Thousands of fans ran onto the field when Johnston broke the try-scoring record. The PM and I were two of them

Lucky the lifts at Allianz Stadium were quick on this occasion.

With the second half of the Roosters and Rabbitohs clash about to get under way, a few hundred others and I had the same bright idea: race down to the north-west corner of the ground to catch a potential glimpse of Alex Johnston’s record-breaking try.

Up high in the media centre would have offered a magnificent view, but down on the ground with the punters felt like the preferred vantage point – if it even happened.

As I barged out of the lifts, teenagers sprinted past security, clearly holding the wrong type of ticket for that area. At the same time, James Tedesco kicked off to begin the half.

Moments later, I’m somehow standing on the field with thousands of exuberant fans, within touching distance of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who is swinging a Rabbitohs scarf around his head like it’s the first Sunday of October in 2014.

The moment Johnston dotted the ball down at the Paddington end of the stadium, just 38 seconds into the half, I had to jump in the air to catch a glimpse as a tsunami of fans surged towards the playing arena.

There wasn’t time to scan the scene and see who would break first. Ironically, a Roosters supporter was the first to lay a hand on Johnston, prompting a flurry of supporters onto the field. He took one for the team as the black gates were flung open and all hell broke loose.

“I was in the second row and as he put the ball down, I jumped over,” the fan, who politely asked to remain anonymous for fear of a fine or ban, told me once the mayhem subsided.

“It didn’t matter what jersey I had on. I was always running on.

“I’m lucky he [the security guard] was eventually fine with it. Otherwise, I might have been in strife.”

With ‘DO NOT ENTER THE FIELD OF PLAY’ flashing across the big screen – alongside threats of arrests, $5500 fines and bans of up to 24 months – it didn’t take much courage for yours truly to follow the leader onto the hallowed turf, past countless empty VB, Canadian Club and Jim Beam cans.

It was single file and more orderly than you might have expected as Souths players were ushered towards the tunnel for safety. Police weren’t heavy-handed and, at least initially, made no attempt to kill the party.

Fans appeared to adopt one of two strategies: flock towards Johnston or simply soak it in, running around like a dog whose owners haven’t let it into the backyard for a month.

The cheapest tickets at footy games are often near the posts and, for once, they proved excellent value for money as kids pocketed a memory that will last a lifetime.

Opportunistic supporters then turned their attention to the corner post as a potential souvenir, though one security guard guarded it with his life. There were the odd idiots making a nuisance of themselves, but overall, behaviour was good.

One fan handed his phone to a mate and asked a female police officer: “Can you pretend like I’m being arrested?” She saw the funny side.

At one point, there was a brief stampede as fans suddenly bolted back towards the stands. Someone thought a police horse had made its way onto the field, though it may have simply been the fear of the big screen reminding everyone of fines worth roughly 550 cans of Allianz Stadium beer.

The only person seemingly drawing more attention than Souths’ players was Albanese, who was spotted power-walking towards the tunnel with personal security and minders as Channel Nine reporter Nicole Dunn grabbed a quick quote.

Billy Slater, the game’s third most prolific try-scorer, asked Albanese on Nine’s coverage whether he might cop a fine for going on the field.

“Oh well,” Albanese said with a laugh. “It was worth it to be part of history.”

For 16 glorious minutes, Johnston was the centre of the rugby league universe, just a few hundred metres from where Lance Franklin kicked his 1000th AFL goal at the SCG 1449 days ago.

For all the naysayers who said before the game that it was a bad idea, ask them now what they thought.

The odd supporter who didn’t comply was eventually grabbed by security and given a firm talking-to, but credit must go to venue staff, police and security for an orderly celebration. It ended with rubbish collection and a field inspection that ensured play could safely resume.

“We always knew it was going to be special,” said the Roosters fan. “It was incredible being that close to the players. They all knew it was special.”

For a player who has quietly gone about his business for more than a decade, Johnston finally got a moment few players ever get. Fans hugged strangers, and parents hoisted kids onto their shoulders on a night where a South Sydney favourite made history and rugby league got a moment to cherish.

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