Johnson spurns $1.7m Roosters play to stay in New Zealand

In the midst of the Sydney Roosters spectacularly missing out on David Fifita, it’s emerged the tricolours have also been spurned by Warriors star Shaun Johnson after a rich signing play earlier this season.

The Roosters approached Johnson soon after Keary announced his retirement, James Hooper reported on Fox Sports, but were immediately rejected.

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Johnson, 33, is currently earning around $550,000 a season to play for the Warriors, so Sydney was quietly confident its two-year, $850,00-a-season opening gambit would be enough to lure him back to Australia. Instead, he made it clear he wanted to stay across the Tasman for his family and will soon accept a New Zealand extension.

That extended contract, The Sporting Base can reveal, is worth $700,000 a year.

It’s just another sting for the Roosters—who have long been used to getting their way—after Fifita’s hugely high-profile backflip and Dane Gagai shaking his head at leaving Newcastle for Bondi’s glamour club.

Trent Robinson and the tricolours bosses are now counting down the days until Joseph Suaalii and Joseph Manu walk out the door at the end of the season. That ticking clock has been compounded by Angus Crichton’s decision to test the waters after the Roosters prioritised signing Fifita over keeping him this month.

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There have been whispers rugby union is worrying about Suaalii’s $4.8 million contract, so they could keep one if Rugby Australia pulls out, but that’s only murmurings right now.