Two former NRL stars have proposed a club call on the services of recently retired halfback Shaun Johnson following the veteran’s successful outing for New Zealand over the weekend. Johnson, who announced his retirement from rugby league at the end of the NRL season, responded to an SOS from Kiwis coach Stacey Jones to help his country one more time, 57 days after his last NRL game for the Warriors. With New Zealand’s first choice half Jahrome Hughes out injured, Johnson played well in a 22-10 Pacific Championships loss to Australia.
Watch every game of the 2024 Pacific Championships with expert analysis LIVE with no ad-breaks during play, on Kayo. New to Kayo? Start your free trial today > Regardless of the result, there is no question that Johnson still has it. He started the game a little rusty, but once he came out of his skin he had a massive impact on the match.
The 34-year-old even set up Will Warbrick in the corner with a vintage ‘SJ’ cross-field kick. This doubled with his incredible final match for the Warriors, where he orchestrated an incredible 30-28 comeback victory on the bell against the Sharks. Joel Caine and Bryan Fletcher proposed an interesting idea on SEN’s The Run Home .
The two said that NRL teams should flirt with the possibility of bringing the Auckland-born cult hero back for at least half a season. “Shaun Johnson, if you’re a rugby league club, you’re knocking on his door aren’t you? Aren’t you offering whatever he wants?” Flet.