Johnson admits to almost signing with Sydney rival

Outgoing Cronulla Sharks half Shaun Johnson has revealed how close he came to signing with the Canterbury Bulldogs.

The Bulldogs have been on a monumental recruitment drive over the last 12 months ahead of the 2022 season, now having signed ten players including Matt Burton, Josh Addo-Carr, Tevita Pangai Junior and Paul Vaughan among others.

But the strategy almost took a dramatic swerve, with Johnson only swayed by Phil Gould to head home during his time with the club. Gould has since left the Warriors and joined the Bulldogs in an over-arching role at the head of the football department.

Instead, Johnson will complete the ultimate homecoming to link up with the Warriors on a two-year deal which could be the final contract of the 31-year-old's career. Johnson spent the first years of his career at the Warriors, having played 162 games since a 2011 debut.

Speaking on The Ice Project Podcast, Johnson said playing alongside Matt Burton was the drawcard, as well as the process Bulldogs' coach Trent Barrett was putting in place.

“That was the drawcard,” Johnson said.

“I remember after playing the Panthers I pulled Matty Burton for a chat and said ‘what do you think bro?’ and he said ‘yes, please come’.

“At that time I was pretty much 95 per cent on the way (to the Bulldogs).

“I really loved what Trent Barret was doing there, loved the group he was assembling. The time he showed me, we had some really good chats.”

The Warriors weren't ready to give up on Johnson coming home though, with the veteran seen as the perfect mentor for the club's young halves, which includes Chanel Harris-Tavita and Sean O'Sullivan, while there is a chance discarded Titan Ashley Taylor could also sign with the club for 2022.

Johnson mentioned his former falling out with the Warriors as a potential roadblock to the deal being done for a return to the Warriors, but that Gould had rescued the situation.