Breaking Ken Irvine’s all-time try-scoring record will almost become a formality for Alex Johnston once Jack Wighton heads to Redfern next year.
Johnston, the club’s left winger, will benefit from Wighton slotting in to left centre, the position he is expected to call home from 2024 onwards.
The 28-year-old Johnston plays 200 games this weekend, becoming just the eighth Rabbitoh to reach the milestone.
Johnston is regarded as one of the best finishers in the game, but despite crossing for 169 career tries – just 43 tries adrift of the late, great Irvine’s long-standing mark of 212 – is in the middle of a drought by his own standards.
Even teammates have started giving it to him about scoring just the three tries across the first nine rounds. Campbell Graham has popped up on the other side of the field with 11 tries, while Latrell Mitchell has eight.
To be fair, Johnston had only six tries at the same stage last season, before going on to rack up 30 tries.
Prop Junior Tatola, who only has nine career tries, said he had no right to ridicule Johnston, but that had not stopped some of the other Bunnies from doing so.
Mr 200: Alex JohnstonCredit: Getty
“They’ve got into him and told him to score more tries,” Tatola said. “It’s all fun and games. AJ might get a few this week for his 200th. His finishing is probably the best in the game. I’ve seen him finish some tries and I’m like, ‘how did you do that’.
“It’s awesome to see. He’s already broken the South Sydney record for most tries. Now he’s going for the all-time record. And if Jack Wighton plays inside him next year, he’ll score more tries again.”
Johnston has always done his best to avoid talk of his try-scoring feats for fear of jinxing himself.
“Let’s not talk about it,” was Johnston’s response when asked about leaning on Wighton to help catapult him towards the magical mark.
“The more I talk about it the more it will play on my mind. I just want to play footy and win. Scoring tries should come second.
“I’ve played with Jack at the All Stars, and he’s a great player and a great bloke. But I might not even be on the wing next year. ‘Tassy’ [Isaiah Tass] might be on the wing.
“There have been a couple of tries I could have scored this year but I haven’t. ‘Trell’ has been scoring, ‘Stretch’ [Graham] has been scoring, as long as we’re winning games.”
Johnston debuted against Brisbane in 2014, with then coach Michael Maguire’s setting the youngster the task of trying to score a double each week.
“It was not a target but more to motivate me and give me something to focus on,” Johnston said.
“I was shitting myself on debut. I was nervous and trying not to throw up. Now 199 games later I’m still shitting myself, nervous and trying not to throw up.”
Saturday night’s clash against Melbourne will also see Tom Burgess move into outright third on the Souths leaderboard with 219 games. Only John Sutton (336) and Adam Reynolds (231) sit above him.
“It’s not something I’m worried about, and it will be something I look back on when I retire – but I am coming for my mate ‘Reyno’,” Burgess said.
Souths spent Monday taking team photos with each member of the select Club 1908.
