Shaun Johnson is currently in his second stint with the Warriors. Photo / Photosport
Shaun Johnson is currently in his second stint with the Warriors. Photo / Photosport
With Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad returning for his second stint with the Warriors, Christopher Reive looks at five other Warriors who had multiple stints with the club.
Thomas Leuluai
Thomas Leuluai's second stint with the club was derailed by injuries. Photo / Photosport
First stint: 2003-04. Second stint: 2013-16. Games: 85 Tries: 12
Leuluai is one of several examples of players struggling for opportunities with the first-gradeside early in their careers before coming back and holding down a significant place in the team during their second stint. In saying that, he found himself playing at five-eighth in the playoffs in his first season with the club in 2003, before having sporadic appearances in 2004 – most of which were off the bench.
He spent the following eight seasons plying his trade in England, before returning to the Warriors for four seasons from 2013. Leuluai was the starting five-eighth upon his return, but his second stint was marred by injuries. He featured in every game in his return season as the Warriors finished outside the top eight with an 11-13 record, but that was the last year he was able to play every match. He went back to England upon the conclusion of the 2016 campaign.
Logan Swann
Logan Swann has played in five of the club's eight playoff series'. Photo / Photosport
First stint: 1997-2003. Second stint: 2007-08. Games: 195 Tries: 36
A versatile second-rower, Swann is among the Warriors' most-capped players. Swann initially made his mark with the reserve grade team in 1996 – earning a call up for the Kiwis before ever setting pulling on a first-grade jersey. He would make his first-grade debut in 1997 and was a mainstay of the Warriors outfit until leaving after the 2003 season. Like Jones, Swann was a vital cog in the team's three straight trips to the playoffs from 2001-03, and got right back to work on his return.
Making his way back to the club in 2007 after a stint in England, Swann played a further 49 matches for the Warriors in 2007-08. Across his two stints with the club, Swann featured in five of the eight trips the Warriors have taken to the playoffs in club history – and those were his last five seasons in Warriors colours.
Nigel Vagana
Nigel Vagana was a try-scoring machine for the Warriors between 1998-2000. Photo / Photosport
First stint: 1996. Second stint: 1998-2000. Games: 71 Tries: 37
It seems strange to look back on now, but Nigel Vagana played just one game in his first stint with the Warriors. A wing or centre by trade, in 1996 he made his debut for the Warriors – being used in the unfamiliar position of fullback. He didn't play well, and was not selected again by coach John Monie. He left the club to join the Warrington Wolves in the English Super League in 1997, and was the leading try-scorer in the competition.
That was enough of a display to be lured back to the Frank Endacott-coached Warriors in 1998 and he impressed immediately upon his return to the Australian competition. Vagana was the club's leading try-scorer in both 1998 and 2000, and second behind Stacey Jones in 1999.
However, his time with the Warriors came to a final end at the conclusion of the 2000 season, as he joined the Canterbury Bulldogs for 2001 and played the final 169 games of his career across the Tasman with the Bulldogs, Cronulla Sharks and South Sydney Rabbitohs.
Shaun Johnson
Shaun Johnson is currently in his second stint with the Warriors. Photo / Photosport
First stint: 2011-18. Second stint: 2022- Games: 176 Tries: 64
The most obvious name on the list, Johnson shot to super stardom in his first stint with the club, before a highly publicised exit at the end of the 2018 season. With his dazzling footwork, speed and ability to play a controlled chaos brand of football, Johnson was a player fans would tune in to watch during his first stint with the club from 2011-18. Getting his first start midway through the 2011 season, Johnson quickly made his mark and earned the knock-off nickname of 'Magic Johnson' from commentators as he was a big part of the team's run to the Grand Final. That was one of two playoff appearances for him with the Warriors – the other coming in the final season of his first stint.
After his exit, there were always a contingent of Warriors fans who hoped he might one day return to the club, and that time came this year. Now 14 games into his second stint with the club, his return has been a mixed bag and he's had plenty of critics, but he has also been the match-winner on more than one occasion for the struggling team.
Stacey Jones
Stacey Jones' second stint with the club lasted just one season. Photo / Photosport
First stint: 1995-2005. Second stint: 2009. Games: 261 Tries: 77
When you think of club legends, Stacey Jones is one of the names at the top of the list. A member of the club's inaugural campaign in 1995, Jones' talent on the pitch is well known. Nicknamed the Little General because of his attacking prowess, and his vision and ability to lead his team around the park, Jones stuck with the club for 11 seasons from 1995 to 2005 despite the club not achieving fantastic results early in his tenure, and played a key role in their three-straight finals appearances in 2001-03.
After departing for England at the end of the 2005 season, Jones returned to the Warriors in 2008 as the team's kicking coach, before signing a one-year deal to return as a player for the 2009 season. His return was fleeting, however. He played 23 games in the 2009 season, but decided not to return in 2010, bringing the curtain down on his playing career.
