Parker slams Bennett's ego over Johnston try record

Corey Parker has criticised his former coach Wayne Bennett for not seeing the bigger picture after watching the scenes from Alex Johnston’s record-breaking try.

Against their rivals in the Roosters on Friday night, the South Sydney winger became the NRL’s greatest try scorer, having scored his 213th try to surpass Ken Irvine.

With that, thousands of fans, including Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, would enter onto the Allianz Stadium field to celebrate the achievement with Johnston, which will live long in the memory of all Rugby League fans.

While there was plenty of debate as to whether fans should be allowed on, Parker thought that the moment was made far better by the celebrations.

“The major dominating talking point last week was around if Alex Johnston breaks Ken Irvine's record that has stood for so long, what was going to happen?” he asked on SENQ Breakfast.

“Off the back of that, everyone had their opinion, and everyone wanted (to) chime in and that's completely fine.

“Now, the way that it all unfolded at Allianz Stadium, (it) could not have happened any better.

“The euphoria that was going on at the ground. The people that were invested from either watching it on a phone, at home or at the pub was second to none.

“For Alex Johnston to catch that ball and score the way he did. I think, could not have happened any better.”

While Parker was glad fans ignored the NRL this time, one of the biggest proponents of having fans run onto the field was Bennett.

Throughout the week, the 76-year-old continued to voice his concerns, believing it was disrespectful to the game.

That would continue after seeing the moment unfold with Bennett calling it ‘pretty disruptive’ in the press conference following their 26-18 loss.

This saw Parker take aim at the Rabbitohs coach for his reluctance to celebrate the achievement publicly.

“Wayne has seen that much football, he has been a part of the game for an eternity,” he continued.

“I understand you want to win the game; I get it. But let's look at the bigger picture.

“He had an opportunity there, Wayne, in my opinion, to really celebrate the moment that had just happened.

“Now if they had won the game, could you imagine what would be said and how he would be approaching it?

“It's Round 2 of 24 games. I understand you want to win every game.

“But let's park the ego in the pocket and provide that moment what it deserves.

“Because if I'm Alex Johnston and I'm sitting there next to Wayne, he has taken every bit of air out of the balloon that was, and yes, they didn't win.

“But let's just acknowledge it for what it is.”

“In five, 10, 15, 20 years' time, the people, the young kids that are there, that ran onto the field, they'll remember that moment.

“We will use this moment for years and years and years to come, those scenes, and then to have Wayne just take the air out of the balloon.

“I just found (he) could have been better in that, in that instance.”