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The Newcastle Knights have agreed to pay out the remainder of Andrew Johns' contract following the star halfback's sudden retirement due to a neck injury.
Johns has been forced to pull the pin on his career effective immediately after medical advice that playing on could result in serious damage.
Johns is paid $500,000 a year by the Knights and the club has confirmed it will honour the contract in full despite his exit after just four rounds.
The tributes are flowing in for Johns with Australian Prime Minister John Howard saying he should be named as an immortal of the game.
NRL boss David Gallop agrees, saying Johns has a place alongside Clive Churchill, Johnny Raper, Reg Gasnier, Graeme Langlands, Bob Fulton, Wally Lewis and Arthur Beetson.
He says over the next hundred years there will be a few people who will feature in debates about who was the best and Johns will be among them.pepeAn upset Stacey Jones is supporting Andrew Johns' decision to retire.
Jones says his long time Aussie rival is certainly the best he has ever played against.
He says it is very sad news for everyone in rugby league, but it is better that this decision be made, rather than Johns'; regretting the consequences further down the track.
NRL boss David Gallop says Johns will have plenty of options after football.
He is expected to follow brother Matthew into a full-time career with Channel Nine.
- NEWSTALK ZB
