The son of Knights legend Matty Johns is in the frame to make his NRL debut against Newcastle at Gosford on Saturday following the injury to Melbourne Storm halfback Jahrome Hughes.
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Cooper Johns is one of only a few options available to coach Craig Bellamy after Hughes was ruled out with a broken hand suffered during the Storm's 22-8 win over South Sydney on Friday night.
Hughes will have surgery and is set to be sidelined for up to three weeks.
Moving skipper Cameron Smith to halfback and starting Brandon Smith at nine is an option open to Bellamy while Johns and Ryley Jacks loom as the alternatives.
Johns is yet to play in the top grade while Jacks has played 38 NRL games with both the Storm and Gold Coast, making him the favourite to get the nod.
It would be ironic if the 21-year-old Johns made his debut came against the Knights, where his father Matty and uncle Andrew made the Johns' name famous.
Bellamy told ABC radio after the win over the Rabbitohs that he would think long and hard before moving Cameron Smith.
"Obviously, we could Cameron back there and start with Brandon but we wouldn't play Cameron their the whole game," he said. "Whether we started with it or we did it a bit later in the game I'm not quite sure. I've always been hesitant to move him from dummy half where he has been the best dummy half for a long time."
"We don't want to weaken one position. We'll do what we think is best for the team."
