Aussie cricket legend Greg Chappell says Matthew and Andrew Johns’ State of Origin feud is a sham

Aussie cricket legend Greg Chappell knows what it is like to have public blues with a famous brother, but he isn’t buying the so-called fallout between footy’s famous Johns siblings. 

The ongoing dispute between the NRL‘s Matty and Andrew Johns escalated when famed halfback Andrew refused to show up for a scheduled radio appearance with Matthew on Friday morning. 

‘Joey’ Johns, 49, was expected to appear on SEN, but did not show up at the Sydney studio. 

The brothers’ recent feud started when Matthew praised Queensland’s performance in crucial moments and applauded coach Billy Slater in the lead-up to the first NSW vs Queensland game last Wedensday. 

This infuriated Andrew, a fervent Blues supporter and a member of the NSW coaching staff.

Andrew did not return calls on his birthday and has stonewalled his TV star brother ever since.

Matthew and Andrew Johns in New South Wales camp with Greg ‘Brandy’ Alexander. The two are currently not speaking because Matty dared to praise Queensland

Greg and Ian Chappell are both Australian cricket legends and also had many high-profile differences of opinion over the years

The New South Wales Blues lost the first State of Origin match in Adelaide which would have contributed to Andrew Johns crankiness

Greg had many famous blow-ups with his cricket star brother Ian and he reckons the Johns brothers are just bunging it on to generate hype for the 2023 State of Origin series. 

‘The thing about brothers is they know how to wind each other up,’ Greg told News Corp.

‘I got a phone call from Ian after Queensland won the other night and he said ‘what is it about bloody Queenslanders with their resilience and tenacity.’ He loves his rugby league but hates Queensland getting up all the time.

‘They [the Johns brothers] are in the media and here we are talking about it. They might be playing it up so good luck to them. I wouldn’t mind betting they are having a quiet chuckle in the background. They might have sucked us all in!

‘The younger brother is always on the receiving end. In the early years you haven’t got the strength or life experience to get on top but as you get older I think sometimes the younger brother needs to be more cunning to survive.’

The rivalry between Ian and Greg Chappell is well-known in the world of sports. 

Both star cricketers in their own right, they often competed for accolades and recognition throughout their careers. 

Despite their public dust ups Greg and Ian Chappell have a strong relationship, with Greg describing Ian as his hero

Matthew Johns is known for ruffling a few feathers in his long career as an NRL pundit and host of footy shows including Sunday Night with Matty Johns

Andrew Johns is one of the best New South Wales players of all time and the eighth Immortal takes State of Origin very seriously

Ian, an exceptional batsman and captain, played 75 Test matches, scoring 5345 runs at an average of 42.42, while leading Australia to numerous victories. 

Greg, also a skilled batsman and captain, featured in 87 Test matches, amassing 7110 runs at an average of 53.86, further cementing the Chappell legacy in cricket history. 

Their competitive nature extended beyond the cricket pitch, as the Chappell brothers were known to have disagreements and differing perspectives on various aspects of the game.

But Greg said at the end of the day they were always brothers and would always defend each other. 

‘Ian has always been my hero and still is’ and ‘we had our differences but if anyone criticised one of us to the other then we would stick up for each other,’ he said,

‘Ian said to me one say we were always considered very different people but we are actually a lot closer in personality than you would like to admit. That was one thing we actually agreed on.’ 

Trevor, the youngest of the Chappell cricketing brothers, had a relatively shorter Test career compared to Ian and Greg. He played in just three Test matches for Australia, scoring 160 runs at an average of 26.66.