CAIRNS, AUSTRALIA - JULY 01: Alex Johnston of the Rabbitohs attempts to get past Kyle Feldt of the Cowboys during the round 16 NRL match between the South Sydney Rabbitohs and the North Queensland Cowboys at Barlow Park on July 1, 2018 in Cairns, Australia. (Photo by Ian Hitchcock/Getty Images)

Rabbitohs coach Wayne Bennett has ruled out releasing Alex Johnston to the Cowboys following Ben Barba's sacking, per the Daily Telegraph.

The Daily Telegraph is reporting that the seven-time premiership coach is "privately filthy" about Johnson being touted as a potential replacement for Barba at North Queensland. 

Speculation has been ongoing that Johnston wants out of South Sydney, with the fullback being linked to Cronulla amid speculation that Bennett did not want him at the club.

It is understood that Johnston is unhappy with Greg Inglis' move to fullback, but Bennett has stated there is every chance the 24-year old starts the season in the No.1 jersey.

Rabbitohs football boss Shane Richardson could not confirm South Sydney's interest in Johnston.

“My understanding is Alex is comfortable where he is so nothing has changed,” Richardson told the Daily Telegraph. 

At this stage, it appears unlikely that the Bunnies release Johnston considering Ingles' recurring knee injury.

48 COMMENTS

  1. This is what happens when Ben Cotton, Editor of Z/T summarises the Telegraph story. He has chosen to leave out relevant information such as ”Shane Richardson could not confirm Souths interest in Johnston”, when the Telegraph story says ” Shane Richardson could not confirm the Cowboys interest in Johnston”. So much for journos writing and printing what they want.

    AJ should talk to Nathan Merrit, he left Souths to chase better things and went to Cronulla, but couldn’t get back to Souths quickly enough. What if AJ goes to the Cowboys and Valentine Holmes decides he wants to come back to the NRL and signs with the Cowboys? Out of the frying pan……….

  2. Johnstone wanted to get out of souffths last season and was being linked to Cronulla and the Cowboys. Now that fat boy Inglis is struggling to be fit for the start of the season Bennett now said he wants Johnstone to stay and play fullback at the beginning of the year. BUT when Inglis is fit he wants the fullback spot and just to complicate matters for the poor defensive Johnstone he has Correy Allan as a rival for that fullback job.

    To much hard work for Johnstone. He will snap up an offer from Townsville Cowboys soon as it is written up. 🎱🎱🎱🎱 This move could help them free up the required 900k plus for the overrated Georgie baby wants to stay a clown, sorry a rabbit.🤣😂😆😁😂🤣

  3. You’ve got no idea champ. All three players you quote as departing all were decided upon well and truly before the Seibold/Bennett swap. So I am unsure how this is even relevant?

    The your talking about Turner, Jennings and George. If you had any clue about roster rotation and salary cap management, you understand that there are always players that need to come and go. You can’t make signings, upgrades or extensions and then also keep everyone.

  4. That’s coz he’s a chicken supporter….. he pretends to be a rabbitoh. We all need to ignore his posts and hopefully he’ll disappear…

  5. Nathan Merritt left Souths due to then Coach Paul Langmack discriminating against our Koori players.
    Langmack spoke harshly to them being a real racist!

    That is why Max left.
    Once Langmack was gone Max came back home.

  6. Sydney Roosters 14 Premierships, Olympic Park Rabbits 1 Premiership. Too small to get anywhere near our shadow.🐓1️⃣4️⃣🐇1️⃣

  7. It took the Rorts 110 years to win 14 Premierships
    The Rabbitohs only took 45 years to win our 14th title in 1953
    No comparisons at all.

    Still in our Shadow Woody and for the next 100 years also.
    Pride of the League!

  8. Oh rubbish, Souffths got booted out of the comp for being so useless. No pride of the League what so ever. They hated souffths for giving our comp a shocking name. When you mugs were allowed back into the comp in 2002 never to play at your home again in Redfern and later moved to Olympic Park giving you blokes a new identity. So your team the Olympic Park rabbits have 1 premiership to your name. Cant change history. Souffs 1908-1999,

    Olympic Park rabbits 2002-2019 onwards.🤣😂😆😁😂🤣

  9. Got any sort of reply Ben Cotton to Chalky’s post, why distort the facts unless you did so on purpose, how are others expect to believe what you right in the furure, not good Ben.

  10. Ever notice guys when it’s 12.40am, 1.11am or 1.40 am both woodduck and Russc post together, and always are around the same time, both must have insomnia, no just woodduck has.

    I bet you guys anything that if Easts had of got thrown out, there would be NO way 100,000 supporters and fans from other clubs would have marched to demand their reinstatement, actually if anything those fans would have celebrated, the league knew they messed up and newslimited gave in and it took years for Souths to recover.

    Woodduck like’s to create his own history , BUT, history is a thing people learn from and facts are we have won more premierships than Easts and were created before them, Easts who have changed their name three time’s , to embrassed to call themselves by their real name, are a disgrace to their small brand of supporters and again the best thing the NRL could do to move forward is to relocet them to say Perth, the Perth roosters, now that has a good ring to it, the only reason i am metioning this is because the word i’m getting is that this could be a reality in the furure.

  11. I hope he stays, Johnston is a class player who has played for Australia and is one of the best finishing wingers in the comp, plus he is a junior, Bennett has read this right , you do not get rid of players with that much class.

  12. Thats why russc / woodduck Jennings is still training with Souths even without a contract, he wants to stay, so did Clark and the other players you mentioned, Cricthon left on his own accord, but that position is filled by a better player in Cam Murray, so all good there, clubs except Easts can’t sign everyone, Easts lose a couple and resign double the players, one day it will come out and Easts will have premierships ripped off them, ha sto happen.

  13. Souths beat the rorters 14-12 in 1908 in the first rugby league premiership at birchgrove oval in sydney.Souths have the most members in 2019 i think the rorters are coming 10th in memberships and they are the current 2018 premiers the rorters have no juniors and no fans forever in souths shadow since 1908.

  14. Pity the Cowboys didn’t keep Coote now isn’t it. Will it be Te Maire Martin back to fullback?
    How they wish they had kept Ponga!
    When the Cowboys are short of a back , they usually look to Penrith for help. Coote & Te Maire Martin are two examples of that. Yes I know Martin was Penrith, from NZ , via Wests.
    So maybe they will try & convince Penrith to release Aetkins or Edwards this time? Both just recently re signed with Penrith, but this doesn’t seem to matter any more. Aetkins is a good fullback from the ISP & has played centre also. He should be promoted to the Centres in first grade at Penrith & dump Whare.
    If they chose to look elsewhere, Will Kennedy at Cronulla is a good fullback from their ISP side. Really from Bathurst , so west of Penrith. The Cowboys can kind of still think they are buying a Penrith product with him.

  15. Shadow, turn your head sideways with the sun shining towards your ear.👂 the shadow of your head on the ground will have a big sun patch on it. That’s because the sun is shinning straight through one ear and out the other.

    The first premiership was really so unorganised that they sent the best players from both sides over to England on the first Kangaroo tour before the season was even finished. Forcing about 6 players from both teams to miss the grand final, Including the invincible legendary immortal Dally Messenger to miss the game. So that game is of little value to bragg about. You don’t see me carrying on about winning comps. If anyone has the right to brag as you do then it is I after what Easts did to souffths last season. However I promise I won’t mention that the Sydney Roosters knocked off Souffths in the preliminary final and kept them tryless then the following week went onto win the 2018 premiership with 12 and a half men competing. OK. I won’t mention that.

    As for your Souffths fans membership just remember they hate travelling to the other side of Sydney to watch their so called home games 20kms away at Olympic Park. In 2017 the Rabbits finished last in home game average crowd attendances. and that’s with a so called inflated membership back then of 20k plus. Us Roosters are busy people and even though memberships are only about 15k each year the same year souffths finished last on averages Sydney Roosters finished on top out of all the other Sydney teams and 5th overall. But I refuse to brag about that.💪🐔👍 There is one other thing I will not bring up and brag about either regarding the 3 premierships the Sydney Roosters have won in the 21st century to Souffffths lone ranger 1. I refuse to bring that modern day information up and leave souffffths in our shadow.😂🤣😁😆
    https://afltables.com/rl/crowds/2017.html

  16. Who are you talking to Russ or me❓❔❓❔❓❔❓❔🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡
    I will say this though Jennings must be pretty useless if nobody has offered him a contract and he is training at souffffths for nothing. I suppose he is hoping that the overrated George Burgess gets a release that he is seeking as to free up some spare cash to sign the defence deficient Jennings💪🐔👍😆😁😂🤣😆

  17. Shadow…….Sydney Roosters have won more games than any other in the History of Australian Rugby League. Forever in the Sydney Roosters Shadow😆😁😂🤣😆

  18. Your club does not deserve the Sydney name , you only occupy a small part of Sydney where people don’t give a rats about NRL and especially Easts , sydney Roosters, time will prove that Easts will be relocated , it is a given, just a matter of time, Easts do not , and never have contributed to rugby league and will go as a result of years of plundering other clubs juniors.

    Easts pride of the league, tell me woodduck have you EVER heard a commentator say that about Easts? NO and never will, grow up mate, Souths , Manly and Canterbury will be here long after your club has gone.

  19. Souths 21 premierships/the defunct stgeorge dragons 15 premierships/rorters 14 premierships the rorters cant even catch the stgeorge dragons whom were made defunct approx 20 years ago the rorters are even forever in the stgeorge dragons shadow too lol@rorters…what an underachieving club the rorters are since 1908 because saints started in 1922/ and was made deduct in 1999 then merged with the illawarra steelers soon after…

  20. shadow FACT is we are not to interested in Ancient History where the 20th century ended with souffs not winning a comp for 28 seasons. I suppose your a huge fan of Skyhooks still, There still lining in the 70’s.

    Its the 21st century that is more important to this generation. The Sydney Roosters are the most successful side during this century by winning
    Major Titles
    Premierships – 3
    2002, 2013, 2018
    Runners-up – 4
    2000, 2003, 2004, 2010
    Minor Premierships – 5
    2004, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2018
    World Club Challenge – 2 or 3
    2003, 2014 maybe 2019
    Minor Titles
    Club Championship – 4
    2004, 2006, 2013, 2014
    Second Grade – 1
    2004
    National Youth Competition – 1
    2016
    Jersey Flegg Cup – 2
    2002, 2004
    S. G. Ball Cup – 3
    2008, 2010, 2014
    Auckland Nines – 1
    2017

    23 titles in 19 years 2000-2018 😆🤣😁😂🤣😆🤣 to Soufffths 3 titles

    Shadow…… Soufffths are in Sydney Roosters SHADOW in the modern era ❕❗❕❗❕❗💪🐔👉🤣😆😂😁😂🤣😆

  21. If you bothered taking a stroll down Spring Street Bondi Junction and open your eyes you will see the name of our Leagues club. Its known as the “Easts Leagues Club”.

    If you bothered to do a tiny bit of research as to what the official name of Sydney Roosters are registered as with the NRL. Then you will know that the Sydney Roosters have never changed their official title.
    Eastern Suburbs”. This name was kept until 1994, when the club changed its team name to the “Sydney City Roosters” for the start of the 1995 season to appeal to the club’s widening fan base. In 2000, the club shortened its name to the “Sydney Roosters”.

    Although marketing names have changed, the Roosters are still registered with the National Rugby League competition as the Eastern Suburbs District Rugby League Football Club, the entity holding the NRL licence.

  22. Although marketing names have changed, the Roosters are still registered with the National Rugby League competition as the Eastern Suburbs District Rugby League Football Club, the entity holding the NRL licence.

  23. Shadow If you walk Spring Street Bondi Junction and open your eyes you will see the name of our Leagues club. Its known as the “Easts Leagues Club”.

  24. Shadow, Sydney Roosters have never changed their official title.
    Eastern Suburbs”. This name was kept until 1994, when the club changed its team name to the “Sydney City Roosters” for the start of the 1995 season to appeal to the club’s widening fan base. In 2000, the club shortened its name to the “Sydney Roosters”.

  25. The Pride of the Modern League Sydney Roosters. have a massive following. I will give you the crowd average for their last three games of 2018. well over 50k people on average watch the Cooks win the premiership

    Grand final 82k
    Preliminary Final 44k
    Semi 24k
    Total 150k

    The Pride of the League attracted 50k on average for their final three games. Easts🐓Easts🐓Easts🐓

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