Shaun Johnson of the Warriors during the NRL Premiership match between the Warriors and the Sharks at Go Media Mount Smart Stadium. Photo / Photosport
Shaun Johnson of the Warriors during the NRL Premiership match between the Warriors and the Sharks at Go Media Mount Smart Stadium. Photo / Photosport
Up on stage at the Warriors’ end-of-season awards function on Monday night, Shaun Johnson was almost lost for words.
He had just received the Simon Mannering Medal – for the Warriors’ player of the year – ahead of esteemed finalists Tohu Harris, Addin Fonua-Blake and Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad. Itcompleted a sweep of three big gongs for the 32-year-old, who also won the coveted Players’ Player of the Season, along with the People’s Choice award.
The final honour came just after 9.30pm. As Johnson made his way to the stage for the third time to be met by former skipper Mannering, the entire room at the Viaduct Events Centre stood in applause. That acknowledgement just added to the emotion for the halfback, off the back of a spectacular career turnaround this year.
“I’m standing up there knowing that I have to say words and I am still trying to process it all,” reflected Johnson. “Because, from where I was 12 months ago, the things that have been said about me, the things that I had felt, it’s quite surreal that I have had the year that I have had and we’ve had the year that we’ve had. It’s a night I will remember for a long time.”
It couldn’t have been scripted better for the Hibiscus Coast product. He returned to his hometown club in a blaze of publicity last year, but not much went right. Johnson struggled with being estranged from his Auckland-based family and lacked confidence and rhythm on the field, while the team endured all kinds of issues.
That left him at a low ebb in the off-season, genuinely contemplating what the future would hold. But he rebounded, helped by family, friends and, particularly, senior figures at the club.
Shaun Johnson has enjoyed a great season. Photo / Photosport
“It is just nice knowing that these people [who] believed in me get to enjoy this with me,” said Johnson. “Because they are the ones that said some words to me, that made me want to stick around and made me want to keep going. Their belief in me was always there, and ultimately, they created an environment that made me fall in love with the game again.
As exclusively reported by the Herald in April, a call coach Andrew Webster made to Johnson last August was pivotal. The details of the conversation have remained mostly private, but Webster was determined that Johnson would have a clean slate. He wanted the veteran to go into this year unencumbered by 2022 and previous seasons and to not have to deal with the constant questions and uncertainty swirling about his future.
“I told him, ‘Let’s just have a red-hot crack and it will work itself out later’,” Webster previously told the Herald. “I thought that from day one, let’s just focus on the now and the future will take care of itself. I said to Shaun, ‘Let’s not put on our chips on the table now. You just look after yourself, keep gaining momentum and play well’.”
Back then, Webster emphasised to Johnson that he didn’t need to set the bar now with how he was going to play, or what he was going to do next.
“I was just in a bad spot,” admitted Johnson on Monday. “It was a phone call and conversation that I needed to have at that time, and I am glad he made the call.”
Johnson took that belief into the pre-season, compiling one of the best training blocs of his career, and everything has flowed from there.
“You know you are in an environment with like-minded people who all have a common goal,” said Johnson. “We are all doing it together, all going in the same direction. There is no one opposing it.”
The dividends have been spectacular. Only four players across the NRL have scored more points than his 176, including eight tries, his best tally since 2016.
He has an NRL-high of 27 try assists, along with 24 line-break assists and 10 line breaks. He has also reeled off the most kicks (383) and most kicking metres (11,866). Perhaps most impressive has been his defensive work, with an average of 19 tackles per game and barely any misses.
He was quick to praise his teammates for making his job “easy”, and admitted the players’ player award was particularly noteworthy.
“My teammates have backed me and believed in me all year and given me confidence to play my game,” said Johnson. “Their support does carry more weight than anything, so they are the guys [who] I want to walk off the field and just know I’ve done my job, and to get recognised [by] them is special.”
It will be more special in the future, when Johnson sees his name on the wall in the Warriors’ gym alongside club icons like Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, Simon Mannering, Steve Price, Stacey Jones and many others.
“I’m playing alongside some elite players, so to be selected out of them does carry a lot of weight,” said Johnson. “I’ve been at the club a long time, and I’ve walked in every day and seen the [pictures of the] players of the years. Although that’s never been what I’m playing for, I get to be recognised among those players now after 13 years at the club. That is something I am proud of.”
But celebrations were muted on Monday as Johnson and the rest of the squad departed as soon as the formalities were over, with their focus on Saturday’s clash with Penrith.
“They got one on us earlier this year and they are playing some really good footy,” said Johnson. “But I know we will be ready. We will give it a really good crack.”
New Zealand Warriors Awards 2023
New South Wales Cup Players’ Player of the Year: Ronald Volkman
New South Wales Cup Player of the Year: Kalani Going
New South Wales Team Man of the Year: Ali Leiataua and Demitric Sifakula
New Zealand Warriors People’s Choice: Shaun Johnson
NRL Rookie of the Year: Taine Tuaupiki
NRL Clubman of the Year: Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad
NRL Players’ Player of the Year: Shaun Johnson
Simon Mannering Medal: Shaun Johnson
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 covered the Warriors and the NRL for more than a decade.
