Matty Johns reveals hard times stories of the Super League War when he was an emerging Knights star
Matty Johns reveals the hard times of the Super League war including getting Phil Gould to look after his mate and getting SHAFTED by Newcastle with a ‘company car’
- Matty Johns humbly left after meeting Glenn Lazarus and Ricky Stuart
- Then Knights star had a paltry NRL salary by comparison
- He also revealed the ‘company’ car he had been given by the club
Rugby league identity Matty Johns has revealed a series of hilarious anecdotes about the infamous Super League war and the time he called in Phil Gould to look after one of his Newcastle teammates.
Johns, 51, also remembered the unforgettable ‘company car’ he was given by the Knights in the 1990s when he was an established first grader.
“After a great season in 1993, I signed a new two-year contract worth $12,000 per season. I thought I was flying…until early 1994 when I was selected for Country Origin,” he said in his column for News Corp.
“I was terrified when two of the game’s greatest, Glenn Lazarus and Ricky Stuart, sat on either side of me.
Lazzo was considered one of the highest paid players in the game while Ricky was out of contract. Suggestions were that he could be rugby league’s first $500,000 player.
Rugby league identity Matty Johns has revealed how he vacated his contract during the Super League war and the time he called on Phil Gould to look after one of his Newcastle teammates
Johns, 51, also remembered the unforgettable ‘company car’ he got from the Knights in the 1990s when he was an established first grader (pictured, a Ford Falcon)
‘Suddenly Lazzo says to me ‘what do they pay you guys in Newcastle?’
Johns was too embarrassed to reveal his meager salary compared to the two NRL greats – but he also didn’t want to be exposed as a liar.
His response was this: ‘Listen guys, I’ve always been taught that it’s rude to brag about money. But let’s just say I’m fine.’
Feeling good and really humbled, Johns then approached Knights management about a raise.
Instead, they offered a ‘company car’ – and it wasn’t a Ferrari.
Instead, they handed him the keys to a 1982 Ford Falcon, which had four bald tires, no antenna, and a bloodstain in the back seat.
Six months later, Johns left the car and started looking for a player manager.
Phil Gould was the ARL negotiator during the Super League war in the 1990s
Prior to the Super League war – which saw two separate rugby league competitions take place in 1997 – some players were offered dazzling contracts to remain loyal to the ARL.
Matthew and younger brother Andrew were stars with the Knights – and ARL negotiator Phil ‘Gus’ Gould paid them both handsomely.
The siblings also had one request: look after their Cessnock partner Bill Peden, who was a virtually unknown at Newcastle at the time.
Gould complied and wrote a stunned Peden a check for $50,000.
The late bloomer won premierships with the Knights in 1997 and 2001, scoring a double in the win over the Eels.