South Sydney winger Alex Johnston broke Ken Irvine's NRL try-scoring record with his 212th and 213th four-pointers against the Roosters, with fans ignoring the league's pleas not to storm the field. The moment on Friday night at Allianz Stadium created scenes that challenged both the NRL's safety protocols and its attempts to manage what many considered rugby league's most significant milestone in generations.
Johnston's big moment came straight after half-time in front of 41,242 fans as he raced into the record books. Johnston was embraced and cheered by fans as they rushed to celebrate with their hero as the Rabbitohs went 90 metres to give Johnston his 213th try. What followed was a scene the NRL had explicitly worked to prevent.
The competition had issued clear warnings earlier in the week. The South Sydney Rabbitohs and the National Rugby League were issuing a stern call to action for fans attending Friday night's match at Allianz Stadium: stay in your seats and resist the urge to storm the field. But fans were undeterred by the prospect of $5,500 fines, having booed earlier in the game when the big screen displayed warnings against entering the field.
From the players' perspective, the situation presented an unusual challenge. The players were rushed into the sheds by security, and most of the fans left the field pretty soon after. James Tedesco, the Roosters captain, took Nine's coverage down to the field to provide a first-hand account of what transpired during the disruption. Play resumed roughly 15 minutes after Johnston's try helped Souths level the scores at 12-12 and sparked the momentous scenes in the northern in-goal.
The record Johnston claimed had stood for more than half a century. Some of the game's most prolific try-scorers united to celebrate the veteran, who scored his 213th try to surpass the legendary Ken Irvine and claim a record that had sat untouched for more than 50 years. Irvine had held the record since 1970 and retired in 1973 with 212 career tries, with many experts predicting the mark would never be matched until Johnston came along.
The invasion itself reflected the weight of the moment for supporters. South Sydney fan and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was among those who rushed onto the field to congratulate Johnston. Johnston broke Ken Irvine's 53-year record of 212 tries when he raced 40 metres to score in the first set of tackles after halftime against Sydney Roosters before a sold-out Allianz Stadium crowd, which included the Prime Minister.
In the end though it was the Roosters getting home 26-18 to grab their first win of the season. Senior leaders Daly Cherry-Evans and James Tedesco stood tall for the Roosters as they overcame the distraction of the Johnston celebration to come up with a valuable win over their old rivals.
For Johnston himself, the achievement represented the culmination of a decorated career. To put Johnston's achievement into context, he's scored 213 tries from 244 career games. Slater's 190 came from 319 games, while Menzies' 180 tries were scored in 349 first grade games. The record, despite the chaos that surrounded its capture, stands as a testament to Johnston's consistent finishing ability across more than a decade at the highest level.