South Sydney winger Alex Johnston has eclipsed Nathan Merritt’s record of 146 tries, standing alone as the greatest-ever try scorer for the NRL’s oldest club.
The Rabbitohs bounced back from last week’s defeat with a crushing win over the Wests Tigers, where they came from 18-12 down at halftime to run in 32 unanswered second half points.
It was the first time in 2022 that Souths had been trailing at the interval and gone on to win – as their left edge finally got humming – Johnston grabbing his second and third tries, with inside men Campbell Graham crossing and Cody Walker scoring a double as well.
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“It means a lot to me, there’s no club I’d rather play for,” Johnston said afterwards.
“I love this club and to break this record is something I could never dream of.”
Johnston debuted in the Rabbitohs’ 2014 title-winning season, scoring in the grand final – and has been a permanent fixture on the left wing for the Rabbitohs ever since, aside from some appearances at fullback.
“He’s one of the best finishers I’ve ever come across,” Walker said.
“He knows where to be in certain positions on the footy field, and we’ve built up a great relationship on that left edge.
“He makes me look good,” he added.
The next stop for Johnston is immortality throughout the entire league, not just the cardinal and myrtle. At just 27, Johnston trails Ken Irvine’s all-time record of 212 by a healthy, but not insurmountable number.
Johnston would need 65 more tries to catch the Bears legend, which, assuming he stays healthy, would be good value to reach in the next three or four seasons.
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But beyond the record, it was a sorely-needed win for the Rabbitohs, who’ve languished in mid-table mediocrity for much of the year.
After going down 12-0 early on thanks to a Asu Kepaoa intercept and a Ken Maumalo score, Souths battled back to level the scores before the former Warriors winger grabbed his second on halftime, putting the visitors back in front.
It would be the last time they scored, as Souths finally took advantage of a mountain of possession and field position to steamroll the Tigers in the final 40 minutes, capping off the scoring with an intercept of their own through Jaxson Paulo in the dying stages.
Cameron Murray got through his return from injury without issue, and looks set to return to the fold for the first State of Origin game, while both teams have a bye next week in the Origin-affected week.
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