Albert Johnston (rugby league)

Infobox rugby league biography
playername = Albert "Rick " Johnston
fullname = Albert V. Johnston
nickname = Ricketty


caption =
country =
position = Centre
currentclub =
dateofbirth = 10 May, 1892
placeofbirth =
countryofbirth =
dateofdeath = 15 May, 1961
height =
weight =
club1 = Balmain Tigers
year1start = 1912
year1end = 1917
appearances1 = 77
tries1 =
goals1 =
fieldgoals1 =
points1 = 21
club2 = Western Suburbs
year2start = 1918
year2end =
appearances2 = 14
tries2 =
goals2 =
fieldgoals2 =
points2 = 6
club3 = Newtown Bluebags
year3start = 1919
year3end = 1920
appearances3 = 22
tries3 =
goals3 =
fieldgoals3 =
points3 = 6
club4 = St George Dragons
year4start = 1921
year4end = 1922
appearances4 = 9
tries4 =
goals4 =
fieldgoals4 =
points4 = 0
teamA = New South Wales
yearAstart = 1913
yearAend = 1922
appearancesA = 6
triesA =
goalsA =
fieldgoalsA =
pointsA = 6
teamB = Australia
yearBstart = 1919
yearBend = 1922
appearancesB = 8
triesB =
goalsB =
fieldgoalsB =
pointsB = 6
coachteam1 = Newtown Bluebags
coachyear1start = 1923,25,26
coachyear1end =
coachgames1 =
coachwin%1 =
coachpremierships1 =
coachteam2 = Western Suburbs
coachyear2start = 1924
coachyear2end =
coachgames2 =
coachwin%2 =
coachpremierships2 =
coachteam3 = St George Dragons
coachyear3start = 1933
coachyear3end = 1935
coachgames3 =
coachwin%3 =
coachpremierships3 =
updated =
source =
new = yes

Albert "Rick" Johnston (1892 - 1961) was a pioneering Australian rugby league footballer and coach of the of the 1910s, 20s and 30s. He was a three-quarter for the Australian national team and played in eight Tests between 1919 and 1922, two as captain.

Club career

He grew up in Balmain, Sydney and started playing rugby league at a junior level when the game commenced in Australia in 1908.

In 1911 he made his first grade debut with the Balmain Tigers at half-back. Following Arthur Halloway's move to the Tigers in 1915, Johnston moved to five-eighth and their strong halves partnership was one of factors enabling Balmain to three consecutive premiership titles from 1915 to 1917.

He joined Wests for the 1918 season, then spent two years as captain-coach at Newtown 1919-20.

Following his Australian representative appearances in 1920 the admission of the St George Dragons meant that Johnston being a local resident had to play with the club, which he did for his final two club seasons of 1921 and 1922.

Representative career

In 1912 he was selected in a Sydney Metropolis side. In 1913 he was in a New South Wales touring squad to New Zealand as half-back but was kept out of the major matches by the form of his peer Halloway.

He captained New South Wales in some 1918 games and then made his Australian Test debut in 1919 on Australia's tour of New Zealand. He scored a try on debut assisting Australia to a 44-21 victory. With tour captain Halloway unfit for the 3rd Test Johnston led the side to a series victory in Auckland in the process becoming Australia's 11th Kangaroo captain.

In 1920 Johnston was chosen for the first Test of the domestic Ashes series. He captained the side to an 8-4 victory over England. Herb Gilbert took over as captain for the 2nd and 3rd Tests but Johnston's continued successful halves pairing with Queensland Duncan Thompson set a platform for the talented backline featuring Harold Horder, Dick Vest and Gilbert and Australia won the series and the Ashes for the first time on home soil.

Johnston did not captain Australia again. He appeared for New South Wales through till 1922 and toured with the 1921-22 Kangaroos playing in the 1st Test and in 11 tour matches.

Post playing

He coached Newtown in 1923, 1925 and 1926 and Wests in 1924. He coached St George in 1933-35 taking the club to their first premiership final.

He was a state selector from 1938 and state coach from 1939 to 1946. He was a national selector in 1946 and coach of the national side for the 1946 first post-WWII Anglo-Australian series.

ources & Footnotes

* Whiticker, Alan (2004) "Captaining the Kangaroos", New Holland, Sydney