Player profile: Shaun Johnson

I am willing to ride the SJ roller coaster, think he is in for a big year.

<ul><li>TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT: <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="http://13.210.220.211/2020/02/04/team-announcement-jarrod-croker/" target="_blank">Jarrod Croker&#8217;s SuperCoach team reveal</a></li><li>PENRITH PANTHERS: <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="http://13.210.220.211/squad_analysis/squad-analysis-starting-17-penrith-panthers/" target="_blank">Squad analysis + starting 17</a></li></ul>



Cronulla playmaker Shaun Johnson looms as one of the most intriguing and important selection decisions to begin the SuperCoach season.



Johnson’s enormous ceiling could make-or-break the early
stages of the year, particularly should the likes of Mitchell Moses and Nathan
Cleary falter around him.



While he’ll be popular for many, a large number of SuperCoaches have placed the flamboyant Sharks five-eighth on their ‘never again’ list as a result of his injury history.



*Scroll down to the bottom of the page for a key on all SuperCoach relevant abbreviations.



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<a id='qQKhMUAqRcVDhJAurOjxlA' class='gie-single' href='http://www.gettyimages.com.au/detail/1161740460' target='_blank' style='color:#a7a7a7;text-decoration:none;font-weight:normal !important;border:none;display:inline-block;' rel="noopener noreferrer">Embed from Getty Images</a><script>window.gie=window.gie||function(c){(gie.q=gie.q||[]).push(c)};gie(function(){gie.widgets.load({id:'qQKhMUAqRcVDhJAurOjxlA',sig:'ws-nmpAjPYrZLflebk5lHxj99_eX2BmBzN_hjl7qvkk=',w:'594px',h:'413px',items:'1161740460',caption: true ,tld:'com.au',is360: false })});</script><script src='//embed-cdn.gettyimages.com/widgets.js' charset='utf-8' async></script>



With the amount at stake on the decision, we’re taking a
deep dive into whether or not Johnson is worth taking the gamble on to start
2020.



After being a standout halves option in past seasons, SJ
came back to the pack in 2018 and 2019 with respectable averages of 64 and
63PPG.



Despite numerous injuries, he still managed to average 80
and 76MPG in each season, thus meaning his scores haven’t been too effected by
the injuries (at least in regards to overall game time).



Johnson has played over 18 games in a season just once in the past five years (2016).



<figure class="wp-block-embed-twitter wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">One of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NRL9s?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NRL9s</a> finest&#8230; Shaun Johnson 😍 <a href="https://t.co/Jqyu7Xt7f6">pic.twitter.com/Jqyu7Xt7f6</a>&mdash; NRL (@NRL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NRL/status/1225660461221179395?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 7, 2020</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div></figure>



His base of just 18BPG is underwhelming, however it’s been
heavily impacted by a reduced running game while playing without full fitness.



Many fans fail to appreciate the difficulty in moving to a
new club for playmakers, in particular key halves such as Johnson.



The greatest combinations in rugby league history struggled
at times in their early formation, most recently the new-look Roosters spine
back in 2018 of James Tedesco, Cooper Cronk, Luke Keary and Jake Friend.



Tedesco that season averaged 63PPG in the opening 15 rounds, then finished the season with an average of 96PPG in his final seven games once finding his mojo alongside his new combination.



That’s not to say SJ matches Tedesco’s following season exploits,
simply that improvement should come naturally.



It took the star quartet several months to hit their straps
on field and in SuperCoach scoring.



With a full season in the Shire behind him, Johnson will be far more at home with the men around him.



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In validation, when seemingly back to full fitness at the
back end of 2019 Johnson went on an absolute tear.



He averaged 80PPG in the final eight games of the season.



Vital to his SuperCoach selection in 2020 will be the fact
he’s available as a dual HFB-5/8.



Dual positioning has been cut down across the game this
season, with many of his main halves rivals including Cleary, Moses, Cody
Walker, Daly Cherry-Evans and Cameron Munster being locked into their sole
positions.



Never underestimate the value of dual position status,
particularly to begin this season with many having Raiders recruit George
Williams in their side – also a dual HFB-5/8.



A serious downside to his selection is Cronulla’s brutal
opening fixtures.



The Sharks face the Rabbitohs, Storm, Knights, Bulldogs,
Roosters and Broncos in their opening six weeks.



Read into that as you will…



Furthermore, with Shark Park’s redevelopment he won’t be
playing at his regular home ground throughout the season, with the club to play
home games at Jubilee Oval.



It should also be noted Cronulla have the bye in Round 12,
so SJ won’t be available for the first major bye week.



<figure class="wp-block-embed-twitter wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">Last season Shaun Johnson had an aggravation of an old lower back injury that is thought to contribute to his lower limb muscle strains. Surgery was discussed to remove part of a lumbar disc, but Johnson opted against this &amp; received cortisone injections (used to ⬇️ inflammation) <a href="https://t.co/0p1MSm6190">pic.twitter.com/0p1MSm6190</a>&mdash; NRL PHYSIO (@nrlphysio) <a href="https://twitter.com/nrlphysio/status/1225277423693881344?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 6, 2020</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div></figure>



As for his current health?



Johnson appeared very open and honest in a recent interview
where he declared his body was ‘too weak’ for the rigours of the NRL in 2019.



He returned to training almost immediately after his New
Zealand Test campaign at the end of the year.



He believes his body is far stronger than it has been in the
past in preparation for 2020.



It’s hard to read into too many pre-season comments, but Johnson is one of the more forward NRL players when speaking, and he seems bullish about his fitness levels.



SUPERCOACH TERMINOLOGY KEY



MPG = Minutes per game



PPG = Points per game



PPM= Points per minute



BPG = Base per game (point accrued in tackles + runs + missed tackles)



POD = Point of difference

Player profile: Shaun Johnson

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