Michael Burgess: How Shaun Johnson will transform the Warriors - and why the timing is perfect for his return

OPINION:

Shaun Johnson won't be the sole silver bullet for the Warriors in 2022 – but that is a good thing, both for the player and the club.

There needs to be realistic expectations around his probable impact, as one player, no matter how talented, won't transform them instantly into top-line contenders.

It can't be like his last time at the club, when he was often portrayed as the barometer of the team.

Johnson will make a big difference, particularly when it comes to game management and making the right decisions at the right times.

At 30 years old, he remains one of the best playmakers in the NRL. Not many players have a better pass off both hands and his general kicking game is top notch.

He might not have the top-line speed of years gone by, but he is still elusive and is quick enough over the first 20 metres to do some damage, especially close to the opposition line.

He's got great vision, illustrated in the recent Sharks win over the Panthers, and football IQ, with more than 200 NRL games behind him.

But he can't – and won't – be the be-all and end-all of the Warriors. That was how it felt sometimes in the past, as everyone expected some magic from him to get the team home.

By the time of his messy exit – which was handled poorly by the club – there was a perception that Johnson wasn't the half to take the team to the next level, that he was somehow a weak link in the chain.

It was a ridiculous theory. The reality was the team fell away badly in his absence in 2019, and their attack has never really been the same since. Johnson isn't flawless – and did struggle with consistency – but he was still an important cog, and a key driver during the good times, rather than a handbrake.

Now the stars have aligned to bring him back. It's a bit of a fairytale, and the timing couldn't be better.

Shaun Johnson will soon be back in Warriors colours, instead of playing against them. Photo / Photosport

Johnson was forced way out of his comfort zone by going to the Sharks and has matured considerably at Cronulla, off and on the field. He has proven himself – at a good, but not heavyweight Australian club – and fatherhood has also changed him.

It will feel like a fresh start at the Warriors, as there will only be a handful of his former teammates at the club (Tohu Harris, Jazz Tevaga, Bunty Afoa, David Fusitu'a and Chanel Harris-Tavita) and a new coaching staff.

The presence of other marquee men – like Addin Fonua-Blake, Reece Walsh, Harris and Kodi Nikorima – means the spotlight will be shared.

Johnson could previously be a polarising figure among the fanbase, but it's likely they will show more patience and appreciation, realising the void that has been left in his absence, which will alleviate some pressure.

Most of all, Johnson will have a terrific hunger to succeed. He admitted last year he has never really got over his final Warriors performance, labelling the 27-12 elimination final defeat to Penrith in 2018 the toughest loss of his career.

"That still burns me," Johnson told the Herald. "I just played so shit. It was all there, we had set the season up mint and from a personal point of view I played one of the poorest games of my career in what the biggest moment of my career, in my eyes.

"I was thinking 'Far out man'. The season you had, the season we had, comes down to 80 minutes of football and you let yourself down, let your teammates down. It's as simple as that.

"I reckon if we win that game, and we push on a couple more games, maybe I'm not sitting in Australia talking to you right now...that's the way I look at it."

Now, against all the odds, he gets a second chance to leave a legacy – and it's likely he will take it.