him off somewhere and find another NRL player, some one who can do even better justice to the game.
And yes warriorsfaithful Joey is playing for the Kiwis as part of their all Golds 2007 tour sometime. Can't remember at what stage of the year it happens...end of year tour is it? Anyway I've got a copy of the article. Makes me laugh whenever I read it.

 

[aussie_warrior_old]

On the Footy Show he stated that he never had any intention of leaving and it was his manager that wrote the article without his knowledge. Believe it??? Maybe.

 

[Jesbass_old]

On the Footy Show he stated that he never had any intention of leaving and it was his manager that wrote the article without his knowledge. Believe it??? Maybe.

That's definitely interesting, because the news article I saw said that it was his manager who assured the NRL judiciary that Johns wouldn't be leaving for the ESL if handed the full puishment, lol! :lol:

 

[Esoj_old]

On the Footy Show he stated that he never had any intention of leaving and it was his manager that wrote the article without his knowledge. Believe it??? Maybe.

not at all. it was all part of the media campagin to bully the nrl in reducing the grading. and guess what it worked. andrew johns is bigger than the game!

 

[D Generation X_old]

far bro