Shaun Johnson could be a shock inclusion in the Kiwis squad to face Australia and Tonga next month in the Pacific Championships.
While it is a remote possibility, it’s not completely out of the question, with Kiwis coach Stacey Jones revealing he was considering an SOS to the retired Warriorsstar, who bowed out of the NRL two weeks ago.
“I have spoken to Shaun, I said if we get any more injuries would you consider?” Jones told Jason Pine on Newstalk ZB. “I haven’t ruled it out – he hasn’t ruled it out.”
Jones has a mounting list of casualties in the playmaking positions, with incumbent five eighth Dylan Brown slated for off-season surgery, after suffering a knee injury in the final round of regular season matches for Parramatta late last month.
“Kieran had ankle surgery [on Friday] so he won’t be there,” said Jones.
Melbourne Storm halfback Jahrome Hughes, who was the standout in the 2023 tournament, is a certainty. The 29-year-old has become one of the Kiwis’ most important players in the last few years, though he’ll need to come through the gruelling NRL finals series unscathed.
Versatile Dolphins playmaker Kodi Nikorima is also a playmaking option, with his ability to cover hooker or either role in the halves.
It would be a big call – especially for Johnson – but the possibility of one last international campaign could be tempting.
“It’s a bit of a long shot,” admitted Jones. “I know where Shaun is at and I’m not going to put a huge amount of pressure on him but I have just told Shaun, ‘I know where you are at and I know where you sit in my mind’.”
Johnson last played for his country in October 2019, scoring a try in the 23-8 win over Great Britain in Christchurch. The Kiwis didn’t take the field at all in 2020 and 2021, due to the restrictions imposed by the Covid pandemic.
Kiwis coach Stacey Jones. Photo / Sylvie Whinray
In 2022 Johnson was overlooked for the mid-year test against Tonga, then missed the cut for the World Cup in England after a mixed first season back at the Warriors.
Johnson then enjoyed a renaissance last year – with some of the best form of his career – but was unavailable for the 2023 Pacific Championships campaign, after dealing with injuries in the latter stages of the Warriors’ run to the preliminary final.
He made his Kiwis debut in the 2012 Anzac test and accumulated 32 internationals. Johnson was part of the run of three successive wins over the Kangaroos in 2014-2015 – which included the 2014 Four Nations triumph – along with the Mt Smart transtasman victory in 2018, while his famous last-minute intervention against England at Wembley took the Kiwis into the 2013 World Cup final.
Jones will name his initial 30-player squad at the end of the month, before the final 21-man list in the week after the NRL grand final. Joseph Manu (Japanese rugby) will be a notable absentee, along with Brown, Foran and Brandon Smith (knee injury).
Of the possible Warriors who could represent their country, Jones confirmed that Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad and Marata Niukore are in the frame, though there may be others, including new recruit Erin Clark.
Michael Burgess has been a sports journalist since 2005, winning several national awards and covering Olympics, Fifa World Cups and America’s Cup campaigns. He has also reported on the Warriors and NRL for more than a decade.
