Shaun Johnson bowed out in one of the most memorable ways possible this season when he orchestrated a winning play with his final touch of the footy to cap a comeback victory for the New Zealand Warriors.
The dramatic 30-28 win over Cronulla sparked joyous celebrations amongst the halfback’s teammates as he closed the book on his career in style.
The 34-year-old bid an emotional farewell to the game after 268 NRL appearances - 224 of them coming for his beloved boyhood club - and numerous individual accolades as he finished up as one of the best Kiwis to ever do it.
However, since walking off the field in Sydney, Johnson has been linked to a surprise reversal on his retirement decision.
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Shaun Johnson to come out of retirement and play for NZ Kiwis
New Zealand will begin a new era on the international stage next week when legendary figure Stacey Jones takes charge of the side.
Jones was appointed as the new Kiwi coach following Michael Maguire’s decision to accept the New South Wales position earlier in the year.
Maguire led the national team to an incredible triumph in 2023 during the inaugural Pacific Championships as they battered Australian 30-0 in the final to claim the trophy.
The Kiwis will be aiming to retain the title this year but will have to do so without a number of stars they previously called upon with Dylan Brown struck down with a knee injury in the last round of the regular season and Jahrome Hughes also ruled out despite initially being named in the squad.
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The rookie coach is unable to call upon the vast experience of Kieran Foran, with the Gold Coast veteran also in the casualty ward after a tough campaign with the Titans.
The three injuries have caused major issues in the spine with Jones now turning to Johnson in his time of need.
"I'm not playing, but I really did have a really good conversation with Stace," Johnson said on the Play On Sports Show late last month as rumours first swirled around a potential return.
"It was more around the fact that, say, if Jahrome went down - touch wood, he's on fire and he's got a couple of big games to come up - then they'd be in a real pickle."
And this unfortunate situation has now occurred with the Melbourne halfback ruled out of the tournament due to a neck injury and Johnson set to strap on the boots for his country.
"If something were to change there, then I would never say no to that opportunity," Johnson stated in September.
"I would never, ever say no to representing the Kiwis."
