A series of practical jokes between players at NRL club Manly only ended when a disgusting final act on an innocent player ended the prank war for good, it has been revealed.
Matty Johns’s son Cooper played eight first-grade games for Manly in 2023 before retiring from the NRL to focus on a career in media.
While his stint with the club’s top team was relatively short, Cooper was in the inner sanctum long enough to collect some shocking anecdotes.
That included a string of pranks that players began pulling on each other – which reached a dramatic and disgusting conclusion.
The father and son were discussing the prank culture at Brookvale on the Backstage with Cooper & Matty Johns podcast.
Cooper delivered some very eye-opening revelations, including how one player who wasn’t even involved copped the worst prank of all.
Cooper Johns revealed that Josh Aloiai was one of the main culprits behind pranks at the Manly club during his time there in 2023
Former Manly Sea Eagles player Morgan Harper was also heavily involved in the series of practical jokes at the club
Jason Saab, meanwhile, was not part of the prank war at all – but somehow ended up on the receiving end of the most disgusting gag of them all
‘Morgan Harper was in the heart of it, Josh Aloiai [as well],’ Cooper said.
‘Somebody took Harps’ car tyres, the wheels off.
‘It started so subtly, someone took a weight off off their barbell in the gym, and it just gradually kept going back and forth.
‘It ended because Joshy Aloiai or Harps thought that Jason Saab was involved, when he wasn’t – Saaby had nothing to do [with it].
‘He had just bought this beautiful new designer white T-shirt and it was hanging in his locker.’
This is where those with weak stomachs should probably stop reading.
‘I don’t know who did it, but they took it outside and smeared dog s**t all over it,’ Cooper said.
It gets worse.
Cooper Johns could barely contain his laughter while telling the story of the prank war and how it all eventually ended
‘And he put it on, cause they did it on the back,’ Cooper revealed.
‘So he’s put it on and there’s dog s**t on the back.
‘So he was walking around, somebody had to say “Saaby, you’ve got s**t on your shirt”.
‘I’ll never forget that. And Saaby had no involvement in the war at all.’
Cooper has has built a reputation as one of rugby league’s most mischievous pranksters, often targeting his father.
In a memorable radio gag with Kyle and Jackie O, Cooper convinced Matty that he had shoved Melbourne Storm coach Craig Bellamy during a heated training session, leaving his father visibly rattled before the hoax was revealed.
Another elaborate stunt involved Cooper suggesting on-air that former NRL star Kurt Gidley might be his real father, pushing Matty to the brink before the truth was unveiled.
Beyond radio antics, Cooper has orchestrated hidden camera pranks, such as one where he used a baby monitor to tempt Melbourne Storm teammates with an irresistible treat, capturing their reactions on video.
In a memorable radio prank, Cooper tricked Matty into thinking he shoved Melbourne Storm coach Craig Bellamy at training
Many of Cooper’s pranks and stunts in the media have been at the expense of his famous father Matty Johns
In another instance, he placed a $50 note in a tempting spot to observe how teammates would react.
They haven’t always been met with humour, though.
When Cooper Johns brought out an inflatable bat in Vegas this year in reference to Canberra players fighting just before their season-opening match, the players involved took a dim view.
Raiders second-rower Hudson Young agreed to do a red carpet interview with Cooper, on the proviso they did not talk about his scuffle with Morgan Smithies in an elevator at the team’s hotel.
However, Cooper launched straight into talking about that incident while brandishing the inflatable bat.
‘What’s this?’ Young asked.
‘It’s an inflatable bat. Good to go?’ Johns asked his camera operator, before turning to Young and saying, ‘Mate, so who won in the elevator fight?’
Young immediately replied: ‘Ah, I don’t know what you’re talking about, mate.’
This article was originally published by a www.dailymail.co.uk . Read the Original article here. .