Matthew Johns AllegationsFormer Rugby League icon and current commentator Matt Johns is bitterly disappointed that 7 year old allegations of sexual misconduct during his time at Cronulla have been brought up again – with reports suggesting the female at the centre of allegations will go to air on the ABC’s Four Corners progam.

Back in the 2002 NRL season a few Cronulla players were interviewed for sexual assault and quickly cleared by local police while in New Zealand for a pre-season trial match – reported the Channel 9 Network last week.

Apparently the women at the centre of allegations will soon speak publically on the ABC’s Four Corners show.

Allegations from the woman suggest group sex was engaged in with the Cronulla players in New Zealand, actions that she says caused her future psychological damage.

Frustrated the story had been raised again; Johns commented “It was 7 years ago and caused pain to my wife and family,” the commentator said on 9.

“It pains me that they have to go through it again.” confirmed Johns.

Johns,  who remains under contract to the 9 Network – will be on air again tonight, on the NRL Footy Show.

The allegations first surfaced in early 2002 coming from an employee at the Racecourse Hotel in Riccarton, the base camp for the Cronulla side for their stay in NZ.

The allegations arising after the women initially began socialising with the Sharks players, then according to her – continuing to remain with them longer into the evening.

All 30 players and 12 officials in the Cronulla travel party where spoken with and statements were taken, however the investigating New Zealand police never laid any charges and the matter was left there.

By ricky

6 thoughts on “Matt Johns disappointed in sex allegations”
  1. Personally I am sick of people bring up sexual assault allegation against football players and people with connection to football like Matt Johns. Most if at all end up going no where and just produces bad publicity for the NRL. News networks thrive on this sort of stuff and the stories become a bigger story then it should.

    That is my opinion anyway

  2. I think it is a ludicrous situation that a 7 year old incident can now be brought up again,,,,not by the authorities, not by the woman involved but by the media with seemingly the sole intention to destroy the career and reputation of one party out of how many that were involved at the time and apparently with the consent of the woman. Is there not s Statute of Limitations in these situations? If Matt Johns had not been the former high profile player and current high profile media personality would the finger still have been pointed so accusingly at one individual from so many quarters?

    How much has this woman been paid by the ABC to appear on Four Corners or to tell her story to other media interests?

    Matt Johns was in a no win situation in his interview with Tracy Grimshaw on Channel Nine no matter what stance he adopted.

    This incident was investigated by New Zealand police 7 years ago and no charges whatsoever were apparently laid against any person. Did Four Corners or ACA check and obtain whatever information they could from New Zealand authorities about the reported and documented circumstances of the incident? Why was no mention made of this on ACA? This begs the question as to what research if indeed any ACA did prior to grilling Matthew and his wife mercilessly with a single line of questioning. New Zealand authorities had already stated before the airing of the Four Corners program and the ACA interview that no new investigation into the incident would be conducted. So obviously there hase been no new evidence brought forward or any new complaints lodged by the woman or any other party.

    Whilst I in no way condone Matthew’s actions in participating in the incident and whilst I also would not want anything like that to happen to my daughter, and I do have 2 daughters, the disclosed and undisputed facts are that the woman was an adult, was a willing participant and at no time asked for anything that was happening to her to stop. I would expect that my daughters would not place themselves in a situation such as the one this woman did.

    My sympathy is with Matthew, his wife and children and his parents and other family. Friends and fans of Matthew I believe will and should stick by him and help him through this. I also think it wrong that Matthew should be judged now 7 years after an event he was cleared of any legal wrongdoing in and be penalised in the way he has been. Matthew obviously learned from his mistake the first time and has not repeated it since yet his whole life has now been turned upside down and may never be the same again.

  3. mathew johns saga
    why should someone be sacked/stood down for something that happened 7 yrs ago ?shame on the nrl , especially when the woman in question had bragged about what she had done , the only person that was hurt in all of this was his partner and that is not an nrl issue but a personal one , why cant the nrl mind there own business ? , if i was mat johns i’d be suing the woman in question for deformation of character and whatever else i could throw at her .

    you have my backing matty , bring back the biff and matty johns

  4. It is remarkable that Mat Johns is alone the focus of this assault. I guess it is the tall poppy syndrome; though more depressing is that he is left out to dry by those who also participated.

    That they do not stand up and admit either they also were wrong.. and take responsibility, or can rationize the circumstances as indeed justifiable… as we undoudtedly are being urged to believe.

    It appears honesty and honour are easy targets for those with broad sympathies… and money to support their simony.

  5. Disgusting! What happends behind closed doors has nothing to do with us. If no crime was commited, then why was it even brought to our attention. Shocking abuse of the media’s power.

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