Alex Johnston is now rugby league’s top try scorer after scoring twice for South Sydney in a dramatic Friday night game against the Sydney Roosters.
The Rabbitohs winger went into the match with 211 career tries. He matched Ken Irvine’s long standing record of 212 before half time then broke it early in the second half to set a new mark of 213.
The record came after Latrell Mitchell broke through the middle and found Johnston backing him up. Johnston ran away to score at Sydney Football Stadium, sparking scenes rarely seen in a regular season game.
The record had stood for 53 years, making Friday night one of the biggest individual moments the sport has seen.
Thousands of fans ran onto the field after the try, despite warnings on the big screen about fines and bans. The game was stopped before play started again.
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Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, a long time Rabbitohs supporter was among the sold out crowd as Johnston’s teammates and fans celebrated a player whose finishing has shaped South Sydney’s attack for more than a decade.
The Roosters spoiled the celebration with a 26 to 18 victory but Johnston’s place in the game was already secure. At 31, he has built the record during a career spent entirely with the Rabbitohs since his debut in 2014.
Official NRL records show he had played 244 first grade games before Friday’s match and scored 15 tries in 16 appearances last season as he pushed back towards Irvine’s mark.
That late run was important. Johnston’s chase looked less certain after an Achilles injury in 2024 but he came back strongly in 2025 and carried that form into the new season.
A product of La Perouse, he is already South Sydney’s leading try scorer and has also represented Australia, Papua New Guinea and the Indigenous All Stars.
Now he holds one of the biggest records in Australian sport and with time still left in his career, the total could rise well beyond 213.
