Matty Johns' confession about Andrew as Broncos break silence on altercation

Rugby league personality Matty Johns has given his take on the ugly scuffle between Broncos teammates Adam Reynolds and Patrick Carrigan, after dropping a telling admission about his brother Andrew. The Johns brothers have had their fair share of tiffs over the years and are probably grateful they weren't playing in an age where smart phones and social media tend to document any and all indiscretions.

Brisbane teammates Reynolds and Carrigan are the latest to find that out after being captured on amateur footage in a scuffle that has sparked an investigation by the club and the NRL Integrity Unit. The vision came to light on Monday afternoon, and shows Reynolds and Carrigan tussling during a night out, with the pair fronting the media on Tuesday to express their disappointment.

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“I just want to take full responsibility for my actions,” Carrigan told reporters on Tuesday morning. “It’s obviously not ideal behaviour that I’m proud of but as a club we’re moving forward and standing side-by-side with Adam.”

The scuffle took place after Broncos players went out following a fan day with the club's supporters. Reports emerged on Monday that Reynolds was trying to get Carrigan in a taxi home before the altercation. Carrigan refused to confirm whether he was intoxicated when asked by reporters on Tuesday but admitted it "clearly was time" for him to leave before the incident broke out.

“I won’t get into the ins and outs of it but Adam had my best interests at heart and it was clearly time for me to go home,” Carrigan said. Reynolds added: “We’re embarrassed. We fully take ownership for what happened. We’re a really tight group. We understand it’s not a good look but we were there as mates.

“It started out as a playful fight and a little bit of wrestle that got a little bit heated but there was no one injured. We understand it’s not a good look in the public eye and we take ownership.” Brisbane coach Kevin Walters confirmed the pair would not be suspended but the NRL’s integrity unit will ultimately have the final say.

In the footage, a female at the scene can be heard calling out, "Adam ... Pat ... stop" as the players grab each other by their shirts and scuffle. According to reports, teammates Reece Walsh and Corey Oates were also in attendance and tried to break up the altercation - which occurred after a fan day at the club.

Matty Johns says there was 'nothing' in the Broncos incident

The drama comes less than two weeks out from Brisbane's season-opening clash against the Roosters in Las Vegas and is undoubtedly a bad look for the club and the game. According to Matty Johns though, there's no chance the incident will prevent either player from travelling to Las Vegas. He says there was "nothing" in the scuffle and suggested things would have been much spicier between he and his brother in their playing days.

“No (they won’t be in trouble),” Johns told SEN 1170 The Run Home. “It would be madness for anyone to step in and worry about that. You know what it’s like when you’re out there out having a few beers with the boys. The NRL could investigate this, just go ‘It’s two mates, they’re out (drinking)’, honestly it’s nothing. I would have loved back in the day to see me and (Andrew Johns), when we were out and about.”

Matty's admission about his brother comes after an ugly falling out between the pair last year. The famous rugby league brothers didn't speak for months after an explosive on-air argument during the State of Origin series, with Andrew walking away from his regular spot on SEN's Morning Glory with Matty Johns radio program.

While Matty doesn't think Reynolds and Carrigan will have much to worry about, the Broncos confirmed they were investigating the scuffle. "The Broncos are looking into an incident involving some of its playing group in Brisbane City last night," the club said in a statement. "The club was made aware of the incident last night and has been speaking to players across the course of the day to clarify details of what occurred."

It's the second scuffle between Broncos players in the public eye in the last two years. Payne Haas and Albert Kelly were both suspended for one game following an incident in 2022. This recent drama appears to sit on the less serious end of the scale though, with fines more likely than suspensions for both players.

Broncos CEO Dave Donaghy told the Nine Network the club was "disappointed" that the incident took place. "The players are aware of the professional standards we expect. Clearly that wasn't upheld in this instance," he said.

"Overs the past few years we have invested a lot of time and seen a lot of growth in terms of improving our environment and culture. This is certainly a step back but the intent here is that we understand what took place and we support our group in taking strides to get better on and off the field."

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