Shaun Johnson facts for kids
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Personal information
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| Full name | Shaun Ly Johnson | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 9 September 1990 Auckland, New Zealand |
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Playing information
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| Height | 179 cm (5 ft 10 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 91 kg (14 st 5 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Halfback, Five-eighth | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Shaun Johnson (born 9 September 1990) is a famous former New Zealand rugby league player. He was known as "Magic Johnson" because of his amazing skills. Shaun played as a halfback for the New Zealand Warriors in the National Rugby League (NRL).
Many people think Shaun is one of New Zealand's best rugby league players ever. He is often compared to legends like Benji Marshall and Stacey Jones. Shaun holds the record for the most points scored for both the Warriors and the New Zealand Kiwis. He also played for the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks and the NRL All Stars. In 2014, Shaun won the Rugby League World Golden Boot Award, which means he was named the best player in the world!
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Shaun Johnson's Early Life
Shaun Johnson was born in Auckland, New Zealand. His mother is from Laos, and his father is a New Zealander. He grew up on the Whangaparāoa Peninsula.
Shaun went to Whangaparaoa Primary School and Orewa College. He was a talented athlete and played many different sports. These included basketball, rugby union, and Australian rules football. He even played for New Zealand in Under 16s Australian rules football! But he really shined in touch and Rugby League. He represented New Zealand in both of these sports.
Shaun Johnson's Rugby League Journey
Starting Out in Rugby League
Shaun began his rugby league journey playing for the Hibiscus Coast Raiders. This was part of the Auckland Rugby League competition. In 2009, the New Zealand Warriors signed him.
He started his professional career with the Junior Warriors. They played in the Toyota Cup. A famous league player, Andrew Johns, was very impressed with Shaun. He said he hadn't been this excited about a player in a long time! Shaun played 45 games for the Junior Warriors. He scored 25 tries and helped his team win the 2010 Grand Final.
Making His NRL Debut
Shaun joined the main New Zealand Warriors team in 2011. He made his first National Rugby League (NRL) appearance in Round 13. In his very next game, he scored his first NRL try! He played a huge role in the Warriors reaching the 2011 NRL Grand Final. Even though they lost, Shaun played an amazing game. He helped set up both of his team's tries.
International Success and Big Awards
In 2012, Shaun played his first international game for the New Zealand Kiwis. He scored an incredible 80-metre try! He was also the top try-scorer for the Warriors that year. Shaun won the Rookie of the Year award from the Rugby League International Federation.
In 2013, Shaun played for the NRL All Stars team. He also helped the Kiwis reach the 2013 Rugby League World Cup final. In the semi-final against England, he scored a try in the last minute. He then kicked the goal to win the game! This sent the Kiwis to the final. Shaun was the top points-scorer of the tournament.
In 2014, Shaun was named the most valuable player at the NRL Auckland Nines tournament. He then led the Kiwis to a big win in the 2014 Rugby League Four Nations final against Australia. He was named man of the match for his fantastic performance. Later that year, Shaun won the prestigious Rugby League World Golden Boot Award. This award goes to the best player in the world!
Key Moments with the Warriors and Sharks
In 2015, Shaun continued to shine. He scored one of the best tries of the season against the Cronulla Sharks. He dodged five defenders to score the winning try in the last minute! However, he suffered a season-ending ankle injury later that year.
Shaun played for the Warriors until 2018. He helped them reach the finals that year. After the 2018 season, Shaun decided to leave the Warriors. He signed a three-year deal with the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks. He wanted to win a premiership with Cronulla.
He made his debut for Cronulla in 2019. In 2020, he had a great season, leading the league in try assists. But he suffered a serious Achilles tendon injury, which ended his season early. In 2021, Shaun returned from injury. He kicked a winning field goal against Penrith. Later that year, he announced he would return to the New Zealand Warriors.
Returning Home and Final Seasons
Shaun rejoined the Warriors in 2022. He kicked winning field goals in two golden point games that season. In 2023, Shaun had an incredible season. Many people thought his best playing days were behind him, but he proved them wrong! He improved his kicking and playmaking skills.
In Round 5, he kicked a penalty goal in the last minute to win a game against Cronulla. The Warriors had been far behind at halftime. After the game, Shaun said "Up The Wahs, baby," which became a very popular phrase in New Zealand! He scored two tries in a game against the Dolphins. He also played his 200th game for the Warriors.
Shaun led the league in try assists, total kicks, and kick metres in 2023. He helped the Warriors finish in the top four for the first time since 2008! He won the Simon Mannering Medal as the Warriors' Player of the Year. He was also named the best halfback in the NRL by other players. Shaun finished as the runner-up for the Dally M Medal, which is a huge achievement.
In 2024, Shaun continued to play well. He scored two tries in a game against South Sydney. On 5 August, Shaun announced he would retire from the NRL. His final NRL game was against Cronulla, where he set up a match-winning try in the very last play of his career! He also made a return to international duty for the New Zealand Kiwis in October 2024.
Shaun Johnson's Personal Life
Shaun Johnson is married to Kayla Johnson (nee Cullen). Kayla is a famous New Zealand netball player, known as a Silver Fern. They got married in Byron Bay in 2019. Shaun and Kayla have two daughters, born in 2020 and 2023.
Career Stats
| Year | Team | Appearances | Tries | Goals | Goal-kicking % | Field Goals | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 NRL Season |  New Zealand Warriors |
16 | 6 | – | – | – | 24 |
| 2012 NRL Season | 22 | 12 | – | – | – | 48 | |
| 2013 NRL Season | 24 | 10 | 67/89 | 75.28% | 3 | 177 | |
| 2014 NRL Season | 21 | 9 | 63/83 | 75.90% | 1 | 163 | |
| 2015 NRL Season | 18 | 8 | 48/70 | 68.57% | 2 | 130 | |
| 2016 NRL Season | 24 | 10 | 42/57 | 73.68% | 1 | 125 | |
| 2017 NRL Season | 18 | 4 | 45/57 | 78.95% | 2 | 108 | |
| 2018 NRL Season | 19 | 4 | 61/80 | 76.25% | 4 | 142 | |
| 2019 NRL Season |  Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks |
18 | 3 | 45/59 | 76.27% | – | 102 |
| 2020 NRL Season | 16 | 2 | 56/73 | 76.71% | – | 120 | |
| 2021 NRL Season | 10 | 1 | 18/20 | 90.00% | 1 | 41 | |
| 2022 NRL Season | New Zealand Warriors |
21 | 3 | 14/18 | 77.78% | 2 | 42 |
| 2023 NRL Season | 24 | 8 | 71/89 | 79.78% | 2 | 176 | |
| 2024 NRL Season | 13 | 4 | 23 | 62 | |||
| Totals | 265 | 84 | 553 | 18 | 1460 |
Cricket Career
Shaun Johnson even played cricket! He made his debut for Team Cricket in a T20 game in Christchurch, New Zealand, in January 2025. He scored 5 runs from 3 balls and even got a wicket. Shaun helped Team Cricket win by 5 runs.
