New Zealand Warriors halfback Shaun Johnson has confirmed he will retire at the end of the 2024 NRL season.
A long-term star of the Warriors, Johnson will go down as a club great, but he will be 34 at the end of the season and has decided, on the back of injuries this year, that the time is right to end his career.
The veteran has played 265 NRL games, with 221 of those games coming for the Warriors - if he plays the final four games of the season, he will wind up with 225 for the club, and 269 in total.
The halfback, who debuted back in 2011 and played the other 44 games of his career for the Cronulla Sharks between 2019 and 2021, said retiring is a decision he is still coming to terms with.
“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.
“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 my face. I have never taken any of it for granted.
“The job (this season) is not over so, let's rip in and get back to doing what we do but I just wanted to let you all know first that at the end of the season, that will be me (done).”
It was only 12 months ago that Johnson led the Warriors to the preliminary finals, but the veteran has struggled for form throughout the 2024 season, being involved in only three victories from the games he has played.
The Warriors are sitting outside of the top eight and are unlikely to feature in the finals, with Johnson's last game shaping as an away clash against his former club the Cronulla Sharks on August 31. His last home game is likely to be the week before against the Canterbury Bulldogs.
Warriors CEO Cameron George praised the impact Johnson has had on rugby league in New Zealand.
“There's an entire generation of kids in this country who picked up a rugby league ball because of Shaun Johnson,” George said.
“His impact on not only this club but also rugby league in 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.
“Our last home game of the season against the Bulldogs, another sell-out, will be a fitting farewell for him here at Go Media Stadium.
“We appreciate all that Shaun has done for the club and wish him and his family all the best in the future.”
Johnson has played the fourth-most games for the Warriors, sitting behind Simon Mannering (301), Stacey Jones (261) and Manu Vatuvei (226). If the club do scrape into the finals, he could move to third on that list, but to do so, they'd likely need to win all four of their remaining games, with road trips to play the Dolphins and Manly Sea Eagles ahead of the aforementioned final two games.