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Newcastle Herald
Newcastle Herald
National
Xavier Mardling

The sickie, the stalker and the signature: Tatts one seriously dedicated Joey fan

SIGNATURE ARTWORK: Amy Pepper shows off her freshly tattooed leg.

IT goes without saying that Andrew Johns has more than his fair share of admirers in the Hunter.

But it might come as a shock that the contender for Joey's No.1 fan is a born-and-bred Queenslander who's adopted the Knights, and NSW, such is her love for the eighth Immortal.

Footage of Amy Pepper has gone viral this week following the Knights' win over the Bulldogs in Magic Round at Suncorp Stadium.

As Joey was on air, the Brisbane woman dropped her pants on national television to show off a pair of tattoos of the Knights legend before chasing him down outside the stadium to get a signature.

Johns' signature - in the week he turned 48 - now sits alongside the iconic shot of him skateboarding down King St and a more serious portrait on the mother-of-one's left thigh.

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"I've got the trifecta now," Ms Pepper said from her Brisbane home.

"I got the first two tattoos done in November and December last year and I told the tattooist to leave a bit of room for when I can get him to sign my leg.

"I'm stoked, although I think Joey was a bit mortified.

"He was lost for words, he was just laughing the whole time (as he signed my leg).

"It's pretty funny how it's all turned out.

"Probably not the greatest to get seen on TV by my boss like that after chucking a sickie on the Thursday - but you're never too sick for Magic Round, right?"

Host Danika Mason told a sheepish Johns on the Sunday Footy Show: "I think you made her year. You made her life."

FAN GIRL: Amy and Joey as the Knights get off the team bus in 2004.

Ms Pepper gave special thanks to Darryl who provided her with a pair of Knights boxer shorts outside the ground so Johns' signature didn't rub off with her leather pants.

The "pedantic" morning and night washer then had to clingwrap her leg in the shower so she could get to the tattooist with the signature in tact.

Ms Pepper admitted her fiance initially wasn't happy when she got the tattoos of Johns, asking "why didn't you get one of me?"

"But as I said to him, I've loved Joey for 22 years. When I've loved you for 22 years, you'll get one, too," she said of her Cowboys-supporting partner.

"He's got 10 years to go."

Ms Pepper isn't too proud to admit she "absolutely stalked" Johns outside Suncorp Stadium.

"After being that crazy person who pulled down their pants in the stadium, I saw James Bracey and Allana Ferguson outside the ground and asked them where Joey was," she said.

"James kind of whispered to me which gate Joey usually leaves from and I just went and waited."

SEALED WITH A KISS: Amy and Joey at a charity night in Brisbane in 2017.

So, how did a Brisbane girl come to love the Knights and NSW so much?

"I always liked the Chief, Paul Harragon, and then one day all of a sudden I was watching and then there's this new guy Johns and I'm like 'hello, who are you'," she said.

"The family isn't happy that I go for the Blues, and I've had a few ham sandwiches thrown at me during State of Origin games up.

"But I love the Knights and I love the Blues.

"It's a shame (Kalyn) Ponga's a Queenslander.

"If it wasn't for COVID restrictions I would've went down to Tweed Heads to have my daughter, who now unfortunately has to be a Queenslander.

"She'll be a Knights supporter though, that's the trade-off."

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