A mass pitch invasion brought a halt to this morning’s NRL clash between Sydney Roosters and South Sydney Rabbitohs, with history being made.
Shortly after the interval at the Allianz Stadium, Alex Johnston touched down for his second try of the game against the Roosters and what followed was pure pandemonium.
The try not only gave Souths the opportunity to pull level in the game, through the boot of Latrell Mitchell, but it also saw Johnston break the all-time NRL try scoring record.
The effort, which came following a break from Mitchell, who set Johnston away down the left edge, was the winger’s 213th in the NRL and that saw him surpass the late, great Ken Irvine as the greatest finisher in the Australian game since records began in 1908.
Johnston was immediately mobbed by his teammates, who recognised the moment and the feat, but they were soon joined by fans of both sides, who spilled onto the playing surface at the Allianz to celebrate and congratulate the winger.
Thousands of supporters left their seats to enter the pitch, producing some remarkable pictures for Fox Sports to broadcast.
Ultimately, the players were forced to leave the field and head down the tunnel to regroup while those fans left the field and returned to their seats, with play being brought to a halt for more than 15 minutes.
HISTORY MADE 👏 pic.twitter.com/U8FC4oztYg
— NRL (@NRL) March 13, 2026
“I love it,” Adam Reynolds, Johnston’s former Souths teammate, said on the broadcast. “I’m so proud of AJ and everything he’s accomplished.
“I know this will be a big moment for him and his family and he’s worked extremely hard as a Souths junior to get to where he is. I played some part in his career and set up his first try. Magical scenes out there but player safety has to be first and foremost.”
🐐 #AirTouch pic.twitter.com/bGxlegwgHT
— South Sydney Rabbitohs 🐰 (@SSFCRABBITOHS) March 13, 2026
Cooper Cronk added: “That is the greatest moment in our game’s history for a long period of time. Since 1969 Ken Irvine has held the record, that’s 57 years. Alex Johnston tonight has just become the greatest of all time in terms of scoring tries and those scenes of the players, family and friends, I know security is key, the scenes are unbelievable and this will be replayed for years and years.”
Johnston re-emerged for the rest of the second half, having changed his jersey to one with a golden number two on the back.
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EPIC SCENES: A night @SSFCRABBITOHS and @sydneyroosters fans and Alex Johnston will NEVER forget. WOW. What scenes pic.twitter.com/WxqeNXNSFN
— christian nicolussi (@mrchrisnico) March 13, 2026
