Joey jumps to the Eels

Andrew Johns is set to become a coaching assistant at Parramatta for the 2008 NRL season. Eels coach Michael Hagan yesterday confirmed he has spoken with Johns about coaching Parramatta's halves regularly and the rugby league legend was keen, pending details being sorted out.

"It's something Andrew wants to do and he would be very helpful to our first grade halves Tim Smith and Brett Finch and young players like Kris Keating," said good friend Hagan, who coached Johns for much of his career at Newcastle.

Johns retired early this year because of a recurring neck injury which could have left him seriously impaired if it were aggravated. He retired as a player rated by many as the best in the game's history. But that rating was sullied when Johns recently admitted to a long-term dependence on amphetamines.

The Australian Rugby Union sacked him from an intended role as a coaching consultant during the Wallabies' World Cup campaign in France. Hagan said the Parramatta involvement could be therapeutic for Johns.

"It's something he needs to get his teeth into; it will be good for him and good for Parramatta," said Hagan, who attended Johns's wedding last Saturday.

The coach said Parramatta would start full-time training for the 2008 season next week and he hoped Johns could start his new role in December. Hagan said former champion Canterbury goalkicker Daryl Halligan had also been signed to a two-year contract as a consultant.

"Daryl was a great benefit to our kickers Luke Burt, Krisnan Inu and Jarryd Hayne this season," he said.

Meanwhile, the silly season has already started with speculation about where young superstars Inu and Hayne will be in 2009 after coming off contract next season.

Parramatta's difficulty will be fitting them both under the salary cap and Hayne has been linked with South Sydney, for whom his father Manoa Thompson played.