2025 pre season thread

You said..."People just read that he took a few petty pills in the off-season and say he was a loose cannon,"....but Johns admitted he took drugs, particularly ecstasy all through his career.
to try and cope with his undiagnosed bipolar is what ive heard
 
Yeah mostly in the off season and there were years where he didn’t take any at all. Most NRL players have probably done the same. They just haven’t shown the integrity to fess up.

Off field with his role at the club as a player through training, gym and injury recovery he was by all accounts the best. That’s what drives the culture at a club. I doubt as coach he’d be saying “right boys, out on the recreational drugs tonight, woo!”

He has worked at numerous clubs over the years, and cross codes as well. Not like he’s not in demand for his coaching work.
Agree totally, but the stuff he would take for granted is probably uncoachable in others. People just cant see and do what he did naturally. He certainly can coach the skills of the game though
 
Took drugs for a variety of reasons, and deliberately ran the gauntlet on testing. IDK why it's wrong to point out what he's said himself... but apparently it is.
 
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They don't get much tougher than Malcolm Reilly, interesting to listen to him talk about Joey being the toughest he's seen, and he briefly mentions his preparation right at the end:

 
Agree totally, but the stuff he would take for granted is probably uncoachable in others. People just cant see and do what he did naturally. He certainly can coach the skills of the game though
Yeah I think that's true, but also when I listen to him really talk about the game on Freddie and the Eighth and Immortal Behaviour, it seems like he does communicate the intricacies of the game very well. I guess there's an aspect of being able to lead a horse to water but can't make it drink. Things he could see and decisions he could make in a split second, other players just can't.
 
Sorry Billy you're wrong. The man himself is quoted here:

I watched the interview.
He stressed many times he took it mostly in the off season and a few times during his long career during the season.

And the headline reads he was off his head on drugs for 16 years while destroying everyone else in the comp - sounds impossible - because it is - and anyone with any basic logic would read MOSTLY IN THE OFF SEASON and not think - every day for 16 years.
 
Yeah I think that's true, but also when I listen to him really talk about the game on Freddie and the Eighth and Immortal Behaviour, it seems like he does communicate the intricacies of the game very well. I guess there's an aspect of being able to lead a horse to water but can't make it drink. Things he could see and decisions he could make in a split second, other players just can't.
Instinct
 
What has been said is he wasn't a great role model off the field, for other players at the club.

I doubt Joey went around telling players or the club he was taking drugs.

So nobody would have known. Which means it couldn't have impacted his influence.

Unless everyone knew. But then, which other players were also indulging?
 
Seriously, does it really matter anyway?

You'd be stupid to believe that most players in the comp don't take recreational drugs throughout their careers. . Especially back when Johns was playing
 
‘Bro Joey admitted taking eccies and coke before every single game. He should never been made an immortal. Alfie was better anyway!!!!!!’

Source: A bloke on FB with a Nissan Skyline as his profile pic who graduated from the school of hard knocks and university of life.
 
Johns admitted to running the gauntlet on drugs a number of occasions during the season during his career. It was neither legal nor within the anti-doping rules during the season or off-season. These are just facts.

All that was pointed out was that Johns was an Immortal but he wasn't a Saint. Something he himself has admitted.

Btw the way this whole debate started as a rejection of another dig at the Knights for not doing specialised skills coaching and not employing the likes of bizarrely Matty Johns (who has never really coached) and Andrew Johns to do it.

But of course, the Knights have long had specialist skills coaching and until he himself quit recently Andrew Johns was employed to do it.

But apparently, that nonsense is OK.
 
Johns admitted to running the gauntlet on drugs a number of occasions during the season during his career. It was neither legal nor within the anti-doping rules during the season or off-season. These are just facts.

All that was pointed out was that Johns was an Immortal but he wasn't a Saint. Something he himself has admitted.

Btw the way this whole debate started as a rejection of another dig at the Knights for not doing specialised skills coaching and not employing the likes of bizarrely Matty Johns (who has never really coached) and Andrew Johns to do it.

But of course, the Knights have long had specialist skills coaching and until he himself quit recently Andrew Johns was employed to do it.

But apparently, that nonsense is OK.
Matthew Johns was an assistant at the Storm and quite influential in Cooper Cronk's development, I'm pretty sure. Here's a link: https://www.smh.com.au/sport/nrl/matty-my-star-pupil-can-become-king-cronk-20060930-gdohzw.html

But yes, I'm not quite sure what the point of the discussion is either? Surely Joey would be a great mentor for younger players and Matthew too. Maybe the person who posted was unaware of Joey's former role at the club.
 
Matthew Johns was an assistant at the Storm and quite influential in Cooper Cronk's development, I'm pretty sure. Here's a link: https://www.smh.com.au/sport/nrl/matty-my-star-pupil-can-become-king-cronk-20060930-gdohzw.html
20 odd years ago. Matty Johns has long since avowed coaching (see the link I posted earlier) and rejected all offers including recent calls to take on the blues.

And again, the dig at the Knights was that they don't do specialist coaching and don't employ people like Andrew Johns. But the Knight do specialist coaching and until recently Andrew Johns was employed by the club in that role.

Why is it OK to post these constant nonsensical digs at the Knights but calling them out gets flamed? Is he your mate?
 
Anyone that thinks Joey was on the beans all through his career obviously hasn't been on the gear. It's a performance unhancer.

Terrible Tuesdays and no way to train and do what he did.
 
Anyone that thinks Joey was on the beans all through his career obviously hasn't been on the gear. It's a performance unhancer.

Terrible Tuesdays and no way to train and do what he did.
At no stage was the argument about whether drugs were performance-enhancing, Johns has said he used drugs to deal with depression, bipolar and pain. It was (and currently is) outside the rules.

Questions of whether these drugs are performance enhancing or not or should/shouldn't be banned are different arguments.

BTW Johns is a current advocate for medical marijuana for dealing with pain management and other issues (which I support).
 
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