NRL 2021: Shaun Johnson reveals comeback date, why he smiled after devastating injury

Instead of writhing in agony, Shaun Johnson smiled as he was taken from the field with a torn Achilles. Now, he reveals why.

Cronulla Sharks five-eighth Shaun Johnson and that shaka sign he made after tearing his Achilles tendon in Round 19, 2020. Picture: Richard Dobson

At the time it seemed not so much as odd, but very different.

Even four months later, Shaun Johnson‘s reaction to an excruciating achilles injury suffered last September, still puzzles.

That is, until you ask the Sharks star why.

Why, with his career shuddering to a devastating eight-month halt, when his ankle went “ping” against the Roosters at the SCG in round 19 last year, Johnson leaned back on the medicab, smiled and began flipping “shakas” hand gestures.

Instead of writhing around in agony and even with a free pass to swear more than a sailor down the Fox Sports cameras, the Kiwi playmaker began grinning down the lens with his hands held high.

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Cronulla’s Shaun Johnson throws out some shakas as he’s taken from the field after suffering a torn Achilles tendon. Picture: Ryan Mckinnon/NRL Photos

His body language was in complete contrast to the frustration of his Cronulla teammates who were being taught a lesson by the Chooks.

But Johnson wasn‘t trying to replicate the antics of Cuba Gooding Jr’s character Rod Tidwell in the movie Jerry Maguire.

He was sending a message.

“Inside I was burning,‘’ is how Johnson explained his reaction this week.

“If you see the vision, I had my head down really quickly swearing, then I‘d pop my head up waving, then I’d put my head down swearing.

“But why I was actually smiling and waving was for my mum.

“It was a message to her.

“I knew if I carried on and whaled around on the ground, screaming ‘my leg’, ’my leg’, I knew that holy heck, my mum would be watching in hysterics.

“I was thinking, my wife is watching this, they are going to be panicking, so began smiling and waving.

“It worked because Mum didn‘t even message me after the game to ask how I was.

“I called her and said; ”Mum you know I‘m injured?

Johnson has set a Round 10 target for his injury comeback. Picture: Richard Dobson

“She said: ”I thought you were okay?”

“So that‘s the reason I did that … with me being not in New Zealand, my family don’t have the availability to see one another and so that was my way of communicating to them.’’

Johnson‘s next response is pivotal.

The Sharks 2019 Player of the Year is on the comeback trail from one of the more difficult injuries an athlete can return from with mid-May or Round 10, a target for the five-eighth.

Off-contract at the end of this season at Cronulla, Johnson knows time is his biggest detractor.

He remains restricted in his training with Alter-G running likely to commence in the next fortnight.

He suggested that mid-March is when he could possibly start straight-line running for the first time.

“The initial diagnosis was a return in round eight to 10,‘’ Johnson said.

“I‘ll get back when I know I’m strong and will come back and make a difference.

“Will I be a different player, will I have to adjust my game a little bit, who knows?

Johnson is off-contract at season’s end. Picture: Phil Hillyard

“But I think I‘m going to be better, I’m going to see the game clearer, being another year mature, I’m going to have a lot of footy I can watch, so that’s why I’m going to come back better.

“It‘s going to be an important period when I come back.

“It‘s important for many reasons. It’s not just securing your future or what are you going to do.

“I‘m going to work hard to give myself the best possible chance to earn a contract here, somewhere, where ever.

“I‘m not going to put that burden on my shoulders that takes my focus away from where it was last year and what it allowed me to do on the field.’’