Rugby league immortal Andrew Johns has revealed the sledge that left Aussie golf great Jack Newton in stitches.
Newton, one of Australia’s most successful golfers, died in April. He had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2020.
But outside of the golf course, Newton, whose son Clint played in the NRL, had a strong passion for rugby league.
“One of the best fellas you would ever meet… he loved Newcastle, was the proudest Novocastrian and Knights’ number one ticket holder,” Johns told Wide World of Sports’ Immortal Behaviour.
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Newton’s golf career was cut short at age 33 in 1983, after an accident involving an aeroplane propeller resulted in him losing his right arm and eye.
Johns revealed Newton was so passionate about his NRL he would often give advice on goal-kicking to the former Knights playmaker.
“It was always good after a game, he was honest,” Johns said.
“You go back for a beer with him after the game and he’d tell you if he thought you played s–t.
“He used to advise me on goal-kicking when I first started. In those days you used sand.
“He used to talk about when they used to hit off, they’d sit the ball a little bit higher the first time they hit off.
“He spoke to me about that and then spoke to me about routine and rhythm – similar things with putting and goal-kicking.”
But one night Newton gave some added feedback, criticising the Knights legend on his tackling which left Johns to deliver a brutal sledge.
“One night he grabbed me at the pub after a game and goes, ‘I want to talk to you about your tackling. I reckon your tackling is not that good’,” Johns revealed.
“I’m like, ‘Mate I will take tips on my goal-kicking … I don’t know how many things you tackled’.
“Then I went, ‘Well Jack, you tackled an aeroplane propeller and you came out, so I will take some advice’.
“He p—-d himself [laughing]. Great man, great friend, He loved the Knights. Really sad to see him go.”
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