Andrew Johns and the Newcastle Knights: what to know

Andrew Johns is a celebrated former Knights player, but the recent headlines are about the current team’s grand final loss.

SportsOctober 6, 20263 min readHow Sureno writes this

The short version

Andrew Johns, also known as Joey, is a retired Australian rugby league player who captained the Newcastle Knights and played in their 1997 and 2001 premiership wins. ⁴
The recent headlines concern the current Knights team, which lost its grand final to the Roosters by one point; the supplied reports do not say Johns was involved in that match. ¹²
Newcastle fans remained proud of the team after the defeat, while coach Justin Holbrook said he was disappointed but proud. ¹³
For readers, the useful distinction is between Johns’s historical connection to the club and the current players and staff in the news. ¹³⁴

Who is Andrew Johns?

Andrew Gary Johns, widely known by the nickname Joey, is a former Australian professional rugby league player. He played for the Newcastle Knights in the 1990s and 2000s and captained the club. ⁴

The supplied source describes him as one of the greatest rugby league players of all time. It records 249 games for the Knights, a club record, as well as appearances for Australia and New South Wales. ⁴

What is Andrew Johns’s connection to the Knights?

Johns is closely linked to the club’s history. He played in Newcastle’s two premiership victories, in 1997 and 2001. A premiership is the competition title awarded to the team that wins the season’s final. ⁴

That history helps explain why his name may appear in searches about the Knights. But the available current reports focus on the team and its supporters after a different grand final, not on Johns commenting or taking part. ¹²³

Why are people talking about the Newcastle Knights?

The headlines provided here follow the Knights’ grand final loss to the Roosters. The team lost by a single point, and the aftermath included reactions from supporters, players’ families and coach Justin Holbrook. ¹²³

ABC reported that fans remained proud of the team despite the result. The Age reported Holbrook was disappointed the Knights had not won, while also saying he was proud of the side. ¹³

What did players’ families say after the loss?

Nine reported on social media tributes from players’ partners and families. Sammy Frizell, wife of Knights player Tyson Frizell, wrote about the disappointment of losing and said she was proud of him. ²

The article also described the families’ pride in players reaching the final. These accounts are personal reactions to the match; they do not change the result or establish a connection to Andrew Johns. ²

What does this mean for an ordinary reader?

If you are searching for Andrew Johns, the central answer is historical: he is a former Knights captain and a key figure in the club’s two premiership wins listed in the source. ⁴

If you are following the current headlines, they concern the present-day Knights after a narrow grand final defeat. The supplied coverage does not establish that Johns was part of the recent match or its aftermath, so it is best not to treat the headlines as news about him personally. ¹²³

What we don't know yet

The supplied current-news reports do not say whether Andrew Johns commented on the grand final.
The sources do not provide further detail about Johns’s activities or role in rugby league today.
The supplied reports do not give a full account of the match beyond the Knights’ one-point loss to the Roosters.

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Questions people ask

Is Andrew Johns connected to the Newcastle Knights?

Yes. Johns played for and captained the Knights, making 249 appearances for the club according to the supplied biographical source. He also played in the club’s 1997 and 2001 premiership victories. ⁴

Did Andrew Johns play in the recent Knights grand final?

The supplied reports do not say that Johns played in or took part in the recent grand final. They describe the current Knights’ loss to the Roosters and reactions from fans, families and coach Justin Holbrook. ¹²³

Why did the Knights make headlines after the grand final?

The Knights lost the final to the Roosters by one point. Reports then covered supporters’ pride, emotional family tributes and Holbrook’s disappointment alongside his pride in the team. ¹²³

What is Andrew Johns also known as?

Andrew Johns is also known by the nickname Joey. He is a former Australian rugby league player and former Newcastle Knights captain. ⁴

How many premierships did Andrew Johns win with Newcastle?

The supplied biography says Johns took part in the Newcastle Knights’ premiership victories in 1997 and 2001. The recent headlines describe a separate grand final and do not change that historical record. ⁴

Sources

'We'll be there': Fans rally behind Knights after grand final loss — abc.net.au, 2026-10-04
Newcastle player’s wife reveals ‘devastating heartbreak’ hours after grand final — Nine.com.au, 2026-10-05
Heartbroken Holbrook speaks as team bus pulls into Newcastle — The Age
Andrew Johns — Wikipedia

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