[OFFICIAL] Shaun Johnson released from Warriors

Rimbaud82

Black Belt
@Black
Joined
May 19, 2014
Messages
7,416
Reaction score
1,080
https://www.warriors.kiwi/news/2018/11/28/vodafone-warriors-grant-johnson-a-release/

Despite all the rumours it's still pretty crazy that he's left the Warriors. Linked the Raiders but thye have a tight salary cap apparently, so the Sharks seems most likely since they just lost Valentine Holmes (he is gonna attempt to sign for the NFL...).

Of course, in this yank-central sub-forum most won't have a clue even who Johnson or the Warriors is. This is a massive story in the NRL (Australian + New Zealand rugby league).

Basically, Johnson is one of the star "halves" in the NRL, that is one of the key positions (half-back and five-eighh) in terms of play-making and directing the team, somewhat like a QB. Johnson is basically a half who for most of his career has been an absolute electric player when running with the ball in hand - side steps/jukes, pace etc. - but has been criticised for his game management. On the other hand the New Zealand Warriors have been a horrifically underachieving team since they were introduced as an expansion team in the 90s (New Zealand is dominated by rugby union), including criticisms of their team culture, professionalism and so on...so some have wondered how Johnson would do on a better team, with a winning culture. I guess we will find out! Now the Warriors are also without any fucking good halves for next year, with no clear targets either (they also released their solid, young back-up Mason Lino a few months ago - hindsight is 20/20 eh....).

I support the Warriors, so this kind of sucks...some would say that he wasn't bringing the team anywhere despite his talent and they needed a change, but who else can they sign?

Any other NRL fans here?
 
Warriors completely dogged him and I am not surprised he left. Classic Warriors move telling someone they are not wanted when they have no real backup and thinking SJ would take their shit and stick around for one more year. The Warriors have always had such shit management. And right at the time when they looked like they were finally getting it together.
 
Last edited:
Despite all the rumours it's still pretty crazy that he's left the Warriors. Linked the Raiders but thye have a tight salary cap apparently, so the Sharks seems most likely since they just lost Valentine Holmes (he is gonna attempt to sign for the NFL...).
pretty busy Bay Area athlete right here
 
Warriors completely dogged him and I am not surprised he left. Classic Warriors move telling someone they are not wanted when they have no real backup and thinking SJ would take their shit and stick around for one more year. The Warriors have always had such shit management. And right at the time when they looked like they were finally getting it together.

I guess they were expecting him to just suck it up and fight for a big pay-day, and in some ways it's not a bad thing that they are parting with Johnson....but yeah, total fuck-up the way they have gone about it. Released Ata Hingano and Mason Lino and now this <31>

Unless they sign someone Hiku will probably in the halves alongside Blake Green, which doesn't inspire much confidence. Unless Chanel Harris-Tevita can break through into first grade, but I don't even know how good he is beyond reading stuff since there's no way of watch NYC games over here.

Rumours I seen was that Johnson had already agreed with a club for 2020 (presumably the chooks once Cronk goes), so wherever he goes now is only for a year. Which seems even more stupid.
 
Best for all parties concerned I think. Warriors and its fans have been bagging him for years.

He'll win a championship somewhere and the Warriors will continue to break my heart.
 
Best for all parties concerned I think. Warriors and its fans have been bagging him for years.

He'll win a championship somewhere and the Warriors will continue to break my heart.

I'd agree if warriors hadn't just let Lino go, or if there was more options available.
 
I'd agree if warriors hadn't just let Lino go, or if there was more options available.

Like I said, they'll continue to break my heart. Hey the one game I attended last year they got the W... I got a freebie of a ticket though lol.

There was just a distinct lack of trust in SJ. Very similar to all NZ sports teams and the tall poppy syndrome and permeates here. The man could never do anything right. For a long time (less so last year though I thought, they did a good job putting in some parts to take a it of the pressure off him) he HAD to run everything. The Warriors only chance of winning was if he had a blinder. If he had a bad game, or made a mistake, everyone would bag him but you know what, even if he had a good game, the team was so bad they probably weren't going to win anyway.

I wish the guy all the best. As long as Kayla stays in NZ!
 
Like I said, they'll continue to break my heart. Hey the one game I attended last year they got the W... I got a freebie of a ticket though lol.

There was just a distinct lack of trust in SJ. Very similar to all NZ sports teams and the tall poppy syndrome and permeates here. The man could never do anything right. For a long time (less so last year though I thought, they did a good job putting in some parts to take a it of the pressure off him) he HAD to run everything. The Warriors only chance of winning was if he had a blinder. If he had a bad game, or made a mistake, everyone would bag him but you know what, even if he had a good game, the team was so bad they probably weren't going to win anyway.

I wish the guy all the best. As long as Kayla stays in NZ!

Yeah I agree with you, people talked about his lack of consistency, which is somewhat true....but hard to be consistent in that team, with such a poor forward pack. Well, I guess we will see now.

I gravitated to the warriors when I started watching NRL, they are a bit of shit-show much like my home union team (league is basically a non entity here) so I must be some kind of masochist lol.
 
He will thrive at another club if they have an organizing 5/8 that allows SJ to play his normal spontaneous style of play, he needs a good anchor.
 
He will thrive at another club if they have an organizing 5/8 that allows SJ to play his normal spontaneous style of play, he needs a good anchor.

Well he has had Green and Foran most recently as those organising 5/8s, I think he needs a team with a strong pack most of all. With a bit of go-forward and a roll on he has time and space to play his natural spontaneous sort of game.
 
Well he has had Green and Foran most recently as those organising 5/8s, I think he needs a team with a strong pack most of all. With a bit of go-forward and a roll on he has time and space to play his natural spontaneous sort of game.
Will definitely thrive with a better pack, that is for sure.
 
Rumor is he is going to sharks for 1 year then off to the roosters, shame cause I hate the roosters.
 
Rumor is he is going to sharks for 1 year then off to the roosters, shame cause I hate the roosters.

Yeah that's what I heard (said in OP lol), but then I just read that Sharks are skint haha

 
Yeah that's what I heard (said in OP lol), but then I just read that Sharks are skint haha


Serves them right for drug cheating and salary cap scams. Hope they enjoy being sold and relocated to Perth.
 
Brisbane needs a second team, huge area, population and market for one team to have.

Upgrade the Jets or Dolphins to an NRL team? Or a brand new one do you think?

But surely Perth has to be the target since Super Rugby axed the Force. I'd like to see a Southern NZ team, doubling as some kind of island team maybe as well.
 
Warriors have been linked to Mitchell Moses or Corey Norman since the Eels are shopping players....don't really think either is a great fit. The other I read was that they might just look to go out and steal some top young talent from another club, might not be a bad idea to be fair since they've got RTS, Green and Luke in the spine as it is. Although the Warriors seem hopeless at properly developing their young players and they already have some unproven youngsters, but I suppose if they are taking someone developed at a club with a better youth culture...or if the player is just seriously good. I see they are also linked to Eels prospect Dylan Brown, born in NZ but represents Australia U20...couldn't tell you how good he is.
 
Back
Top