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Andrew Johns predicts play before it happens during Eels NRL win over Bulldogs

Aug 4th, 2017
Aug 4th, 2017

Nobody can deny the wealth of knowledge Andrew Johns has for the game of rugby league but the former champion halfback never ceases to amaze league fans with how he reads the game.

The rugby league savant was calling the match between Canterbury and the Eels last night when he predicted a play before it actually happened.

The Bulldogs were down 18-4 with under 10 minutes left and were doing their best to work their way out of their own end, with their outside backs banging up the hard yards.

The former premiership-winning halfback noticed that Parramatta had a compressed defensive line meaning the Bulldogs had a sizeable advantage on their right edge.

Johns can be heard in the background asking the director to “get a high shot” of the field so the audience at home could see how lopsided the defence was and how Canterbury could exploit it on the outside.

“You see defensively, they’re defending half the field.

“If they can somehow generate a kick to the corner …” and within seconds of the words leaving the eighth immortal’s mouth, Bulldogs five eighth Josh Reynolds chipped the ball over the head of the Parramatta winger leaving ‘Dogs forward Josh Jackson with an open chance to gain possession and make an uncontested run down the right wing before Semi Radradra came over in cover.

Johns urged the Bulldogs to capitalise on the play to spark an attack late in the match but Canterbury’s stale style of play was ever more evident in the wet conditions and it was too little too late.

The man they call ‘Joey’ clearly knows the game of rugby league but we wouldn’t be surprised if receives inquiries about reading a palm or two.

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