Johnston played for the Randwick Kingfishers club in the Wellington Rugby League competition.
[6] Johnston was subsequently named in the Kiwis squad for the tour of Great Britain that year.
[7] In 1994, with the launch of the Lion Red Cup, Johnston joined the Hutt Valley Firehawks.
He remained with them for the three years of the competition and in 1996 was named in a New Zealand Residents team that played the touring Great Britain side.
[10] In 1997 Johnston again played for Wellington and was part of the Upper Hutt Tigers side that won the Appleton Shield.