Sex scandal haunts Johns

Former NRL star and rugby league television personality Matthew Johns has been forced to respond to an allegation of sexual misconduct while he was a player with Cronulla seven years ago.

Several Sharks players were investigated for sexual assault and cleared by police during an away trip to New Zealand in 2002, the Nine Network reported yesterday.

It said the woman at the centre of the allegations would speak publicly about them on the ABC's Four Corners programme.

"It took us a long time to get through it and it pains me that they have to go through it again," Johns said.