MATTHEW JOHNS

Matthew Johns, 37, is an Australian rugby league football commentator and former professional player. An Australian international and New South Wales State of Origin representative five-eighth, Johns played his club football primarily with the Newcastle Knights, alongside his younger brother, Andrew Johns.

After playing junior rugby league in Cessnock, he joined the Newcastle Knights in 1991. He had a very successful time of it for the Knights, the highlight of which, being part of the1997 Australian Rugby League grand final victory over the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles.

Johns was part of the Australian squad that won the 1995 Rugby League World Cup. He also played four State of Origin matches for New South Wales.

Most players, when their playing days end, have no idea what to do. Matthew Johns was the opposite. His first foray into entertainment began in 1999 when he adopted the persona of Reg Reagan in a low budget film, 'In Search of the Holy Grail,' which appeared at the Newcastle Film Festival. The Nine Network showed excerpts of the film on 'The Footy Show.'

The Reg Reagan character was developed further in an article in the Sydney Morning Herald in 2000. Fans of Johns' new side Cronulla started wearing copies of the t-shirt worn by Reagan, with the slogan "Bring Back the Biff", to games.

In 2002, Johns became a regular on The Footy Show with Reagan and a new character, Trent, a gay flight attendant from San Francisco. After his retirement as a player, Johns signed deals with the Nine Network and Sony Music Entertainment.

THE GOAT!

While on a pre season tour of New Zealand in February 2002, Johns and other unnamed members of the Cronulla Sharks were involved in a group sex session with a young woman in a Christchurch hotel room.

Following an allegation of sexual assault from the woman five days later, police investigated the incident both in New Zealand and Australia but did not lay any charges. The ABC TV Four Corners program "Code of Silence", broadcast on 11 May 2009, reported on the incident.

Although Four Corners spoke to Johns about the incident, he declined to give an on-camera interview for the program. Johns admitted to taking part but stated that the act was consensual. Subsequent to the Four Corners program, Johns was stood down by Channel Nine from his role as rugby league commentator and co-host of The Footy Show. The Melbourne Storm also took the step of releasing Johns indefinitely as an assistant coach.