“I could give you a real cliche answer and be like, ‘No, that’s all background noise. My focus is here’, but it does [play on my mind] 100 per cent,” Johnson admitted.
“I do a lot of work with a guy called Dan Haesler around my mental approach and blocking out or absorbing what energy is going to be beneficial to me playing well. This year in particular, I’ve had to knuckle down on it more than ever.
“So, it’s a distraction, but it’s a distraction that I’m open to. Then being able to put it aside and really narrow my focus on what’s important heading into games, that’s something that doesn’t just happen, you’ve got to put work into it, and I certainly do that.”
Johnson has been playing at the highest level of rugby league for more than a decade since making his debut in a Warriors side who were runners-up in the 2011 grand final.
Since then, he has learned to deal with external factors. During his time with the Cronulla Sharks he began working with Haesler around his mental approach to the game.
Johnson still works with Haesler, who is based in Australia, through video chat. He said the work isn’t a matter of doing so many hours each week, but rather a short, focused period to allow him to process what he needs to.
“I only need an hour at the end of the week to gather all my thoughts, all the information I’ve gathered from the week, all the external noise I’ve let in from the week and the articles and things that you see, to really narrow it and digest it and throw things out that I don’t need. It doesn’t take too much now; we’re getting pretty good at it,” Johnson said.
“I recommend it for other people, not just in sports - journalism, whatever you need. It certainly helps.”
Much like it has been for the Warriors, 2023 has been a year of resurgence for Johnson. Early in the season, the discourse around the playmaker was whether he would be retiring at the end of the campaign, given his contract was due to expire after the 2023 season.
That soon shifted to a focus on how well he was playing and, in July, he inked a new deal with the Auckland club to see him return in 2024.
Heading into the penultimate round of the season, Johnson leads the NRL in try assists – his 25 this year being a new career high. He has also hit new personal bests in tackles made, goals converted, and kicking metres, while his goal-kicking success rate of 80 per cent is second only to his 2021 season in which he played just 10 games. One successful shot at goal in Friday night’s clash with the Dragons would also see him set a new career high for points scored in a season.
“Throughout these 250 games I’ve always enjoyed proving the people that have supported me right,” Johnson said in reflection of his career to date. “I’ve never played the game out of spite for people telling me I should retire or I’m passed it and I’m washed. I don’t go out there and go, ‘I want to prove you wrong’.
“I’ve always wanted to play for my close support group that have always had that belief in me. So it’s nice to see them really enjoying these moments too where the noise around me is positive. I like seeing them happy with that.
“There’s enough there to warrant me wanting to keep pushing. I’m nowhere near where I know I can be and where I can finish the season, so that’s what I’m excited about.”
