The Warriors have reportedly dismissed bringing back long-time playmaker Shaun Johnson to the Kiwi club.
Johnson departed the Warriors on rough terms after eight seasons at the club in 2018 and joined the Cronulla Sharks, where he has since rediscovered his playmaking flair.
The 30-year-old's contract at the Sydney club ends this year and with Souths star Adam Reynolds rumoured to be arriving in Cronulla to replace Chad Townsend, who is off to the Cowboys, it’s believed Johnson’s time at the Sharks will draw to a close.
Daily Telegraph journalist Paul Kent reported on Fox Sports’ NRL360 show the Warriors had been approached about welcoming Johnson back.
The proposal, reportedly, was met with an emphatic “no”.
“Johnson through his management has offered himself back to the Warriors,” Kent said.
“The Sharks have already said that although Johnson is after two years at $1.6million. The Sharks have said we’ll give you one year at half that price.
“His management has gone back to Warriors and said ‘are you interested?’ The club then went to the senior players and said are you guys keen to get him back.
“They said: ‘thanks, but no thanks’. That’s the way it was put to me.”
The other NRL club rumoured to be linked to Johnson is struggling Queensland outfit the Brisbane Broncos.
“Shaun Johnson is going to market, but we know that Brisbane are big believers in him and are keen to get him. It’s looking more and more that he might be heading north.
“Shaun Johnson is different to Mitchell Moses (who has also been linked to Brisbane) he’d be more prepared to go to Brisbane at the stage of his career.”
Johnson is currently working his way back from a serious achilles injury that has sidelined him since last September.
The injury cut short an impressive season for the Kiwis half, who was in the conversation as a Dally M Medal contender while leading the competition in try assists.
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