The highly anticipated off-season of 2000 included the off-contract Johns brothers.
And it has now been revealed that Andrew almost followed his older brother Matt in leaving Newcastle.
On big money and with the Super League war finally finding a conclusion, the Knights had a tough decision to make.
Matthew left the club at the end of that season, and Andrew would go on to captain the team to a premiership. But Newcastle almost saw both brothers take to the exit.
Speaking on the Our Town Our Team podcast, former coach Michael Hagan revealed untold truths that almost transpired in his first season in charge of the Knights.
Hagan reflected on his time in Newcastle, divulging into how the club almost lost the immortal to Brisbane at the end of 2000.
“They were both on big numbers back then,” Hagan said.
“In the end, it was a commercial decision. You can’t fit everyone in the cap. It was one of those traumatic decisions which had to be made.
“There was a lot of media interest and the fans were understandably emotionally involved.
“I had Andrew Johns threatening to go to Brisbane in 2000 before he had agreed to stay.
“He wasn’t happy with how Matthew had been treated in that process.
“There was a bit going on before we got to the line in 2001 to start coaching.”
Finding his final roster was Hagan's top priority, signing Steve Simpson and Mark Hughes before holding onto Johns as a major piece to the clubs outfit.
Hagan added that in an ideal world the club would hold onto both Andrew and Matt, but failed to find room in their lineup to match the offers they had received from the pair.
“When it was agreed that Matthew couldn’t be offered the same level of contract that he was on, which was an ARL deal, (their manger) John (Fordham) said; ‘well if you’re not prepared to offer the same dollars, don’t make an offer at all’,” Hagan said.
“Which the Knights said, ‘well we can’t offer you that, so we won’t make an offer’. And then it was like, ‘well you had the audacity to not offer him a contract’.
“There was a bit of misinformation on both sides.”
In hope of reaching a final deal, Hagan invited Johns to negotiate over a meal, where they would find a fitting conclusion to the discussion.
“I had lunch with him around that time and we talked a bit about about what the plan was for the club and about him being maybe captain,” Hagan recalled.
“Talking about some of these good young players that he’d been part of that development plan with them, and that he’d have a really good influence on the group. So, I think he was pretty keen to stay and to be part of that.”
In true Johns nature, the star man ended the meeting with an unusual request.
“After he had lunch with me, he said; ‘Hages I’m going to stay, but when you go back to the office I want you to tell them that I’m not sure if I might stay or go’,” he said.
“I did take a bit of enjoyment when I got back from lunch. They (the Knights staff) were all keen to find out what the luncheon was like and what he was going to do. I said, ‘I’m not really quite sure’, and they were all a bit rattled.
“He agreed to stay the next day.”
The agreement was a key component in the Knights season, with Johns and Hagan leading the Knights to their second premiership.
Johns wanted money more than success. Can you imagine how many more premierships he could have collected for a little less money if he signed with Brisbane (2 grand finals, 2 prelim finals) or Sydney (4 grand finals) before his retirment in 2007. I should think his first wife is sitting pretty.
Footy is such a soap opera