Matty Johns lifts the lid on son's move that ended ugly spat with NRL legend brother Andrew
The Johns brothers were not on speaking terms for the best part of a year.
The feud between famous footy brothers Matty and Andrew 'Joey' Johns has been one of most bizarre, but closely followed soap operas in rugby league for more than a year now. But Matty says the warring brothers - who were not on speaking terms for months on end - have now reunited and it's all down to his eldest son Jack.
The falling out between the brothers came about during last year's State of Origin series, when Joey took exception to his older brother's praise of the Maroons and coach Billy Slater in particular. Joey is a Blues legend and wears his heart on his sleeve when it comes to Origin and his beloved state, so to hear his older brother talking them up during their weekly radio segment clearly ruffled his feathers.
No one could have anticipated the explosive rift that would follow though, with Joey quitting his role on SEN's Morning Glory with Matty Johns and the brothers not speaking for months. Colleagues tried and failed to play peacemaker between the feuding siblings, although Matty did reveal last year that they planned to bury the hatchet over lunch.
That ultimately never eventuated but Matty has now revealed his son Jack was the catalyst for the siblings to mend their fractured relationship. Speaking on the 'Matty and the Missile podcast' from the Paris Olympics, the 53-year-old TV host was discussing sibling dynamics around Australian gold medallists and sisters Jess and Noemie Fox when he revealed the part his son played in mending the long-running spat.
Son Jack helped Matty Johns mend feud with brother Andrew
“My oldest son Jack, great kid. He worries about the family too much. He’s that sort of kid,” Johns explained. “Jack said 'I don’t like what’s going on between you and uncle Joey. It’s not right.'" Matty shrugged it off as a classic sibling rivalry and downplayed the feud by suggesting "we're brothers" and that's what brothers do.
But the former Newcastle Knights premiership winner says one day Jack decided enough was enough and took it upon himself to heal the rift. “So one day I’m sitting there on the lounge, it’s a Sunday afternoon, I’m having a couple of beers and he goes ‘do you want to go for a drive Dad?’" Matty explained.
"I didn’t really want to, I was watching a movie (but) I said ‘okay let’s go for a drive.’" The pair proceeded to drive from their home on Sydney's Northern Beaches across the Spit Bridge and towards the city and it was at that moment that Matty realised what his eldest son was up to.
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“As we went over the Harbour Bridge I knew where he was taking me,” Matty recalled. And while he was clearly still reluctant to see with his younger brother after not being on speaking terms for such a long time, Matty said some stern words from Jack convinced him to finally reunite with his famous brother.
“He said ‘get the f**k up there,” Johns admitted about the spray from his son Jack. “I got the lift and (Jack) knocked on the door and I gave Joey a big cuddle... “He (Jack) did that." The beautiful act finally brings an end to a bizarre Origin feud that centred around Matty's praise of Slater and his Queensland side.
"Put your Maroon jersey on, you should have some at home," Joey fired back at his brother last year after Matty described Slater as one of the best coaches in the game. "Just because you played four games and lost four doesn’t mean you need to sh-t bag NSW. I'm sick of you (pumping up) Queensland. Keep blowing hot air up their ar*es."
