Fans roast Andrew Johns for sounding like a broken record during NRL grand final

Andrew Johns — the Newcastle great-turned NRL commentator — revealed ahead of the grand final on Sunday night that he had been given the option to have the night off commentating duties so he could soak it all up and fully invest in his emotions.

Obviously Johns declined but, according to fans, that was the wrong decision.

Proud and passionate of the club he represented so brilliantly in 249 games, the NRL Immortal was never really going to be able to contain his emotions, no matter the outcome.

And, despite the heartbreaking one-point loss in a game they never really looked like winning, his superlatives for the Knights went into overdrive, calling the team “super human” and lavishing praise on the club and captain Kalyn Ponga.

“They just hung in and hung in and hung in, and then towards the end they could have stole it late, but an incredible effort couldn’t be any more proud of the players and everyone at the club,” Johns, who cut a sombre figure after the game, said on Nine.

Johns also pointed to various stats throughout the call, and said the Knights should have been beaten by plenty, but the fact they only lost by only one point was “astonishing”.

It was an observation he repeated multiple times and fans eventually grew tired of it, venting their frustations on social media.

“It’s possible Andrew Johns said ‘if you look at the stats they should have got beaten by 50’ - literally 50 times,” one fan said.

With another responding cheekily: “Stop exaggerating, it was only 49 times.”

While another said: “I also believe the word ‘heart’ was used 47 times.”

And another: “Yes he was like a scratched record loving Newcastle.”

The word “brave” was also trotted out regularly by Johns and several others, and fans, somewhat unfairly, took issue with that as well.

“He muttered one sentence a thousand times. They’re brave. For a billion dollar sport, the broadcast isn’t any higher than Saturday afternoon’s, Shute Shield,” one fan raged.

And another said: “I hate that Nine used him. They should have given him the night off.”

Another fan believed Johns “spent the entire second half trying to do conjure up a fairytale win” for Newcastle, by saying how bad the Knights were travelling “over and over”.

Another suggested he was trying a “reverse jinx”.

“Unbelievable! The poor bugger is away with the fairies! He truly needs help!” another said.

Johns wasn’t the only commentator who copped it, in fact, the entire coverage was given a rather big thumbs down by many.

“Nine, your coverage is woeful. Spend some money and pinch the person from Channel Seven who runs the AFL coverage. That presentation (and whole broadcast) was as flat as a MCG test wicket. There is absolutely zero excitement coming through the television screen,” one fan said.

And another: “Only watch 2-3 rugby league games per year. Suffice to say I’ll never complain about AFL commentators again.”