Fresh from being named Warriors' player of the year, Shaun Johnson has revealed the tough conversation that convinced him to return to Mt Smart this season and rediscover his love for the game.
The veteran half's form has already seen him awarded the club's highest accolade, with talk circling he could win the Dally M Medal as well.
While Johnson is the name on the lips, minds and hearts of Warriors fans in 2023, a year ago he would've struggled to comprehend even coming close to being named player of the year.
"I was just in a bad spot," Johnson told Newshub. "I was in a bad spot."
With the team marooned in Australia due to the pandemic, losing, and with Johnson struggling for form, a coffee catch up with Warriors icon Stacey Jones and chief executive Cameron George proved a critical turning point.
"We just set about understanding what the future would look like," George recalled. "We believed in him, and we sort of offered him that advice and it was all up to Shaun after that."
Whether it was the coffee, the confronting conversation or a confidence boost, it proved pivotal - leaving a phone call with then-incoming head coach Andrew Webster to seal the deal.
"Their belief with me was there and ultimately they created an environment which made me fall in love with the game again," said Johnson.
"There's always been that confidence there but that confidence just came from banking all of that hard work. Like, a lot of hard work. Then you continue to do that week in, week out in the season."
Since then, Johnson's soared and the smile's returned.
"I felt like I owed the people that believed in me a good year," he explained.
His resurgence has coincided with the Warriors', locking in a top-four finals date with Penrith on Saturday in their first finals match since 2018.
"I'm really enjoying everything that's involved with the sport at the moment," Johnson added. "Just our environment, the culture we've built.
"It's so good to be a part of, man."
And for Warriors and their frothing fanbase, so good to watch.
"He's a professional. He's a leader. He's a community influencer and kids look up to him. Adults look up to him," George said.
"He's inspirational."
Johnson isn't resting on his laurels, with the real business set to get underway at BlueBet Stadium this weekend in a match they'll enter as firm underdogs against the defending premiers.
"We'll get over there and give it a good crack."
Join Newshub at 6pm Saturday for live updates of the Warriors v Panthers NRL playoff clash
