‘He was one of the greats’: Marshall in admiration of Shaun Johnson

The New Zealand halfback will play his final match on Saturday night.

After a mesmerising 13 years in the NRL, Shaun Johnson will lace up the boots for the final time on Saturday night, putting an end to one of the most entertaining careers in recent memory.

A multi-talented athlete, Johnson has lit up the field in both the NRL and international stage for the New Zealand Warriors, Cronulla Sharks, New Zealand Kiwis and NRL All Stars – this has seen him accumulate 300 matches – since his debut in 2011.

Known for his freaky footwork, silky steps and brilliant attacking game, he has been the face of rugby league in New Zealand for over a decade since leading the Warriors to the 2011 NRL Grand Final.

However, he could have easily decided to play another sport, having excelled at Aussie Rules, touch football, and rugby union at a high level throughout his junior career.

Instead, he decided to stick to the 13-man game, where he has achieved multiple accolades, including the Golden Boot in 2014 and has been compared to Benji Marshall and Stacey Jones as New Zealand’s best player of all time.

Johnson’s former halves partner for the Kiwis, Benji Marshall, spoke to Zero Tackle about his admiration for the retiring star and admitted he has helped inspire the younger generation.

“Apart from his personal success, I think the one thing that you don’t get to see is how he inspired the younger generation of kids in New Zealand to back their talent and play the way they played with flair, excitement and passion,” Marshall told Zero Tackle.

“He did it for a long period of time, and it probably doesn’t get talked about enough.

“He was one of the greats of all time in New Zealand.”

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