Taken from todays Telegraph:

"Warrington, who were again without their injured stand-off Lee Briers, are being linked with Shaun Johnson, 22, the New Zealand Warriors half-back, for next season."

I don't know anything about this guy...any good?

On form, he's better than Tomkins, if this comes off it'll be a fantastic signing.
This kid is fooooking rapid too, think Benji but not as polished.

Negative side, he's hit and miss when it comes to form but saying that he does play behind a Warriors pack.

He's fantastic. Not the most complete half back but for skill and excitement, right up there with the best and currently New Zealand's starting number 7. Which leads me to think why, at 22, he would contemplate coming to Super League.

Warrington cannot possibly afford him and have invested a large transfer fee and annual salary in another young halfback in Richie Myler. Would be fantastic if it came off but it won't, put simply.

I can't see why he would come to SL unless we are throwing silly money at him, he obviously doesn't have ambition if he plays for NZW.

Isn't he one of the players mentioned going to Wigan in the supposed Sam Tomkins deal?

It doesn't really make sense why he would come...unless there is some sort of subtext in his personal life that isn't reported?

I've seen some video footage of him on youtube...looks the business!...seriously good!

if this comes off...WOW!

If Johnson could be moved away from the Warriors every NRL
club would move heaven and earth to get his sig. There is not enought cash at any SL club to out bid what he could get in the NRL. This is a non starter.

unless he has other reasons for leaving the NRL.....its unlikely .....but stranger things have happened.

Enough money and he'd come, he's not an Aussie so unlike the Aussies being really y on selecting players who don't play in the NRL, the kiwi's don't give a crap and he doesn't have to worry about SOO either.

Not a chance a SL club could get him on cash, he's a million bucks a year player. £665 grand a year, plus 3rd party sponsorship. Jonson would be on close to a million pounds a year.

Not everything is about money though. Not that I am even for a second thinking that this is anything but bullocks like.

oh I totally agree, lets for a minute asume Johnson and his management put the big money of the NRL to one side, I struggle to see why the Kiwi international 7 would give up testing himself in the worlds best comp to come to SL?, even if he wasn't happy at the warriors he would walk into any NRL club.

I think if he was in a Ben Barba type situation then maybe? In all honesty I would think signing Barba is more realistic.

For the record, i'm in the believe it when i see it camp.

+1

Spoke to a few lads I know in Australia and this is the first they have heard of it. Strange that this has come out in the UK Telegraph, I thought they just used Press Association releases these days so not quite sure where they have got it from!

Maybe he (or his Mrs) is into Take That?

Well that's cleared this rumor up then.

I despair with this forum at times. At no point did I declare empirical proof, I was simply pointing out that there is no talk of it over there.

[iGDAY GANSONS OPTICIAN LAD... nah, we haven't heard anything about Shaun Johnson going to superleague to play for your club... G'day [/i

I can't see how the likes of Andrew Johns, Adrian Morley, Matt King, Michael Monaghan would come to SL either or play for Warrington so that puts this Johnson dude rumour to bed.

Bugger, I was just starting to get excited as well.

Oh you missed an opprtunity here Sally.

What about a Warrington player being selected by Queensland in the 2001 State of Origin decider, scoring a try and being selected as Man of the Match?
Nah, impossible.

This post has so many holes in it it reminds me of Swiss Cheese

Jarrod Mullen might be a more realistic target. He is about 26, played over 150 games for Newcastle. Played one game of SOO in 2007 and not got near a rep jersey since. Good player and can operate on the right edge. Maybe joey can have a word.

Coming to SL would mean that at a young age, Johnson would be a big fish in a little pond. get a couple of years experience being a main playmaker and also a main target for the opposition and then go back to the NRL initially as a not quite a little fish in a big pond and grow. A short term move to SL would have merits