Johnston politely declines try-scorer award rename
Alex Johnston may have broken Ken Irvine's long-standing NRL try-scoring record this season, but the South Sydney winger has made it clear he does not want any awards named after him while he is still playing.
The 31-year-old crossed for his 213th career try in March, surpassing Irvine's mark of 212 which had stood since 1973. He now sits on 240 tries, with a statue already erected in his honour outside the Rabbitohs' high-performance centre in Maroubra.
What did Johnston say about the Irvine-Johnston Medal proposal?
Penrith winger Tom Jenkins suggested this week that the NRL's annual top try-scorer award should be renamed the Irvine-Johnston Medal, recognising both players' achievements. Johnston was gracious but firm in his response.
Maybe not while I'm still playing. Maybe it's something that when it's all said and done it would be nice to leave a legacy like that.
The Papua New Guinean international has at least two more seasons remaining, having signed with the incoming Chiefs franchise for 2028.
How did the 2026 try-scoring race unfold?
Johnston and Jenkins finished the club season level on 30 tries, with both clubs progressing to the finals. South Sydney face Newcastle in Friday's elimination final, while Penrith meet the Sydney Roosters on Sunday in the second qualifying final.
Heading into the final round, Johnston held a slender 29-28 lead. He added another try in Souths' 50-20 win over the Roosters, before Jenkins scored twice in Penrith's 38-10 victory over Wests Tigers two days later.
Penrith fullback Dylan Edwards could have handed Jenkins an outright lead of 31 tries when he scored in the clear late in that match, but chose not to pass.
Johnston noted the parallel with a similar moment in 2020, when Corey Allan passed to him in the clear against the Roosters, allowing Johnston to move ahead of Cowboys winger Kyle Feldt for the season lead.
What does this mean for Johnston's legacy?
This marks the fourth time Johnston has won the Ken Irvine Medal for most tries in a season, having previously claimed it in 2020, 2021 and 2022. It is also the third time he has reached 30 tries in a season.
That milestone has historically been a good omen for South Sydney's finals campaigns. In 2021 the Rabbitohs reached the grand final before losing to Penrith, and in 2022 they advanced to the semi-finals before falling to Cronulla.
Since 1908, there have been 12 occasions where two players shared the top try-scorer award, and three instances where three players finished level at the top.
What did Johnston say about Jenkins?
Despite the competitive nature of the race, Johnston spoke warmly of his rival.
I really like 'Milky' as a player - he's got some big years ahead of him as he's got all the attributes you need to score good tries.
Johnston also reflected on the unusual dynamic of the chase, saying he never intended to turn the season into a personal duel.
It's funny because I didn't really want it to be a race. I just wanted to do my job of scoring tries, I was happy with that. He had such a good start to the year but lucky enough I was able to keep racking up the four-pointers and get closer and closer to him by the end of the season.