Shaun Johnson announces retirement; Nathan Cleary rapt with Blaize Talagi signing
New Zealand international and Warriors superstar Shaun Johnson will retire from the NRL at the end of the season.
Johnson, who will turn 34 next month, announced his decision on Monday night – less than 12 months after coming within a whisker of winning the Dally M Medal during the Warriors’ fairytale finals run.
The former Golden Boot winner spurned an offer from the Roosters to finish his career in Australia, and after a year of inconsistent form and injury woes, will hang up the boots as one of the most popular players of his generation.
“This is a decision that I’ve sat with for a while now and one I’m probably still coming to terms with,” Johnson said when speaking with his teammates.
“It’s obviously still very raw, but I’m so grateful to the club and to you boys who I get to come into work with every day with a smile on face. I have never taken any of it for granted.”
Johnson will play his last game against his former club, the Sharks, at PointsBet Stadium in round 26. The Warriors have the bye in the final round of the season.
“There’s an entire generation of kids in this country who picked up a rugby league ball because of Shaun Johnson,” Warriors chief executive Cameron George said.
“His impact on not only this club but also rugby league is New Zealand is something that will be remembered here forever.
“And as talented and amazing as Shaun has been as a player, as a person he’s made just as big an impact here at the Warriors through the years.
“I know Shaun hasn’t made this decision lightly and he will depart with the full support of the club and his peers.”
Cleary rapt with Talagi signing
Cleary has welcomed the imminent addition of the Eels teenager next year after the Panthers snuck under the guard of their bitter rivals to nab one of the game’s hottest talents.
Talagi has turned his back on his junior club to sign a three-year deal to join the Panthers, which will be officially announced after the NRL’s cooling-off period ends.
The 19-year-old is being lined up to replace Jarome Luai in the halves alongside Cleary, with Jack Cole also a contender to be the long-term No.6
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While the Dragons, Dolphins and Knights were all linked to Talagi if he were to leave the Eels, Penrith’s interest was kept quieter with coach Ivan Cleary meeting the youngster to talk about a switch.
There’s an intriguing subplot with the minor premiership-chasing Penrith to take on their 2022 grand final rivals at CommBank Stadium on Friday night, with Talagi to come face-to-face with his future teammates.
“He’s a great player,” Cleary said after orchestrating Penrith’s late win over the Knights on Sunday. “He’s only 19 years old and a very exciting talent. We’re coming up against him this week so we’ll get a taste of what it’s going to be like. He’s very exciting.
“I haven’t spoken to him [yet]. I left it to the old man [coach Ivan]. But I might get to speak to him after the game.
“We’ve still got ‘Romey’ [Luai] here, and I want to enjoy the moments with him as they’re coming to an end. To have the confidence for a young guy to come into first grade and play the way that Blaize is, in multiple positions too, it’s very impressive.”
Talagi has already scored 10 tries in his maiden NRL season and will vie for Dally M Rookie of the Year honours with Canberra’s Ethan Strange and Dolphins duo Jack Bostock and Max Plath.
He got a glimpse of what life might be like next year with Cleary masterminding the Panthers’ latest win at BlueBet Stadium, drawing them within two points of the ladder-leading Storm with five rounds left.
It was Cleary’s third match back from a serious hamstring injury, one which ruled him out of the State of Origin series.
Asked about a change to his training regime, Cleary said: “I had to refrain from a lot of the kicking stuff, but do more in other areas around load and speed running. We probably looked at it as a whole group [and] we probably weren’t doing it enough.
“I’ve turned a lot more to the mental side and tried to nail that with visualisation, rather than physical reps all the time.”
Daine Laurie will be available for the Panthers this week after missing the win over the Knights due to the NRL’s 11-day concussion protocols, paving the way for Queensland-raised Isaiah Iongi to make his NRL debut on Sunday.
“Even at training, I pinch myself,” Iongi said of playing alongside Cleary. “He’s the best in the game. It was unreal playing alongside him for my debut.”
Storm ramps up Papenhuyzen talks
The Storm has taken another step to prevent Ryan Papenhuyzen from hitting the open market and keeping him away from cashed-up rivals like the Eels, with Melbourne owner Matt Tripp hoping a fresh extension can be done “within weeks, not months”.
Papenhuyzen looms as the head of the free agent class if he doesn’t extend his deal before November 1, the start of the final year of his Storm contract.
The Clive Churchill Medal winner has had a wretched run of injuries, but has flourished since returning to the Storm’s line-up this year.
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The Eels loom among potential suitors if the western Sydney junior can’t strike a new deal with the Storm, but Tripp has spoken to Melbourne management about tabling a fresh three-year extension to Papenhuyzen to keep him at the club until the end of 2028.
“We hope to have something done soon,” Tripp said. “Discussions are just starting, but when both parties are keen, you usually get there. Hopefully it’s weeks, and not months.
“He’s critical to us. He’s a barometer. When he’s on the park and playing, we win games, and that’s not lost on me. He has had bad luck and a run with injuries, but we’re a much better team when he’s on the park and he can be influential as any player in the competition.”
The Storm are yet to officially table a new deal to Papenhuyzen’s management, but if they can lock him until the end of 2028, it will mean he’s the longest contracted player of the big four featuring Harry Grant (2026), Jahrome Hughes (2026) and Cameron Munster (2027).
Tripp insists the club can keep both Papenhuyzen and gun fullback Sua Faalogo, who earlier this year signed a long-term extension until 2028.
Nathan Cleary has handed a huge compliment to his potential future halves partner Blaize Talagi, hailing his maturity before the pair come head to head in the western Sydney showdown on Friday night.
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