Magic of Johnson will be missed at Mt Smart

Shaun Johnson has been an exceptional talent for the Warriors and Kiwis.

The announcement on Monday night that the halfback will hang up his boots at the end of this season will have saddened fans – though many will acknowledge his exit is in the best interests of the team, which has this year struggled to match the highs of 2023.

It’s fitting that Johnson’s 14-year NRL career has been roughly bookended by two of the Warriors’ greatest campaigns.

He first split an opposition line open in 2011, making his debut in the same season that the Warriors made their last NRL grand final appearance (only the second in their disappointing history).

But 2023 was the year of S.J. That year, his guile and game-management – and perhaps the very last of his gas – put the Warriors on a stunning charge that fell just short in the semifinals.

That year, the Warriors forwards played with superb grit, allowing the vision and wit of Johnson to shine.

The public loved it. While Super Rugby Pacific’s relationship with fans seemed ambivalent and there was widespread dissatisfaction with Ian Foster’s reign as All Blacks coach, the Wahs were lovable and relatable. They were also brilliant.

nder new coach Andrew Webster, they played some of the best football in their history – largely error-free and clinical in the close battles; sparkling and shining when Johnson came into play.

It’s easy to forget how low the Warriors had fallen at the start of 2023.

When Covid-19 spread and global lockdowns followed, sports teams and leagues all around the world were hit hard. Entire competitions were closed down, stadiums were emptied and international travel was off the agenda.

Through 2020, 2021 and much of 2022, the Warriors based themselves in New South Wales. Players and staff were removed from their families. Lives were on hold.

By the time they ran on the field at Mt Smart to face the Wests Tigers in July 2022, 1038 days had passed since their last home game. While sports teams all around the world pointed to the impact of Covid-19 on their operations and their on-field fortunes, it can be convincingly argued that no other sports team anywhere was hit as hard by the pandemic as the Warriors.

Which made the bounceback season of 2023 all the more remarkable. And at the heart of that most stunning campaign was Johnson’s brilliance: when he ran hot, the team ran hot. When he sizzled, they were untouchable.

Johnson had a short, injury-hampered stint with the Cronulla Sharks, but he’s always been a Warrior, with a warrior soul.

Fans owe him thanks.

This article was first published on nzherald.co.nz and is republished here with permission