New two-year deal for South Sydney try-scoring machine Alex Johnston
Johnston, 30, needs just six tries to break Ken Irvine's longstanding record of 212 and, with the rest of 2025, plus now 2026 and 2027, could set an unreachable mark courtesy of his new deal.
Already South Sydney's greatest try scorer with 207 from his 237 NRL games, Johnston could pass Irvine and then put a gap on the rest of the chasers.
'I couldn't be happier to be staying at the club for another two years,' Johnston said.
'Despite the recent results, I know we have a strong club here with quality players, coaches and staff, and I want to be part of returning us to the top of the ladder.
'I've enjoyed premiership success here before and I'm really focused on doing that again here for South Sydney.
'I also want to break the try-scoring record at the Rabbitohs and achievements like that come from the efforts and performances of my teammates as much as me. We're all in this together.
'I also would like to thank the members for their support. There are no more loyal supporters in the game and I love representing them each week as well. I thank them for sticking by us and encouraging us throughout some difficult times on field.
'I'm looking forward to working hard to turn around the back end of our season this year and then having a crack at premierships over the next two years as well.'
Veteran Sydney Roosters winger Daniel Tupou is the closest active player to Johnston with 175 career tries.
MOST NRL TRIES
1 Ken Irvine 212
2 Alex Johnston* 207
3 Billy Slater 190
4 Steve Menzies 180
5 Brett Morris 176
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News.com.au
2 hours ago
- News.com.au
‘Scary': Nathan Cleary move puts NRL on notice as Panthers purr to seven straight
Nathan Cleary is back and in a big way. Everything Cleary touched turned to gold on Saturday as Penrith leapfrogged the Broncos into fifth spot on the NRL ladder with a dominant 36-2 win at home over the Tigers. The Panthers have now won seven in a row and are in the hunt for the all-important top four place, an incredible feat considering they were languishing in last spot only two months ago. FOX LEAGUE, available on Kayo Sports, is the only place to watch every game of every round in the 2025 NRL Telstra Premiership, LIVE with no ad-breaks during play. New to Kayo? Join now and get your first month for just $1. But it was seeing their No. 7 back with the kicking tee in hand and without strapping that had Panthers fans believing a fifth straight premiership is a real possibility. Cleary was at his masterful best in Saturday's win, setting up three tries while he returned to the goalkicking duties and didn't miss any of his six attempts. The halfback hasn't kicked goals for Penrith since the round 14 win over the Tigers due to a groin injury, but being back with the tee suggests that niggling injury is now in a rear-view mirror. The 27-year-old moved freely as he tore the Tigers to shreds, creating line breaks at will with his acceleration and ball-playing mastery. 'There are a few teams in the NRL getting nervous watching that,' Andrew Voss said in Fox commentary as Cleary rang rings around the hapless Tigers. While the reigning premiers now set their sights on a top-four finish, rivals should be worried because next week, for the first time in 2025, they will be at full strength. And their form turnaround has many wondering, they can't do it again, can they? 'Penrith are travelling better than anyone in the competition other than maybe the Raiders,' Greg Alexander said in Fox commentary. Voss added: 'Rivals should be worried, very worried'. Tigers back to the drawing board The Tigers aren't the first team to have been strangled out of the contest by Penrith, but Benji Marshall will be disappointed with his side's inability to conjure anything in attack. Taylan May was held up early, and Starford Toa scooped up a loose ball, but he had no support on a night they failed to register a single line break. Their only points came from a penalty goal to open the scoring, with halfback Latu Fainu only running once before he was taken off as Sunia Turuva carted it up 25 times from the back. They don't have the squad to match it with Penrith's grinding tactics, which is why fans will be hoping they return to the free-flowing footy that works so well for them. Last week's win over the Titans gave them some breathing space in a bid to avoid the wooden spoon, but Gold Coast's win across the ditch means the Tigers are just two points clear of bottom spot.
Herald Sun
2 hours ago
- Herald Sun
NRL news: Jahrome Hughes forced to miss Cameron Munster's father's funeral after horror shoulder injury
Don't miss out on the headlines from NRL. Followed categories will be added to My News. Melbourne star Jahrome Hughes was heartbreakingly forced to miss the funeral of his close friend and teammate Cameron Munster's father because he was not allowed to travel after picking up a shoulder injury on Thursday night. Hughes left the field just minutes into the second half of Melbourne's gutsy 34-30 win over the Roosters with the club confirming immediately that he'd dislocated his shoulder after landing awkwardly while making a tackle on James Tedesco. FOX LEAGUE, available on Kayo Sports, is the only place to watch every game of every round in the 2025 NRL Telstra Premiership, LIVE with no ad-breaks during play. New to Kayo? Join now and get your first month for just $1. The reigning Dally M Medal winner was in agony and had to be helped off Allianz Stadium, with Melbourne's medical staff unable to put it back in, and he was sent to the hospital needing extreme pain medication. Hughes made it back to the team hotel in the early hours of Friday morning and luckily escaped needing surgery, but will miss around six weeks of action. Jahrome Hughes was forced to miss Cameron Munster's father's funeral. Image: Getty But the hammer blow came in the early hours of Friday morning when Hughes was informed the injury meant he wasn't clear to fly to Queensland to be by Munster's side as he bid farewell to his father Steve. The Maroons star didn't play on Thursday night because it would have been too difficult to get back to Queensland for the funeral on Friday. However, some players and staff caught a flight up to Rockhampton at 6am on Friday so they could attend the funeral. Cameron Munster bravely led the Maroons to Origin glory days after his father Steve passed away. Photo: NRL Photos Hughes originally planned to be on that flight, however, Melbourne chief Frank Ponissi said the Kiwi wasn't cleared to fly due to his shoulder. 'He said Jahrome got back to the hotel last night. They finally put the shoulder back in place in the hospital without too many issues,' journalist Andrew Webster told SEN, reading out Ponissi's text message to him. 'At this stage, it is very difficult to assess, although the initial scans show nothing too sinister. He was coming up to Munster's father's funeral this morning with a few of us, but instead will now head straight back to Melbourne with the team, where they will assess him.' Steve Munster died on the eve of State of Origin 3, and Cameron bravely played just days later, lifting the Maroons to a memorable series win. – with NewsWire Originally published as Jahrome Hughes forced to miss Cameron Munster's father's funeral after horror shoulder injury
The Australian
2 hours ago
- The Australian
Bridal Waltz does it again with Bletchingly Stakes triumph as Peter Moody aims higher
Bridal Waltz could step into spring now after a Group 3 Bletchingly Stakes (1200m) win at Caulfield. The Peter Moody and Katherine Coleman-trained favourite defied a late challenge from backmarker Kin to get the result from gallant Yellow Sam. Second-elect New York Lustre finished off late to run fourth. Drama ensued an hour before the Bletchingly, with Baraqiel, the pre-race favourite, scratched on vet advice. • PUNT LIKE A PRO: Become a Racenet IQ member and get expert tips – with fully transparent return on investment statistics – from Racenet's team of professional punters at our Pro Tips section. SUBSCRIBE NOW! Racing Victoria vets deemed the comeback sprinter lame in the near foreleg upon inspection. Moody, who won back-to-back Bletchingly Stakes in 2011-12 with Mid Summer Music and Ready To Rip, was pleased to get the result with Bridal Waltz. Bridal Waltz won the Listed Creswick Stakes (1200m) at Flemington last start, her main winter target, but did so well post Moody and Coleman tried the Bletchingly. 'I thought her last couple of runs, she probably goes for a spell, but we'll probably take her home and rinse and repeat, take her down the beach and assess her,' Moody said. 'It'd be nice to lift the bar a little bit … do we find a mares' Group 2 now we're a Group 3 winner or have a few weeks off and come back to Flemington in November? 'Chase a stakes race there away from the A-graders, you never know, she might become an A-grader one day the way she's going.' Bridal Waltz stalked leader and reigning Bletchingly winner Recommendation and let down strongly. 'I was very pleased with where she was in the run,' Moody said. 'Recommendation took her to the right part of the track and carted her well up the straight. 'Good tough effort … we have spaced her runs all the way through, she looks like a hairy little goat. 'She spends most of her time outdoors and down at the beach … in the cold most of it, holds a lot of hair, so she's not overly attracted in the yard but she enjoys that little gap three or four weeks.' Co-trainer Katherine Coleman with Bridal Waltz after the win. Picture: Getty Images Jockey Ben Melham enjoyed a second win on Bridal Waltz and managed to dictate tempo albeit from behind the leader. 'Initially I thought he was going to go a little bit slower than I would've liked, I stayed out there and forced him to come up inside me and go the tempo I wanted him to go basically,' Melham said. 'It worked well for us, he got going before the corner … she certainly hasn't gone backwards from that (Creswick Stakes). 'The key to her is not to go too slow, she can actually sustain good gallop and good sectionals and hold it right through the line.' Godolphin were denied a fairytale Melbourne swan song with Kin best of three starters for James Cummings in the Bletchingly. Kin snagged back to last from a wide barrier and burst through late to grab second. Inhibitions and Kallos, also trained by Cummings, were unplaced. ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ Windstorm ends 1750-day drought - Brad Waters Victoria was in the grip of Daniel Andrews' enforced COVID-19 lockdowns the last time Windstorm won a race. The former Perth galloper won the Listed Weekend Hussler Stakes at Caulfield in October 2020, indicating he was a top-class performer in the making. Few, including previous owner Bob Peters, would have known that would be Windstorm's last win for 1750 days. Peters moved on Windstorm after a few more injury-plagued years but the imposing galloper finally saluted at the 15th attempt for Cranbourne trainer Gavin Bedggood in the Sportsbet More Places Handicap (1400m). Jockey Luke Cartwright brought the gelding from last as the $41 chance shattered many quaddies when the pair saluted by a length. Bedggood said Windstorm had drawn some unwarranted criticism during his long winless period. 'I feel sorry for the horse because people along the way called him a 'nonny' (non-winner) and a cheat and it's not the case,' Bedggood said. 'It's taken a while to figure him out. 'I've wanted to put blinkers on him for the last six months but they haven't been the right races. 'Maybe he doesn't run much past this, a good speed over 1400m, and his three wins have been over that trip. 'We'll try to replicate that type of race going forward.' Windstorm completed a long-priced double for Bedggood after Behaviour won earlier in the day at $16. Gilbert Gardiner Sports reporter Gilbert Gardiner is a sports reporter for the Herald Sun and Sunday Herald Sun. @gilbertgardiner Gilbert Gardiner
