Shaun Johnson names Johnathan Thurston as the greatest player he played against

Shaun Johnson’s career as a rugby league player has only been over for a matter of days, yet it seems he has a penchant for his new career as a podcaster.

Delivering the insight only a 14-season NRL veteran can, Johnson on his new podcast Play On Sports Show has revealed the five players he considers the greatest he came up against and one he considers the greatest of all time.

First cab off the rank would come as little surprise to Kiwi league fans in Benji Marshall. The now-head coach of the Wests Tigers carved a legacy as one of the greats of the NRL during his playing days at the same club and was honoured with entry into the Hall of Fame earlier this year.

“I’m going to start with my idol, Benji. Playing against Benji was a real trip, bro,” said Johnson.

The superstar halfback lists Darren Lockyer, Greg Inglis and Sam Burgess as other formidable foes - saying he’d have loved to have the 116kg Burgess running off his shoulder at some point during his career.

Saving the best for last, Johnson reserves “Goat” (Greatest Of All Time) status for legendary Cowboys and Bulldogs half, Jonathan Thurston.

“In my opinion, he’s the Goat... I just watched Thurston single-handedly carry the Cowboys multiple times,” he said.

He compares the Cowboys to a club like the Warriors, considered something of an outsider among some of the bigger Sydney-based clubs in the NRL and praised Thurston’s performance in the 2015 grand final that saw the Cowboys win their first and only premiership.

Thurston won a premiership earlier with the Bulldogs in 2004 and famously gifted his winner’s ring to captain Steve Price – who had missed the grand final through injury.