Shaun Johnson "Yous got your way"

[Penrose Warrior]

I think I've posted this before - I have always been an SJ defender, if not sycophant, but he is testing my patience really thin.

He carries this silly siege mentality, F the haters sort of vibe which in no way allows him to play his best footy. I doubt it would help anyone in a position where you require poise, composure and a level head to play your best footy. It seems like any time the heat is on - and hello, you're in the biggest comp in the world on $1m a year in a one-team country, you signed on for that - he tries way too hard, forces things and is shocking (and it's a snowball effect, gets worse and worse).

The Fittler stuff was stupid too. If he was smart, he'd have watched the vision and seen Fittler was actually complementary and just meant he could run a bit more. The media blew it up and SJ reacted like a child.

If SJ is to succeed, he needs to embrace 'controlling the controllables' and ignore completely any outside noise. I know he's big on social media and it helps his brand. But so often I see him commenting on articles, media hype or the vibe from the public. Stop. It doesn't help you. Don't read articles. You're not as good or as bad as anyone says you are. Find a good mentor, be it A.Johns, Fittler etc - they'll be dead keen to. Focus on what you do, and how you can win games. Train hard, get better, let winning games and your form talk, 'silence haters' or whatever.

I honestly feel now like his mental approach to footy in how much he is invested in what people think of him is affecting him the most. I imagine Cooper Cronk doesn't give a shit what anyone thinks - you could say that's because he's the best, but I imagine he adopted that early on. The Storm don't care - they just play their footy they know works, and know it brings fans and detractors. Shaun could learn a big lesson.

 

[Izz]

Nice post, PW.

 

[Shaun Hewitt]

He's acting like a spoilt brat.
Do he really think this is what we want? Friggin idiot, what we want is for NZ to win the cup!

Does he really think we are wanting to see him fail? really?

 

[Iafeta]

He's since come out and apologised. He's usually pretty good with his media interactions, he seems like a good bloke.... that comment from him was poor but as I thought he might, he's taken ownership of it.

 

[ZEROMISSTACKLES]

Which one of yous made Shaun cry? Lol

 

[ANTiLAG]

He's since come out and apologised. He's usually pretty good with his media interactions, he seems like a good bloke.... that comment from him was poor but as I thought he might, he's taken ownership of it.

I like every bit about this post but the part where you say he's usually pretty good with the media (and I don't know if he seems like a good bloke). But the rest of this post - good on you and good for Shaun.

I'm pleased he's realised we want to see him winning.

 

[WellsNZ]

Was predictable that he'd come out backtracking on this. If you have guys front the media in vulnerable moments, you will get some reactions like this. It's part of the reason it happens, to lure those juicy responses.

Still, the fact that those ideas came to mind and that is what he reached for in those moments says something. He needs to be getting that shit out of his head. There will always be critical media, there will always be critical fans on social media, he's got to block shit like that out and not let it sit in his head like it seems it may be doing. Play for yourself and your team and your jersey not to silence Joe f**khead on Twitter.

There's also plenty of media and plenty of people who drool over the bloke. The game wants him to succeed and wants him to be a big star because he's an excitement machine that they can bank on. They boost him up and put him on that star pedestal with how he's framed in broadcasts etc.

All he can do is put his best foot forward though and he's done that with this statement he made so good on him.

 

[JJ]

He seems like a nice fella but seriously needs a huge reality check.

1. He's nowhere near as good as he might believe, huge talent yes, but really patchy IMO and the sulking when given the 6 jersey was poor
2. An all time great in Fittler made a very neutral and constructive remark and Johnson reacted like a school girl
3. This episode: both he and Blair are experienced senior pros, they have a responsibility to do media and that was shit, TBH the bullshit some league people think they can pull (starting with Bennett) is childish and amateur, that said so is a big proportion of the media



If they are adamant a kiwi must be the coach, would Bluey have another go? With Simon as skipper?

 

[Beavers Headgear]

Saw the apology

Sentiments are fine, but the horse has bolted unfortunately

It also highlighted for me again how unprofessional we can be

Will make it clear that I'm not offended at all by it, but why the need for the swearing in the middle of the apology ? It gives off such a poor look, and you couldn't imagine a Richie McCaw or Kieran Read doing something similar. It only a little thing but shows how far we lag behind

 

[TheDMC]

Saw the apology

Sentiments are fine, but the horse has bolted unfortunately

It also highlighted for me again how unprofessional we can be

Will make it clear that I'm not offended at all by it, but why the need for the swearing in the middle of the apology ? It gives off such a poor look, and you couldn't imagine a Richie McCaw or Kieran Read doing something similar. It only a little thing but shows how far we lag behind

Petulant and an emotionally reactive statement that he will have self-hate for spurting out. But I don't really care, all I want to see is SJ run the ball at least 10 times a game. Starting with 1 of his first 3 touches. Not waiting until perfect field position, open play, or a forward pack doing its job. RTS doesn't wait, he just gets ball and runs and does pretty bloody well even against a loaded defence. If RTS was a half, he would still run the f**ken pill a tonne. Not doing a SJ and wait until the 70th minute in an elimination world cup match to run (and because there was literally no other option).

I don't give a rat's arse what position SJ is at, his greatest attribute is as a ball runner. Everything else in his game: kicking, organising, and so forth will be so much better if it is on the back of his running game, not instead of. Coaching SJ should be so easy. "SJ, just run mfer," In fact that is the only coaching word SK should say to him until he starts doing it. Don't give me that he is afraid to take contact bullshit either, the dude puts his body on the line in defence all the time. A mental block perhaps, cause he so worried about being an 'organising' half.

SJ for the last two years would be akin to Dave Warner trying to be a Mark Richardson grinding opening batsman. Or Jim Furyk playing in the Masters and trying to replicate Henrick Stenson's smooth golf swing because it looks way prettier.

SJ arriving for team breakfast: "Morning Steve, how are you doing today?"
Kearney: "Run mfer"

I'm seriously losing patience, with SJ and his 'coaches.' I think, nay I know the solution is so obvious and simple. Yet these geniuses allow him to try and make his game so much more complicated than it needs to be.

Rant over.

 

[ANTiLAG]

Steve Kearney's fallout with Benji has partial roots in a test final against Australia where Steve sent a message out that if Benji didn't start running the ball he was gonna get benched. I'm pretty sure this was the 2010 4 nations final with Benji as captain.

Benji obliterated Australia in the final 10 to 15 minutes with his running and ball play after the message was relayed to him and NZ won the test.

So is Steve now not doing this at the Warriors to keep his stars on his side, or is SJ not responding to the coach's direction?

I guess we have to wait for the autobiographies or a media melee if their relationship falls apart.

If SJ played full back he'd be forced to run more often but I think he's more than good enough to effectively run from the halves position.

 

[Leber]

Im sorta on SJ's side with this one.

When the warriors/Kiwis win... "Yep, they should be winning"

When the warriors/Kiwis lose.... "omg that ShaunJohnson, it's all his fault, he's shit/overrated etc"

Yes he has some bad games but he bares the brunt more than he deserves on social media. It's no wonder the dude gets a little sandy.

If only the warriors had other 'good' players to spread the hate on evenly after a loss.

 

[Leber]

...

 

[ZEROMISSTACKLES]

Even the Rock took some time out to express his views on Shauns apology.
Shaun: "Fam there's no one to blame for how things played out during this world cup other than ourselves..."

 

[ANTiLAG]

If only the warriors had other 'good' players to spread the hate on evenly after a loss.

There's not that much left in the kitty for too many more 'good' players after paying Shaun's salary.

If you take the big bucks then be prepared to be held accountable for results. Noone has high expectations of journeymen, lowly paid rookies, fringe players and reserve graders, high hopes maybe, but not expectations.

The expectations fall far more heavily on those players paid above the NRL average wage to perform accordingly to the expectations that netted them a high salary.

When you're the highest paid player in a club, budget constraints means people will have reasonable expectations that you meet the value of your salary, like everyone who plays, but a higher degree of scrutiny due to greater opportunity cost also follows the higher investment is yielding appropriate returns.

Michael Morgan signed his last Cows contract for much less than offered elsewhere to keep the club spine together and stay local. For his stellar performances, of exceeding expectations and starring in winning a gf and leading a surprise second gf charge, he will get "rewarded" when Thurston retires if forcing his retirement a tad early. That said, the recruitment market for both would be hot.

Johnson is on the opposite wicket to Morgan. He really should get that into his head before thinking fans don't want to see him winning. Its what he's paid overs to do!

Its not like Johnson is an AB staying in NZ and forgoing bigger earnings elsewhere. Johnson is on French Rugby money! Good (and consistent) performances are expected unless he wants to look more like a lotto winner than a sports star.

 

[WellsNZ]

Im sorta on SJ's side with this one.

When the warriors/Kiwis win... "Yep, they should be winning"

When the warriors/Kiwis lose.... "omg that ShaunJohnson, it's all his fault, he's shit/overrated etc"

Yes he has some bad games but he bares the brunt more than he deserves on social media. It's no wonder the dude gets a little sandy.

If only the warriors had other 'good' players to spread the hate on evenly after a loss.

I don't think this is necessarily accurate. If they win, and SJ contributed, guaranteed the articles and news are dressing him up as a star.

I also don't think he exclusively cops the blame, in fact far from it. There's been plenty of scapegoats at the Warriors, particularly the long string of coaches that have been run out of town while the players didn't front.

 

[Leber]

I don't think this is necessarily accurate. If they win, and SJ contributed, guaranteed the articles and news are dressing him up as a star.

I also don't think he exclusively cops the blame, in fact far from it. There's been plenty of scapegoats at the Warriors, particularly the long string of coaches that have been run out of town while the players didn't front.

From people like us who follow the team, yes. But social media shit comes from lots of
Fair weather fans that probably don't know any other players.

 

[Rich102]

Im sorta on SJ's side with this one.

When the warriors/Kiwis win... "Yep, they should be winning"

When the warriors/Kiwis lose.... "omg that ShaunJohnson, it's all his fault, he's shit/overrated etc"

Yes he has some bad games but he bares the brunt more than he deserves on social media. It's no wonder the dude gets a little sandy.

If only the warriors had other 'good' players to spread the hate on evenly after a loss.

If he plays on social media he only has himself to blame.

 

[Iafeta]

That's not particularly fair. Firstly, most sportspeople do. Secondly, the blimmin leader of the free world uses it ad nauseam. Thirdly, most of the Warriors over the past 2-3 years have massively cut back their social media interaction.

 

[Rich102]

First. I think most good sportspeople avoid reading reviews of their performances - unless they are looking for flattery.
Two. What "the leader of the free world" does should be a lesson to all of us on what not to do.
Three. Maybe SJ should learn from their example.