There was not a dry eye in New Zealand, or in rugby league as a whole, when Shaun Johnson announced his retirement at the end of 2024.
It was the end of an era, one that spanned over a decade.
However, once the emotions set in and the shock of his departure had faded, alarm bells started to ring for the New Zealand Warriors. Who would steer Andrew Webster's ship with the veteran halfback abandoning the helm?
Insert Tanah Boyd, the Warriors' latest coup for 2025. The former Gold Coast Titans halfback crossed the Tasman Sea over the offseason with hopes of claiming the recently vacant number seven jersey.
He was once touted as the halfback of the future for the Titans, but similar to other aspiring halves at the Titans in recent years, most recently Toby Sexton, those hopes were soon quashed.
With Kiwis legend Shaun Johnson sailing off into the sunset, Boyd has expressed his urge to fill that spot.
โIt's had a big part of it and there was an opportunity there, so definitely jumped at it, but I have still got to prove myself and earn the respect of the players," Boyd said in a recent press conference.
While his goal is to be the replacement for Johnson, the 24-year-old admitted he has some pretty big boots to fill.
โI don't think you can ever replace Shaun, he's a pretty special player and like I was saying, I'll just focus on my strengths and what I can bring to the team and that's the same with all the halves."
When discussing his offseason preparations, Boyd admitted he has a lot to learn and credited his new coach for his ongoing support.
โI'm learning so much so far with Webby [coach Andrew Webster] and it's been a good change and I am learning so much," he said of the 2023 Coach of the Year.
The praise goes both ways, with Webster crediting his newest recruit's game and revealing why he felt he would be a good fit in this Warriors squad.
"He can kick, he can goal kick, he can organise really well, he's tough, he's fit as anything..."
โThe reason why we wanted Tanah, I always thought he was that kid that was a star on the way up, debuted at a really young age, big hopes on him and I think halves don't really learn their craft until they're sort of between the 75 to 100 (game) mark, and he'll get close to that in the next couple of years."
Boyd will be battling fellow teammates Te Maire Martin, Chanel Harris-Tavita and Luke Metcalf for the halfback jersey in the lead-up to Round 1.
He has vowed to work on his game religiously and will accept any role Webster offers him.
โI just want to focus on my strengths and whatever I can bring to the team and if they like that, they'll go with it.
โI'm just focusing on me and what I can bring to the team and just constantly trying to evolve my game and get better each day."
Tanah Boyd has played 69 games for the Titans since 2019, slotting 108 goals and scoring nine tries.
