No SJ, no worries as Kiwi halves make a statement

For all the disappointment that followed Shaun Johnson’s decision to withdraw from Kiwis selection after his career-best season for the Warriors, New Zealand’s incumbent halves have left no doubt about their long-term job security in the Test side.

As the Kiwis produced a 50-0 shutout of Toa Samoa at Eden Park on Saturday, Jahrome Hughes and Dylan Brown ran riot and helped their side clock up nine tries, while kicking their opponents around the park in exhausting fashion.

In previous years losing a halfback who finished second in Dally M voting, as Johnson did in 2023, would have been a disaster for the Kiwis, but ahead of facing the Kangaroos in week three of the Pacific Championships Hughes and Brown eased any fears that the side would be weakened by the absence of 'SJ'.

Samoa had no answer for what Hughes threw at them down the right edge as he laid on a pair of tries and scored one himself on his way to player of the match honours, while Brown was at his running best on the other side of the field, carrying the ball 22 times for 193 metres.

Despite having less than a week together in camp prior to taking on Samoa – who had played a week earlier against Australia – coach Michael Maguire said the past experience his halves have together at Test level meant combinations were quick to click. 

“I was super impressed with [the halves] given the time [we had]. That’s one thing about having the continuity of players, I felt that Jahrome and Dyl connected from what we did at the World Cup,” Maguire said.

I felt that both the halves got hold of the team early in the week… we put a bit of pressure on ourselves early in the game, but between the two halves they directed the boys around through the pressure and it sort of changed the momentum of the game.

Michael Maguire

“Having those boys together; we can build on what we saw out there today.”

While at 29 Hughes is entering the twilight of his career, in 23-year-old Brown the Kiwis have a half who can take them into the next decade.

Hughes told media after the win at Eden Park – which means New Zealand are through to the Pacific Championships final – that the best gift he can give Brown right now is encouraging him to continue to take on more leadership of the squad.

“You sort of forget how young he is,” Hughes said.  

“He knows he is young and inexperienced, but he knows he has to step up.

“I am just trying to guide him a little bit on how to be a bit more of a leader and I think he’s doing a great job there.”

Meanwhile the Kiwis spoke of the defensive confidence they’ll take to AAMI Park in Melbourne next week after they kept a side to nil in a home Test for the first time in 22 years on Saturday.

It continues what has been a positive trend for New Zealand in that department, with the side having now gone eight Test matches in a row without giving up more than three tries in a game.

“The players buy into what I put in front of them, but it’s up to them to do the practice to go towards that,” Maguire said of the defensive effort.

“I was just really pleased with how they defended and obviously that’s what we take forward.

“We put a little bit of pressure on ourselves in that first half early on, but the scramble… you could see the black jerseys coming into the picture, that was probably the most pleasing thing I saw.”