In the blink of an eye on April 10, the career of one of the greatest players to grace a rugby league field was over. After the latest, and most serious, of a string of injuries, Andrew Johns announced his retirement from the game at the age of 32. And almost immediately, the question was asked: How good was Johns?

The first thought that came to mind was how damaging injury has been in Johns’ career. Just when 'Joey, appeared to be on the verge of completely dominating the game, injury seemed to be the only thing that could stop him when rival teams had failed to do so. But this only served to demonstrate his toughness by regularly playing injured, most notably the 1997 Grand Final where he played with a major rib injury and under the threat of a collapsed lung. 

As a player Johns was as close to the complete half-back as I have ever seen in my admittedly short time of watching rugby league. He could pass a ball 30 metres or 30 centimeters with equal effectiveness. In defence I doubt there has been a harder-hitting half-back in the game. As for his kicking game, Johns revolutionised what is possible with his array of long, short, grubber, chip and banana kicks. And as a goal kicker it seemed the bigger the occasion, the better he was.

Johns was the most prolific points scorer in Australian Premiership history with 2,176 and, along with Darren Lockyer, the only player to have won the Golden Boot award more than once. He played for Australia in two World Cups and in 21 Test matches and was honoured many times during his career with Newcastle Knights and New South Wales.

Of all his strengths, which can be singled out as his best? It’s the same as all great players; he made players around him better. It was his ability to instil confidence and belief in his teammates, while at the same time striking fear into the heart of the opposition simply through his presence. It is a trait shared only with greats such as Bob Fulton, Wally Lewis, Graeme Langlands, John Raper and the others in the select group known as the immortals.

However, in my eyes there was one major downfall in the Johns game and that related to his temperament. On a handful of occasions he was guilty of letting his frustrations get to him and take it out either on an opponent or official. This trait, while not making Johns a monster, I feel is important enough to warrant a mention. I have a feeling that this trait was driven by an intense competitive drive, whatever the reason I feel it is still an unfortunate blemish on a great player.