Alex Johnston Immortalised
16th March 2026
South Sydney Rabbitohs winger Alex Johnston has etched his name into Rugby League folklore, becoming the greatest try-scorer in Australian Premiership history. Johnston was presented with the match ball and a commemorative display case marking the milestone, and will also receive a custom ring upon his retirement from the NRL detailing his final try-scoring record.
A proud one-club player, Johnston surpassed the 53-year-old record held by the late Ken Irvine by crossing for his 213th career try in the 41st minute of his side’s clash with the Sydney Roosters at a sold-out Allianz Stadium. The La Perouse junior, of Papua New Guinean, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander heritage, reached the milestone in his 245th Premiership appearance — a moment widely regarded as one of the most significant individual achievements in the history of the game. Johnston debuted as a 19-year-old in 2014 and has achieved the record at the age of 31. His strike rate was extraordinary, taking 63 matches for his first 50 tries, 78 for his second, just 38 for his third, and 52 for his fourth. In 2022, Johnston became the Rabbitohs’ all-time leading try-scorer during Indigenous Round, surpassing club legend Nathan Merritt with his 147th career try. He is also the leading try-scorer in the 26-year history of Sydney’s Accor Stadium (formerly Stadium Australia). Johnston is a three-time recipient of the Ken Irvine Medal, awarded to the game’s leading try-scorer, winning the honour in 2020, 2021 and 2022. In 2022, he became the first player in Premiership history to score 30 tries in consecutive seasons.
Ken Irvine debuted as an 18-year-old in 1958 and scored his 212th try in his 234th Premiership match (including nine Finals appearances) at the age of 33. Named in the Australian Rugby League Team of the Century in 2008, Irvine reached his milestones with remarkable consistency — taking 47 matches to score his first 50 tries, 48 for his second, 56 for his third, and 67 for his fourth.
NRL CEO Andrew Abdo said Johnston’s record represented a rare and defining moment for Rugby League. "On behalf of everyone involved in our game, I congratulate Alex on an achievement that will stand the test of time," Mr Abdo said. "Ken Irvine was small in stature but a giant of Rugby League — one of the greatest wingers the game has ever known. His try-scoring record stood for more than half a century and was considered by many to be untouchable. That makes Alex's achievement truly extraordinary. He is one of the finest finishers we’ve ever seen, and it is fitting that he now stands alone as the Premiership’s greatest try-scorer."
Then fresh off breaking Ken Irvine's mark on Friday night, Johnston on Monday had a statue of him unveiled at Rabbitohs headquarters at Heffron Park. Made in Thailand three years ago with the financial backing of Souths supporter Danny Taibel, the life-sized monument has sat in storage until today.
Johnston admitted on Monday breaking Irvine's mark of 212 tries had been on his mind since the end of 2022, before an achilles injury in 2024 threatened his shot. The 31-year-old gave the statue the tick of approval, while joking he would now become a victim of birds outside Heffron Park. "The majority of my footy career has been overwhelmingly positive, but along the way a few fans have shit on me," Johnston quipped. "There have been a few coaches who have shit on me, the media has shit on me – now the pigeons can shit on me."
Club CEO Blake Solly, meanwhile backed calls for the NRL’s leading tryscorer award to be renamed the Johnston-Irvine medal, as an evolution from the Ken Irvine Medal, which Johnston has won four times. "The medal is named after Ken because he had the record and his contribution to the game. Now that AJ’s got the record it’s absolutely right that AJ’s there," Solly said. "We should never forget all of the great things Ken did for the game and it’s fitting that it will be named the Johnston-Irvine medal."
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