Shaun Johnson and Andrew Webster after victory over the Cronulla Sharks. Photo / Photosport
Shaun Johnson and Andrew Webster after victory over the Cronulla Sharks. Photo / Photosport
With his time in the NRL and with the Warriors now officially over, Shaun Johnson has hammered home his belief that coach Andrew Webster is the right man to lead the club’s charge into the future.
Despite Saturday’s 30-28 victory over the Cronulla Sharks, the Warriors will comfortably miss this season’s NRL finals, and can finish no higher than 13th with a bye in the final round of the season.
All up, 2024′s 24 matches returned just nine wins and a draw, to go with 14 defeats. Those numbers pale in comparison to 2023, when the Warriors had 16 regular season wins for a fourth-placed finish.
While there has been no public outcry from fans over Webster’s future, the goodwill of 2023 will only last so long if results don’t pick up in 2025. But if there’s any advertisement for the impact Webster can have on improving players, it’s Johnson.
From the day he arrived at the club, Webster affirmed his belief in the now 33-year-old, and their two seasons together saw Johnson hit heights he himself admits he never thought possible.
In 2022, after his return to the Warriors from the Sharks, Johnson’s 21 games returned 14 try assists and three tries. Last year, his first under Webster, saw those numbers jump dramatically to 29 assists and eight tries.
But while 2024 saw Johnson forced to manage injury after injury, Webster’s belief never waned.
On Saturday night, Johnson saved his best performance for last, setting up three tries in the Warriors’ comeback win over Cronulla.
Shaun Johnson celebrates after the Warriors score the winning try. Photo / Photosport
Without the burden of consequence in his final game before retiring, Johnson gave one final reminder of the player that will go down as one of the best to wear a Warriors’ jersey.
And fronting media for the last time as a player, Johnson made his appreciation for Webster known, as he said goodbye to the sport.
“One of our very first conversations cemented my belief,” he explained. “I was excited to play under him.
“The best thing about him is he’s always continued to coach me. I asked him to do that, and he’s done it - immensely.
“I never wanted to be a player who thinks he knows it all, or feels like the guy who’s got it all figured out, and has arrived with nothing to chase.
“Even over the last few weeks, he’s allowed me to have my time. He’s celebrated, but he’s challenged me.
“He’s brought the best out of me, at a point when a lot of people didn’t believe I could get to the level I’ve gotten to over the last two years. For that I’ll always be grateful.
“I think - well, I don’t think, I know and I genuinely believe - he’s going to form a group, and he’s continuing to build a group that’s going to do good things for this club.”
That admiration goes both ways.
Despite the form of Te Maire Martin, and the promise of youngsters Luke Metcalf and Chanel Harris-Tavita, Johnson has been Webster’s main man in the No 7 jersey.
The pair worked together during Webster’s first stint at the Warriors, in 2015 when he was an assistant coach to Andrew McFadden, who is now the club’s development and pathways manager.
Asked to reflect on Johnson’s legacy in rugby league and with the Warriors, Webster outlined exactly what his halfback had achieved over the course of his 267 games and 14 seasons in the NRL.
“He’s done so much,” said Webster. “I say he’s done a lot for the game, but he’s done a lot for our club.
“He’s a Warrior. He loves this place, he’s emotional about it. He left and wanted to come back to it. He loves it that much.
“What he’s done for the game, if you’ve had a big impact on kids wanting to participate and play rugby league in New Zealand. There’s three guys who’ve done it, Stacey [Jones], Benji [Marshall] and Shaun.
“So many kids want to be him, and in New Zealand that’s pretty special. Especially for a rugby union - or used to be - dominated country.
“We sell out every week off the back of guys like Shaun. It’s really special, what he’s done for the club and the Warriors.”
As for what comes next, Johnson will first enjoy a break, before throwing himself into a new challenge.
Aside from his new podcast, and other work in media, Johnson also wants to establish his own mentorship programme, designed to guide players towards the NRL.
“I’m passionate about [helping] younger spine members develop their game. I want to build a programme, I’m passionate about building a programme I wish I had access to coming through.
“I would have loved some sort of mentor to give me insight into what it takes to be a first-grade halfback.
Shaun Johnson and Andrew Webster first worked together in 2015. Photo / Getty Images
“Pressures, time, space, tempo, detail in what it takes to be a week-in, week-out first-grade player with pressure on your shoulders because you’re in those key positions.
“I think I can offer that. I believe I can influence and give back in that manner. That’s going to get me out of bed. But there’s also things I want to do completely outside the game.
“I’ve been in a fair while now, there’s a bit of me that does want to get away to reset, and then really get excited about building what I’ve just said.”
Johnson hangs up his boots with 268 games played, 85 tries, and 226 assists in the NRL. For the Warriors, Johnson scored 1207 points - a club record.
Alex Powell is an Online Sports Editor for the NZ Herald. He has been a sports journalist since 2016, and previously worked for both Newshub and 1News.
