Five times Johnson stepped up
Shaun ‘Magic’ Johnson is a Warrior no more. For some it came as a shock, for others a relief – the latter among those who religiously lamented Johnson’s lack of big game temperament.
But it seems we rugby league fans have incredibly short memories.
Yes, this year’s finals loss to the Panthers was a big moment when Johnson, the million dollar halfback, went missing.
And throughout his Warriors’ tenure there have been several moments when his only magic trick has been to vanish when needed most.
But the reason we look to Johnson in those big moments in the first place is because more often that not he did deliver.
Johnson won the Warriors, and Kiwis, more games than he lost, and here are five moments worth remembering before setting fire to that SJ Apparel.
1. Kiwis vs England, 2013 – World Cup hero
Perhaps his greatest moment as a professional, fans will long remember Johnson’s big left foot step in the dying seconds of the
2013 World Cup semifinal to propel New Zealand into the big dance.
Trailing 18-14, and with less than 20 seconds left, England captain Kevin Sinfield made the mistake of shooting out of the line to put pressure on Johnson.
But that was exactly what the Kiwis halfback wants defenders to do.
He skipped past Sinfield before a big left foot step on the fullback saw him cross for a dramatic try. He then calmly slotted the winning goal.
2. Warriors vs Melbourne,
2011 – The rookie steps up
Few would have predicted the
2011 Warriors would have what it took to beat Melbourne in Melbourne, in the 2011 preliminary final – but no-one told Johnson that.
The fresh-faced 20-year-old grabbed the game by the scruff in the final few minutes, demanding the ball 15m out from the Storm line with the game in the balance.
He skipped across to his left and threw a mesmerising dummy, fooling Cooper Cronk, before laying on a try to Lewis Brown to ensure the Warriors advanced to the grand final.
3. Warriors vs Raiders, 2018 – Back-to-back field goals
Even as recently as this season, there were moments when Johnson grabbed the bull by the horns.
On the road in round three this season, Johnson landed backto-back field goals, off the back of carbon copy sets of six, to cap an incredible comeback for the visitors against Canberra.
In a side featuring another dominant playmaker in Blake Green, Johnson put his hand up not once, but twice in the dying stages to steer his side to victory.
4. Warriors vs Panthers,
2016 – Four golden points
It’s a highlight forever etched into the memories of the Mt Smart faithful – Johnson gliding past four defenders to score the match-winner in the pouring rain.
The game was the Warriors’ fourth golden point match in five weeks, and only one of those had resulted in a New Zealand victory.
Nestled in the pocket 15m out from the line, Johnson aborted the traditional field goal attempt and set off to play some eyes-up football.
The result? A step, a swerve, a dummy, four defenders beaten and the halfback sliding in for a try in extra time to seal a dramatic win for the home side.
5. Warriors vs Sharks, 2015 – SJ does it himself
Johnson’s new club is pretty familiar with the superstar half, particularly those who watched him slice through for an individual match-winner at Shark Park in 2015.
After Andrew Fifita looked to have sealed a dramatic win for the home side with less than five minutes left on the clock, the Warriors got one last crack at the Cronulla line courtesy of a Ryan Hoffman charge down.
The ball swung to the right and landed in Johnson’s hands.
He looped back to the left, searching for a gap before stepping off his left and putting the hammer down.
Ben Barba and Jack Bird were left lying on the ground after swiping at thin air as Johnson glided through to score a stunning individual try and silence the Shark Park crowd.