Would've been around 2006/07 i was coaching a schools touch team at a nationals and the word went round that there was this hot stepping kid from Orewa absolutely carving everyone and to check him out. Hot steppers in Touch are a dime a dozen and in a sport that has produced the best steppers of all codes in the likes of Remus Gentles and Benji Marshall before him (and id been stepped by both of them) i went to watch and was completely blown away. This kid was just audacious and unstoppable in the red zone, not just pulling off the most ridiculous step ever but the speed off the mark and then hitting his wingers on the chest with 20-30 metre left to right bullets....had seen plenty of talent and skill before but this left me gobsmacked.
Never once thought he'd be on the League radar tho cause this kid was as skinny as a rake. At the next years corresponding tournament couldnt believe the muscle he had packed on, thought he must have been on the roids.....he was still just as deadly on his feet tho and if anything faster, cause once he got open space he was going length of the field leaving some also pretty fast kids in his wake. Heard then that he did have a background in League, and that he had a big boot on him due to playing some AFL and that the Warriors had locked him up.
From then on made the point to follow him on the League path and to watch him progress and star in Juniors to NRL first grade to a stellar International career has for the most part just been a helluva enjoyable ride (pity the Turks hacked our site last year cause basically his whole career from start to finish was on that
Shaun Johnson thread, which im sure Tahjay would confirm was one of the longest running biggest threads on our site).
He didnt always hit the mark for sure and maybe didnt develop his all round game as quick as we wouldve hoped, but as others have pointed out and ive always maintained over his formative years this club was an absolute basket case at times, with 5 coaches in 6 seasons (and a couple of dud ones at that) its little wonder......i cant think of any other playmaker who had to learn the game with that level of disfunction. Still, within that time he managed to produce some really iconic Warrior moments which showcased his exciting talent. At times when this club was at its most self destructive and an absolute rabble, Shaun was the one shining light that kept fans coming back on the hope that maybe he could do something special......couldnt do it all the time, but when he did it was always next level special.
I think cause he hasnt played for a while his International career has been criminally under rated. There was a small period of dominance we had over the Aussies which SJ was instrumental in. He was always someone they feared and generally he always played well against them......there's a try he scores where he makes Greg Inglis look like hes wearing concrete boots.....leaves him for dead.....this is Greg Inglis!.....whose alltime.....truly remarkable some of the greats he's made look...well.....ordinary!
Cant beat the clock tho and time (and injury) has caught up with him....its obviously showed this season and he'd be well aware of this more than anyone...i think.his legacy is still intact tho escpecially from that great season last year....may not have got the big one but he was still the Dally M halfback of the year....no one can take that off him. His impact and influence is without question as everyone from Nathan Cleary, Dylan Brown, Reece Walsh,
Te Maire Martin, Chanel Harris Tavita and countless others have rated him an idol of theirs and as Cam George pointed out has perhaps been the single most influential individual in NZ rugby league in Kiwi kids choosing tp put on a pair of League boots....thats a helluva impact to have.
The fact also he's never once been involved in an ounce of off field shenanigans and just projects a real positive vibe, love for his family and Warriors......goes out a champion in my books.
I'll let that be my final memory of seeing him play in person (Eels game on Friday was a figment of my imagination hah!)
