Former NRL star Shaun Johnson has revealed his Dally M Halfback of the Year prediction, and it’s a massive call from the former Golden Point winner.
On his podcast, The Play On Sports Show, Johnson revealed he thinks Wests Tigers’ Adam Doueihi will crown the Halfback of the Year award.
“They made a move, they signed Jarome Luai over to be a halfback,” Johnson said on the podcast.
“They paid him halfback money all right, but to the Tigers’ credit, they have realised maybe they aren’t quite there yet for someone like Jarome to steer the ship.”
Johnson has put the prediction down to classy touches Doueihi brought for the Tigers when they played in the trial matches, claiming it balances the team out and lets Luai play the natural game that he perfected in his Penrith Panthers days.
“Okay, so what they’ve done over the preseason is given Adam Doueihi the keys. Now, if you watch their first half in particular, against the Penrith Panthers, two full-strength teams essentially.
“The balance looks so much better. It’s almost like Jarome got to play a style that he was playing at the Panthers.
“Some of his touches were classy, and he’s an elite player, but with Adam Doueihi sort of having his fingerprints on the ball more, having both sides of the field balanced up.”
Johnson, who won the Halfback of the Year medal in 2023, made a career out of his strong running game, where he played what was in front of him and gained plenty of success off of it.
According to ‘SJ’, it is expected he will use his ‘eyes up footy’ and running game to isolate defenders as well as get his side around the park through head coach Benji Marshall’s influence.
“He’s a big dude, bro. He’s a ball runner, and he’s got some tools and weapons around him.”
“I just think when you start, any halfback can start with the running game. Think about this, you got your Jahrome Hughes. You got these guys that are sort of trailblazed in that in that area.
“Adam Doueihi is another one of them. He’s built. He’s got a running game, and you got Benji teaching them the subtlety of ball playing and manipulation.
“I’ve got Adam Doueihi as being the Dally M Halfback of the Year.”
Johnson and his co-hosts went on to outline that the Tigers will make the Top 8 off the back of a strong season in the halves pairing.
The halves duo will combine in their first competition match of the year against the North Queensland Cowboys in Round 2.
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