I told you so.
Four words that would be so easy and sweet for Matty Johns to tell his brother — if only they were talking.
The rugby league immortal’s newspaper column this week was a staggering form of raising a white flag in his beef with his older brother.
The pair famously had a falling out on live radio earlier this year when the 49-year-old blew up at his brother Matthew’s suggestion Queensland had an advantage heading into the 2023 State of Origin series opener.
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According to reports, they have not spoken since.
It’s why you can only assume Andrew’s latest thoughts on the State of Origin rivalry must have sent alarm bells ringing in his head.
For readers of Johns’ column in Nine Newspapers this week, it was impossible to ignore the fact that we’d heard it all before. From his brother. The very same thoughts that triggered their tiff now coming out of the other brother’s mouth.
It takes a big man to admit when he is wrong, and Johns’ column shows exactly that — without any reference to his brother of course.
“I’ve watched and listened to the commentary in the past couple of weeks about Brad Fittler and I don’t think any NSW coach, even during Queensland’s run of eight straight series wins, has copped it as bad,” Johns wrote.
“I think the pile-on has been extreme. The Blues haven’t got the results in the past two years. You can’t argue that. But sometimes you just have to tip your hat to Queensland, and they’ve been exceptional under Billy Slater, especially this year.
“When you look at their spine for the first two games in 2023 – Reece Walsh at fullback, Cameron Munster displaying Wally Lewis-like tendencies, Daly Cherry-Evans in the best form of his career, and then Harry Grant and Ben Hunt working in tandem – it’s a formidable line-up.”
Sound familiar?
Two months ago it was Matty talking about Queensland’s superior combinations and the brilliant mind of coach Billy Slater.
Matty said on SEN radio’s Morning Glory, Slater is “close to the best coach in the game” and said the Maroons have mastered their gameplan.
Joey’s now famous response was: “Mate, I’m sick of you rapping Queensland. That’s what I’m sick of.
“Put your Maroon jersey on, you should have some at home.
“Just because you played four games and lost all four doesn’t mean you need to s*** bag NSW.”
Matty, of course, has come out of the beef looking like one of the best analysts in the game. Andrew, one of the most mercurial minds to ever hold a Steeden, has taken an ego hit.
With the Origin series all over next Wednesday, you can only hope the fact the two brothers are now in agreeance about Queensland’s competitive advantage will allow the pair to smoke the peace pipe.
Popular Fox League cult hero Matthew confirmed his brother was “off me” when he returned to their SEN show last month.
It has been reported Andrew Johns won’t be back on the radio station this year and is still angry over the on-air spat that saw SEN chief executive Craig Hutchison forced to step in to try broker peace.
“I’ve just heard through the grapevine that basically he’s said to people that next time he sees me, he’s going to take my head off,” Matty said on The Matty Johns Podcast last month.
“Well, I just hope he’s learned to fight as opposed to the last time we had a little going over. No, I haven’t heard from him.”
Hutchinson had planned to organise a lunch with Matthew and Andrew in and attempt to settle their differences.
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It hasn’t helped that the bitterness seems to have been amplified by the outside noise.
Star Maroons five-eighth Cameron Munster re-opened the wound when he fired a surprising barb at the Newcastle icon on the Footy Show.
In the build up to a Game 2 at Suncorp where Queensland were looking to wrap up a comprehensive series victory, Munster asked Johns on-air, “have you made up with your brother?” before bursting into laughter alongside fellow Queenslander Johnathan Thurston.
Johns death-stared down the barrel of the camera before co-host Danika Mason said “do you want to answer, they’ve always got to say something, don’t they”.
Johns was then heard muttering: “What brother?”
Munster has since reflected on his on-air gag, with Munster telling the Nine papers that “it probably wasn’t the right time to say it”.
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