Shaun Johnson in action during his first spell with the Warriors. Photo / Getty
Shaun Johnson in action during his first spell with the Warriors. Photo / Getty
Warriors legend Stacey Jones believes Shaun Johnson can be a vital point of difference in the 2022 season, as the Auckland team strive to improve their ability to navigate tight contests.
Few understand the vagaries of NRL halfback play better than Jones, regarded as one of the club's greatest players.
The 45-year-old, who was appointed as an assistant coach to Nathan Brown last November, feels Johnson fills a critical vacuum.
Among several issues, the Warriors suffered from an inability to close out matches last season.
Most of their wins were tense and tight and they lost seven games by a margin of six points or fewer, including three where a field goal was the difference.
They left them in 12th place – three victories outside the top eight – and wondering what might have been.
There were mitigating factors, with the constant relocations and a massive injury toll, but a lack of composure and control, particularly in the final quarter of matches, was telling.
"Game management was probably something that wasn't quite there," Jones told the Herald. "I'm pretty sure Shaun being back will help, after what he did at Cronulla.
"Even his last year at the Warriors (2018) was near on his best year he had as far as game management and getting the team around the field.
"That's going to be a big part; get that right, turn those close losses [into wins] and you are right back in the picture."
After making his debut as a 19-year-old in 1995, Jones had 261 first-grade appearances for the Warriors across 12 seasons, including the 2002 grand final, where he scored a memorable try.
As an assistant to Brown, Jones is charged with the attack plans and structure for the 2022 season.
"It's Brownie's area too, but he will have a lot on his plate," he said.
Stacey Jones knows a thing or two about halfback play. Photo / Getty
Jones is excited about the job, especially the chance to work with Johnson again, after the duo last teamed up in 2018, when Jones had a similar role under Stephen Kearney and Johnson was the chief playmaker.
"I'm really looking forward to it," said Jones. "I was pretty gutted actually when he left after 2018 because I thought he had an outstanding year for the Warriors. The team had 15 wins and he was a big part of it."
Despite their inexperienced roster and underwhelming 2021 campaign, Johnson's recruitment has fuelled optimism among Warriors supporters.
He's no longer the jet-heeled youngster that thrilled Mt Smart crowds but will fill an obvious void, as an experienced playmaker.
"He will take more of a leadership role, a game-management kind of role," said former Warriors and Kiwis forward Adam Blair.
"We look at all those small margins [last year] and that's where he will play a crucial role in understanding the field position and where the team needs to be in those moments. He lives for those crucial moments and that's where he will be most valuable."
Blair, who played alongside Johnson for eight seasons in the Kiwis, was impressed with the 31-year-old's output at the Sharks, despite the injuries that affected all three campaigns with Cronulla.
"He would have learned a lot about himself, being away from home and understanding who he is," said Blair. "He's a different player from what he was when he left here, for sure. I could see it from a distance watching what he did with Cronulla and when he got injured, you saw where they went."
Johnson's ability with the boot will be vital, both with his long-range kicking and fifth-tackle options inside the opposition 22, which has been an Achilles' heel for the Warriors over the last three seasons.
"His kicking game is crucial," said Blair. "There was one match last year (round 17) where he just kicked the Warriors out of the game because he was so clean and clinical with his kicking.
"Building pressure in games, he's going to be crucial. The problem he may run into is being smart in the way he treats his body and I guess he's learned all that through the injuries.
"He understands what his body needs and as you get older, that's what you work out. You know what it takes to make sure that you're prepared every week to get out on the field and that's where he's going to be."
