South Sydney coach Wayne Bennett has dismissed further questions about Alex Johnston's try-scoring record and described fans rushing the field in celebration as "pretty disruptive".
Johnston crossed for his 213th try in Friday's 26-18 loss to the Sydney Roosters at Allianz Stadium, surpassing Ken Irvine's mark set in 1973. The moment itself was extraordinary. The winger entered the history books during the first set after half-time, when a break down the left edge ended with his 213th career try, and his second of Friday's sold-out game.
What should have been a celebration of rugby league history instead became a moment of contention. Security presence had been increased after Souths players and coach Wayne Bennett had urged supporters not to invade the pitch, and fans had been warned of $5,500 fines, but fans were undeterred and booed when the big screen displayed warnings against entering the field. The majority took around five minutes to return to the stands as the ground announcer reminded the crowd that "we've got a game of rugby league to play".
Bennett had discouraged fans from breaching the field of play should Johnston score the required two tries. He questioned how many would be allowed on the field, where that would stop, and how long before the game got started again. Yet when the moment arrived, his concerns proved prescient.
Johnston himself had a mixed reaction to the chaos. "The crowd ran on, obviously the NRL didn't really want it, but it was awesome for me - it was an unreal experience. I couldn't breathe for a second because there were so many people and it was getting so hot," he later told reporters.
Bennett's frustration, however, was tempered by acknowledgement of the occasion. The seven-time premiership-winning coach conceded that, since first coaching in the premiership during the 1987 season, nothing was quite like Johnston's milestone moment. "I've coached nearly 1000 games and that hasn't happened. It's a pretty special time," he said.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was among those on the field celebrating rugby league history being made. Sporting a new jersey with a golden No.2 on its back, Johnston applauded and waved to the crowd when the teams returned to the pitch, with play resuming roughly 15 minutes after his try.
The tension between allowing spontaneous celebration and maintaining order reflects a deeper question facing the NRL. Roosters coach Trent Robinson was more willing in his praise, saying: "To see a milestone like that in our game is legendary, to see someone break the try-scoring record." Yet the league had explicitly warned against pitch invasions, creating an impossible situation where one of rugby league's greatest achievements unfolded amid rule-breaking and official disapproval.