AUSTRALIAN prime minister Anthony Albanese led the praise for new NRL record try-scorer Alex Johnston – after being among the supporters to flock onto the pitch to celebrate his feat.
Johnston broken the Australian try record with a double in South Sydney Rabbitohs’ 26-18 derby defeat to Sydney Roosters.
The winger went into Friday’s game at Allianz Stadium with 211 NRL tries, one shy of the 212 scored by Ken Irvine in the New South Wales Premiership between 1958 and 1973.
After drawing level in the 31st minute, Johnston scored again in the first minute of the second half, finishing a break from inside the Rabbitohs’ own half, to take the record outright.
Despite prior warnings not to, South Sydney fans swarmed onto the pitch when the record was broken, forcing a 15-minute delay to the match.
Albanese was among them, and afterwards he said: “I congratulate Alex Johnston on breaking the all-time try-scoring record, an achievement that has stood for more than half a century.
“AJ has become an all-time legend. With years left in his playing career, his record may never be broken.
“As a Souths tragic, I’m so happy he wears the cardinal and myrtle. But the entire rugby league community can be proud of his contribution to the game.
“He is also an absolute gentleman off the field who cares about his community.”
Johnston, who has one Australia and twelve Papua New Guinea caps to his name, has scored all of his tries with the Rabbitohs, with this the 31-year-old’s 13th season.
He said post-match: “Obviously the game didn’t go how we wanted. It would have been much better with a win, so I don’t know how to feel.
“The crowd running on – the NRL didn’t really want it, but it was awesome for me.
“I couldn’t breathe for a second, there were so many people and it was getting so hot. It was an unreal experience.”