Fresh-faced Kiwis squad gives a clear indication that Maguire has decided to look to the future.
Warriors halfback Shaun Johnson has dismissed stinging criticism of his form in the NRL finals and says he feels no added pressure to perform for the understrength Kiwis in next Saturday's trans-Tasman test against the Kangaroos.
The 28-year-old enjoyed his best season since 2015 in helping the Warriors through totheir first playoff appearance in seven years, but wore the brunt of the blame for the side's 27-12 qualifying final defeat to Penrith last month.
The pressure will again be on him to spark the Kiwis' attack when they face the World Champions at Mt Smart Stadium, and on their end of year tour of England, but Johnson is relaxed ahead of his first test outing since last year's failed World Cup campaign.
"I don't feel any added pressure. I feel like that's something I want to do," said Johnson.
"It's not like 'oh, you're going to have to do it now'. I want to do that.
"It's important that not just myself but every player has that same intention and I'm sure that will be the case. So it's not [something I] need to [do], it's definitely [something I] want to [do]."
With the side going through a changing of the guard following the international retirement of several players including Simon Mannering, and the likes of Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, Issac Luke, Tohu Harris and Kieran Foran unavailable through injury, Johnson is among the Kiwis' most experienced campaigners with 25 tests to his name.
Together with former captains Adam Blair (45 tests) and Jesse Bromwich (24), and Sydney Roosters front-rower Jared Waerea-Hargreaves (24), he is a frontrunner to lead the Kiwis, with coach Michael Maguire due to appoint his skipper in the coming days.
"It's not something that I've even thought about," he said.
"I'll get in there and play my usual role. I'll lead with my actions and voice and make sure that boys are feeling comfortable.
"It would be a massive honour for anyone to captain their country but at this stage it's not in my mind at all."
The upcoming tests present another opportunity for Johnson to silence his doubters, who grew louder in voice following the Warriors' limp playoff exit.
Shaun Johnson says he feels no added pressure to perform for the Kiwis in next Saturday's trans-Tasman test against the Kangaroos. Photo / Getty
He admits to being below his best against the Panthers but believes it is wrong to single out individuals for praise or blame in victory or defeat.
"It was people who have no idea rambling on again," he said of the criticism. "I'm not saying I had the best game of my career, no doubt about it [I didn't].
"I know if we win, it's a team sport. People try to pin good performances on me, it's never that case when we win.
"We're all responsible for what happened that night and people are going to say what they want but ultimately it's in the past now."
Wearing the No 7 on his back and being the club's highest paid player means he will always be a target, but Johnson says the only opinions that hold weight are those of his teammates.
"When you're the halfback of a team and the team doesn't perform you're always going to be in the firing line. So it's nothing new.
"If I'm getting blamed by my teammates, that's a bit different. But if it's just Joe Bloggs in the public who has never laced up a pair of boots, it is what it is. I'm here for the Kiwis now and really excited."
Maguire insists he won't be relying on Johnson to carry the side and says it's up to the other players around him to help make his job easier.
"I don't think there is [more pressure]. It's about [Shaun] just doing his role," said Maguire.
"We'll have a very basic style of play that we're trying to build and Shaun's going to be a big part of that but everyone else needs to play their part as well."
New Kiwis assistant coach Stacey Jones sympathises with Johnson's predicament but believes he needs to rise to the challenge of being the side's main playmaker and lead the way for young halves Kodi Nikorima and Jahrome Hughes.
As an assistant to Warriors head coach Stephen Kearney, Jones says there will be greater responsibility on Johnson to steer the Kiwis around the field, but says he has already proved he can handle that role.
"There's always pressure on Shaun. But this is an opportunity for him to step up and look at some of the young kids that are coming up underneath him," said Jones.
"We know that when he played well for the Warriors he was getting his hands on the ball and running and getting tackled.
"We're going to need him to control the game more than what he did at the Warriors, where he had Blake Green as more of the controlling half.
"We know that Shaun can do that. When Blake wasn't there he stepped up and played some really good football. So hopefully that's what we'll see from him."
