Shaun Johnson makes call on NRL retirement backflip after return for New Zealand Kiwis

Veteran halfback Shaun Johnson says he's comfortable with his decision to retire from the NRL, despite starring for the Kiwis in Sunday's 22-10 loss to Australia in the Pacific Championships. The Kangaroos booked their spot in next month's final against either New Zealand or Tonga with a hard-fought win in Christchurch, in which Johnson was one of the standout performers in a losing side.

Johnson called time on his NRL career at the end of the 2024 season as the Warriors finished outside the top-eight and missed out on the finals. But the 34-year-old showed he's still got plenty to offer after answering an SOS from Kiwis coach Stacey Jones to come out of retirement in place of regular New Zealand No.7 and Dally M Medallist Jahrome Hughes, who was ruled out of the Test series with a neck injury.

The former Warriors halfback put in a superb individual performance without another recognised playmaker by his side, as star fullback Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad formed a new-look halves pairing with Johnson in the absence of Parramatta five-eighth Dylan Brown. It was Johnson that set up the play which led to Jamayne Isaako's opening try for the Kiwis and the halfback kicked superbly all game.

Johnson showed his class again late in the match as the home side threatened a late rally, putting in a brilliant cross-field bomb for the fleet-footed Will Warbrick to score in the corner after bamboozling opposite winger Zac Lomax. But Johnson insists it hasn't made him second guess his decision to hang up the boots and says he's loved being able to cook breakfast for his daughters, take them to school and spend quality time with his family that has been a rare luxury across his playing career.

"I got to be hands-on, I got to be present and footy was at the furthest point from my mind through that stretch," he said about the seven weeks between the end of the Warriors' season and the Test for the Kiwis. "I didn't do too much footy stuff but I did a whole heap of life stuff."

Shaun Johnson adamant he won't backflip on retirement call

And Johnson is adamant that even if Warriors coach Andrew Webster came calling about making a retirement backflip and playing on in 2025, his answer would be firm. "I'd say 'No, mate'," Johnson said with a smile. "Or I'd say, 'All the best, I'll be there with you but alongside you, not out on the field'."

Johnson is set to play at least one more Test for the Kiwis in next Saturday night's Pacific Championships clash against Tonga in Auckland. And if the Kiwis are victorious, another final against the Kangaroos awaits on November 10 at Sydney's CommBank Stadium. The 34-year-old admits it's a bit of a surreal feeling to be featuring for New Zealand after thinking his playing days were officially done.

"This whole week has been crazy," Johnson said. "Running out (against the Kangaroos)... I never thought I was going to feel that again, and I was at peace with that. So why not smile and soak it all up? I wish everyone got to experience what I got to experience tonight. It's a pretty cool feeling."

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Johnson was one of 10 Kiwis playing their first game in seven weeks and it's a testament to how they fared against a Kangaroos side that had already beaten Tonga the week before. "I felt probably as I expected, probably a little bit underdone," Johnson admitted. "The weeks (off) haven't helped me at all. I've battled niggles all year like a lot of us do and that's been well-documented with my Achilles and obviously falling off that load. You can't just go from nothing to get there. You've got to build gradually and I haven't had that luxury with the late call-up.

"(But) I'm pretty stoked with how I went... I enjoyed it, I stayed in the moment and I played some good footy at times. Are there things I can work on? 100 per cent, and I will, but for a first hit-out in a while with a lack of reps, I'll take a lot out of it personally."

with AAP