Sports Confidential: Signing shock as Shaun Johnson returns to Warriors
Shaun Johnson has finally signed a new contract and it’s a case of back to the future for the Kiwi Test star.
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The Warriors have landed a shock signing for the second time this week by bringing another half home.
This time it is Shaun Johnson with the one-time Warriors pin-up boy joining the club on a two-year deal from next season.
The deal is worth about $500,000 a season and was orchestrated within a matter of days, with the Warriors only deciding to sign him last weekend.
Johnson, who is currently in New Zealand, agreed to terms via Zoom on Thursday.
Johnson was told he would not be re-signed by the Sharks beyond this season and had interest from the Bulldogs. Instead he will return to New Zealand.
“While he left to join the Sharks, Shaun’s heart has always been with the Warriors after starting his career here,” said Warriors boss Cameron George.
“Shaun stands among the top playmakers in the competition and he’ll give us a significant boost from next season.”
There have been suggestions half Kodi Nikorima may return to Queensland as soon as next season.
The Warriors signed Johnson’s former teammate Chad Townsend this week for the rest of the year. Johnson and Townsend once played at the New Zealand club together.
SURPRISE SUITOR FOR RABBITOH STAR
Newcastle have emerged as a suitor for Dane Gagai to return to the club four years after leaving the Knights.
Newcastle have been in discussions with the Maroons star about enticing him to return to the club next season on a multi-year deal. The contract could be as long as three seasons at the 30-year-old now weighs up a deal to return to one of his former clubs.
Brisbane are also keen on signing Gagai after he made his debut at the club in 2011. His current club, South Sydney, have also not given up hope of retaining him, but the Rabbitohs aren’t expected to be able to offer more than a one-year deal as the club juggles a tight salary cap.
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Rabbitohs officials are hoping to catch up with Gagai next week. A short-term deal with South Sydney could open up Gagai to be part of any new expansion side, but he has longer deals on offer from the Broncos and Newcastle.
The Knights are keen on having Gagai return to the club after playing 128 top grade games for the club between 2012-17.
They are on the look out to add some experience to their outside backs and a mentor to the club’s rising first-graders.
Gagai maintains close links to the region. The Eels met with Gagai in April but it is understood they are no longer in the race.
NRL clubs voice World Cup concerns
The World Cup is in danger of falling apart just one week after being given the green light to go ahead.
Clubs are leading the calls for the tournament to be postponed to next year after conjecture surrounding the late return of its star players to pre-season training in the new year. Club bosses voiced their concerns to the NRL during a phone hook-up this week, which resulted in discussions between the governing body and tournament organisers.
Players who make the final on November 26 will not return to their club side until February – and may not feature in a trial match – given the leave period and quarantine requirements.
That and the ongoing uncertainty surrounding Covid-19 is what is concerning clubs.
The issue could blow up in the next couple of weeks.
ARLC chairman Peter V’landys confirmed club’s had reservations about having their best players travel overseas.
“We are dealing with the World Cup organisers and they are aware of the difficulty we have in relation to the clubs and players,” V’landys said.
“We are working through those at the moment. I totally respect the clubs and players’ feelings and we are expressing those to the organisers.
“Naturally we would like to support the international game, but we are making the organisers aware of the feelings of the clubs and players.
“There are three concerns – the players, the clubs and logistics around the quarantine requirements.
“They are some difficult obstacles to overcome but we certainly have made them aware of the clubs, players and our own views concerning quarantine.”
International Rugby League chairman Troy Grant is aware of the concerns and is optimistic they will be resolved.
The World Cup is pivotal in ensuring the financial stability of the struggling northern hemisphere nations.
If the World Cup does not go ahead, a number of Tests involving Australia, New Zealand, Tonga, Samoa, PNG, Lebanon and Fiji may take place.
Treasure trove of Dragons memorabilia
St George has launched it ‘Spirit of the Red V’ Museum as part of the club’s centenary celebrations.
A host of treasures from the 100 years of the St George District are now housed inside St George League’s Club.
The museum captures a timeline that takes a journey from that inaugural game in 1921 through to the current day.
About 1000 items will be rotated and special collections will be shown throughout the year.
Some of the standout items on display include;
– Grand final worn jerseys/boots from the likes of Norm Provan (1956), Steve Edge (1977) and Craig Young 1979).
– Full match replays and highlights from 1930 onwards
– George Carstairs passport he used for the 1921 Kangaroos tour.
– Arthur ‘Snowy’ Justice’s 1932 100-game blazer.
“As part of the museum there will be a large number of items that have never seen before,” Young said.
“Whether you are 10-years-old, or 100-years-old, I can tell you that every person who walks through will find it to be a very special location.”
Covid-19 restrictions have delayed public access to the museum with an official open date to be confirmed.
Surprise entrant to TPJ sweepstakes
The Tigers remain the frontrunner for Tevita Pangai Junior’s services but St George Illawarra are also keeping a close eye on the suspended Bronco forward.
The Dragons have not made an official play but are said to be monitoring where Pangai Junior may land.
The Tigers have held discussions with Pangai Junior – who will miss the next three games through suspension.
Key Raider back in business
\Canberra veteran Jarrod Croker is in line to make his long-awaited return from injury for the Raiders against the Titans.
Croker has been sidelined since round five and the Raiders co-skipper expected to be available for selection next week.
He had a shoulder problem before an ongoing knee.
D-Day for expansion hopefuls
The three expansion bids will have one final chance to impress when they make a pitch to the Commission next week.
The meetings will still go ahead despite the ongoing Covid-19 concerns. Peter V’landys and Andrew Abdo made a quick escape to Queensland on Wednesday before the border closures.
They will be at the women’s Origin match on Friday.
“One of the main reasons we had to come up was to see the three bidders,” V’landys said.
“That will happen as scheduled next week.
“That’s why both Andrew Abdo and I had to be here. We wanted to be here to support the women’s game and then assess the bids.”
SPOTTED
Jake Friend has wasted little time in transition into an off-field role at the Roosters with the recently retired skipper casting his eye over future stars this week.
Friend joined former teammate Mitch Aubusson and Roosters head of recruitment Daniel Anderson at the NSW Schools Championships at St Mary’s this week.
Radley braces for hefty penalty
The NRL are finalising any potential sanction for Roosters player Victor Radley with a decision expected next week.
Radley is facing a penalty after being kicked off a flight for allegedly being drunk following the Roosters’ match against the Gold Coast earlier this month. Radley was there to watch friend Ben Thomas make his debut.
He was spotted in the crowd a day earlier watching Kurt De Luis play his first game for Manly. Radley has a $10,000 suspended fine hanging over his head.
Late Origin bunker change
The border restrictions resulted in a change in the bunker for the women’s Origin.
Grant Atkins will operate the remote bunker – rather than Alan Shortall who was initially appointed. Atkins is already in Brisbane as he is standby ref for Origin II.
The match officials for the men’s match flew to Brisbane on Tuesday.
All eyes on …
Covid-19 has again reared its ugly head and is playing havoc with Origin.
Who knows where it’ll land by kick-off on Sunday, but we’ve already seen Origin I moved.
FLASHBACK
Under-fire Bulldogs coach Kevin Moore was given a stay of execution on this day 15 years ago.
The Bulldogs were under the pump with the coach in the spotlight as the club dropped five of their past six matches. They beat the Tigers 16-6 but Moore would last just two more matches before being axed.
THAT ORIGIN MOMENT
Bill Harrigan sends Gorden Tallis off in game one of the 2000 series.
From ‘that’s not a try, that’s a miracle’ to the ‘Queenslander’ chant. Even ‘Walker’s on’ rates a mention when it comes to memorable Origin phrases. But another comes from referee Bill Harrigan who marched the Queensland firebrand from the field in the opening game of the 2000 series.
Harrigan told Tallis ‘don’t talk, just go’ after the Maroons back-rower labelled the referee a cheat.
The Blues had just scored to draw the scores level through a Ryan Girdler try with nine minutes left.
“Gorden believed there were two knock-ons in the lead-up to the Girdler try,” Harrigan said.
“I told him ‘no there wasn’t just shut up and keep playing’. When Girdler scored in the corner, Gorden came over to me living up to his name as the raging bull.
“He said ‘you’re a F-cheating C’. I said ‘you can go’. He stood in front of me and said ‘talk to me, you don’t have the balls to talk to me’.
“That’s when I said ‘go, just go’. People still bring that up to me now.”
The Blues won the match 20-16 before clean-sweeping the series with a record 56-16 win in game three.
Tallis apologised to Harrigan moments after the game.
“To his credit he came and knocked on the door and said ‘I wanted to apologise for what I said to you, but I still reckon they were knock-ons’,” Harrigan said.
“I said ‘we can agree to disagree, I accept your apology’.
“It was an easy call in that the six or seven blokes throughout my career who called me a cheat were sent off – (including) John Hopoate, Geoff Toovey, Peter Jackson, Martin Bella and Gorden.
“I’ve said this to any young referee that the one thing you must protect is your integrity because you’re the only one who can give it away.
“If they threaten your integrity you must get rid of them – it’s a no-brainer.”
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Originally published as Sports Confidential: Signing shock as Shaun Johnson returns to Warriors
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