Warriors shock: Star halfback Shaun Johnson could be on move
THE NRL’s off-season free agent feeding frenzy has thrown up its first major shock, with the news New Zealand halfback Shaun Johnson could be on the move.
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THE NRL’s off-season free agent feeding frenzy has thrown up its first major shock, after the Warriors told star halfback Shaun Johnson he could look for other offers.
Johnson, one of a host of NRL players who are off contract in 2019, can talk to rival clubs from November 1.
The Warriors have told Johnson to explore his options and test his value on the open market, the New Zealand Herald is reporting.
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Which clubs should come calling for Shaun Johnson
The 28-year-old burst on to the NRL scene in 2011, when he led the Warriors to the grand final as a rookie.
Despite success at Test level with New Zealand, and winning the 2014 Golden Boot Award as the world’s best player, he has struggled for consistency in the NRL.
The Warriors finished eighth in 2018, marking the first time they had reached the finals since that 2011 run, and were bundled out by Penrith.
Warriors CEO Cameron George told the New Zealand Herald the club was in no rush to re-sign Johnson.
“The club are open-minded about the future and we’ll talk to Shaun and his management when he gets back from overseas about the future,” George said.
“We want to win the competition and we’ll be doing everything recruitment-wise to get the best people in the club to do so.
“We are not scared about making any big calls on our roster because we want to win this competition and everyone’s always under review.”
Johnson would be a hot commodity on the NRL player market with clubs like the Sydney Roosters, who will be looking to replace star No.7 Cooper Cronk after next season, Canberra Raiders and Wests Tigers potential suitors.
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