Wests Tigers have reportedly increased their offer to lure NZ Warriors halfback Shaun Johnson to Sydney, with his contract to expire at the end of the current NRL season.
Johnson, 32, has been a standout for the Warriors' start to 2023, playing every game in the club's six wins to sit eighth in the competition standings after 11 games.
But with Johnson yet to recommit to the Warriors, the Tigers are understood to be trying to snap up the NZ Kiwis' half.
At the start of May, the Tigers reportedly tabled a one-year contract for Johnson, after failing to re-sign Mitchell Moses from Parramatta Eels.
With Johnson being over 30, a one-year contract would be a standard offer for an NRL club to make. However, the security of a deal of two years or longer will almost certainly be the want of Johnson and his management.
And according to the Daily Telegraph, the Tigers have increased their offer to a two-year contract, potentially giving Johnson the chance to finish his career playing in western Sydney.
After 11 games, Johnson leads the NRL in kick metres, with 6502, and sits third-equal on try assists with 10 at an average of 0.91 per game.
While it's understood no official negotiations between Johnson and the Warriors have taken place yet, the club are unconcerned over the prospect of losing their star player.
"Shaun and I have a good relationship so we know where that is and how that looks," said coach Andrew Webster. "We'll work that out at the right time.
"I just think he should be proud of the fact that if there is people on this side of the ditch that want him. They've seen how well he's playing, they think he's going to contribute and make an impact to their team.
"The thing around that for us is - we're not at that stage where we're concerned about it. What I'm concerned about is Shaun and I keep having good communication with each other and, if we continue to do that, then everything's going to be fine.
"Shaun's the best one to comment on whether he's happy at home in New Zealand but it certainly looks that way. He's always played his best football there."
Since his debut for the Warriors in 2011, Johnson has scored a club-record 927 points across two separate stints after leaving for Cronulla Sharks in 2019.
