‘So many kids want to be him’: Shaun Johnson reflects on epic farewell as he opens up on his plans after the NRL

Shaun Johnson’s farewell couldn’t have been scripted any better with the magic man producing one final showstopper in his last game.

Shaun Johnson bowed out of the NRL with one final magic act, but his impact on the game has only just begun with the halfback keen to mentor the next generation of playmakers. Picture: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

Shaun Johnson’s touch footy montage has been seen millions of times on YouTube, and while his highlights from Saturday night deserve to be replayed for hours on end, all fans should check out his final press conference where he broke down his match-winning play and what he wants to do next after one of the great NRL careers.

The Shaun Johnson story started 13 years ago, but what he achieved before that in touch footy is the stuff of legend and explains why he was able to do what no one else could by combining dazzling footwork and daring passes that made defenders look silly.

It was fitting that in his final appearance for the Warriors that he would torment Cronulla fans with a hop and a skip to the right before he fired an audacious pass out to Dallin Watene-Zelezniak who crashed over in the final minute to steal the 30-28 win against a team he used to play for before he returned home.

The scenes on the field after the game were inspiring as players from both sides performed a Haka for the New Zealand legend, and it was equally awesome in the little press conference room as he explained how he produced one final magic act.

OH MY GOSH!!!

Shaun Johnson gets the try assist to give the Warriors the W with the final play. 🤯🤯🤯

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“We got that ball back and I said to Walks (Dylan Walker) to get us in the right strip,” he said as he had to wait 14 minutes for a beer that he thoroughly deserved.

“It was a three-play sequence where I wanted to get momentum around the spots I knew we could. Walks took control of the footy. We spoke about fading in certain spots. Barney (Mitch Barnett) got a quick play-the-ball, and then we just doubled up on it.

“I think that feeling of being in the zone where you know why you’re doing something and the look you want to create, for me to be able to finish my career on that moment is probably why I am so content.

“I don’t know if you’ve seen my touch highlights, but a couple of the boys just said ‘you can’t finish with a touch highlight’. I found that quite funny. That was the zone I was in, it was as simple as enjoying what we were doing.

“I have struggled to string games together this year, and it has been my Achilles heel with not finding a groove. Tonight was my third game on the trot, and I felt very good. I felt extremely confident with how I was moving and what I was seeing.

“To have that feeling where I knew I could get to, it’s the feeling I have missed all year.”

It’s been a rough year for Johnson and the Warriors who have failed to match their top-four finish from last year but have still managed to sell out every home game.

A lot of that has been because of Johnson, but he credits coach Andrew Webster for getting him back to his best after injuries and his form dipped a few years ago before he almost won the Dally M Medal 12 months ago.

Players from both teams performed a Haka after the game to honour Shaun Johnson’s amazing career. Picture: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

“He brought the best out of me at a point when a lot of people didn’t think I could get to the level I got to over the past two years. For that I’ll always be grateful,” he said.

“I genuinely believe he’ll form a group that’ll do good things for this club.”

Webster got to work closely with Nathan Cleary at the Panthers and has seen just how influential Johnson is across the ditch, likening him to New Zealand greats Stacey Jones and Benji Marshall for what he’s done for the game back home.

“He’s a Warrior and he loves this place,” he said.

“If you’ve had a big impact on kids wanting to participate and play rugby league, particularly in New Zealand, I think there are three guys who have done it. That’s Stacey, Benji and Shaun.

“Those highlight clips that you saw when he was young, you watch them and they’re amazing. So many kids want to be him, and in New Zealand that’s pretty special in what used to be a rugby dominated country.

“We sell out every week off the back of guys like Shaun.”

Shaun Johnson wants to teach the next generation of stars how to approach the game. Picture: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

Johnson can enjoy a bit of time away from the game now, but he won’t be lost to rugby league with the playmaking genius keen to mentor emerging halves having missed out on that tutelage when he was coming through the ranks.

“I’m passionate about helping younger spine members develop their game,” he said after adding three try assists to his tally.

“I’m passionate about building a program around giving them access to knowledge that I wish I had access to coming through.

“I would’ve loved some sort of mentor to give me an insight into what it takes to be a first grade halfback with pressures, time, space, tempo and detail on 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 and I believe I can give back in that matter, and that’s what’s probably going to get me out of bed.

“But there are also other things that I want to do completely out of the game that are going to keep me fresh because I’ve been in it for a fair while now and there’s a bit of me that wants to get away from it for a bit just to reset and then get really excited about what I just said.

“There’s also some media stuff I’ve got happening back in NZ.”