Former NRL star Cooper Johns mocks Melbourne Storm halfback Jahrome Hughes for his highbrow alcohol preference – ‘laughed in his face’

Cooper Johns and Jahrome Hughes were once teammates at the Melbourne Storm – but that didn’t stop the KIIS FM radio identity from mocking the decorated halfback for his highbrow alcohol choice.

Speaking on the Johns Family podcast this week, Cooper set the scene from a recent night out in Townsville in far north Queensland.  

‘The Storm boys headed to (notorious local pub) the Mad Cow after beating the Cowboys,’ Johns said.

‘Everyone was having a good time, ordering drinks.

‘(At the moment) Jahrome has a bet going with (teammate) Cameron Munster on who can’t drink the longest, I think there is a grand ($1000) on the line.

‘There is an exception, Hughesy can have a bottle of red (when on a night out) on occasion.

‘He calls himself Red Wine Rome, Jahrome is convinced he plays well if he has a little bit of red wine (in the lead-up and after NRL games.)

‘Anyway, we were at the Mad Cow, and Jahrome goes up to the bar and asks the lady: ‘what bottles of red do you have?

Jahrome Hughes asked what red wine the Mad Cow served – and the response left him mortified (pictured, in action against the Cowboys)

‘She looked at him and said: ‘this is the Mad Cow….we don’t have red.

‘Then she laughed in his face….and then so did all his teammates.’

Johns – who was in Townsville visiting other footy players as well as the Storm squad – added that a red-faced Hughes was ‘filthy’, and then didn’t touch a drop of alcohol for the rest of the night. 

Meanwhile, Hughes will be a key figure on Saturday afternoon when Newcastle host Melbourne at McDonald Jones Stadium.

The Storm will be without Cameron Munster – who attended his dad’s funeral this week – while fellow Queensland Origin hero Harry Grant is likely to be rested. 

NSW Blues prop Stefano Utoikamanu will back up for Craig Bellamy’s team.