Given another chance in the black jersey — probably his last — NZ Kiwis star Shaun Johnson notices a big difference this time.
The veteran half has interrupted a very short retirement to answer an SOS call from longtime mentor and new national coach Stacey Jones, whose squad has been riddled with injuries, as New Zealand prepare to defend their Pacific Championship crown.
In 32 previous outings for his country, Johnson, 34, has often carried its hopes of success.
As a youngster in 2013, he scored the last-ditch try against England that carried the Kiwis into a World Cup final. The following year, he won the Golden Boot, as international player of the year, while leading the Kiwis to a Four Nations triumph and three consecutive wins over the world champions Australia.
Johnson is their all-time leading scorer in Tests, but this latest opportunity to extend that record comes without the same expectations.
The veteran half has come out of retirement for new coach Stacey Jones. (Source: 1News)
"I've stepped into this environment in the past, when the weight's on your shoulders and you're the main guy in the squad," he admitted. "I don't feel that.
"Whether that's the case or not, I don't really care. I'm here to enjoy myself, I'm here to make the most of any opportunity I get in this jersey again, because frankly, I didn't think it would happen again.
"These are bonus minutes."
Johnson last pulled on this jersey five years ago, before injuries ruled him out the following two years. By then, he had fallen behind a new wave of Kiwi halves, with Jahrome Hughes and Dylan Brown guiding them to a record victory over the Aussies last year.
Both are sidelined by injury this time round and Jones has had to ask "a solid" of Johnson, who had hung up his boots and taken up a podcast mic at the end of the NZ Warriors season.
"It probably wasn't as dramatic as everyone's told themselves," he said. "I hope I don't ruin it for anyone.
"It was a phone call, but Stacey and I had spoken a few times, even before some players were unavailable. The last call he made, which was a couple of weeks after the previous one, he was in a bit of a sticky spot.
"I made it very clear I hadn't done much work, but he said I'd be doing him a big favour by coming in and supporting him, delivering his messages, and ultimately getting out there and performing at a good level."
Johnson has had to undergo a short, sharp pre-season conditioning programme to prepare his body for the impact of the oncoming train, but he's taking this assignment very seriously.
"It carries a lot of weight with where I place things in my career," he insisted. "I've always held representing the Kiwis as the absolute pinnacle of what I've been able to do.
"Organically, for a stretch there, I've got away from it and I didn't really feel like I needed to come back into this space. I was very content with where the Kiwis were and the depth they've got in the halves in particular.
"This is a little bit out of the blue, but when I think about the jersey and what I feel about it, that doesn't change.
"Ultimately, that's why I said to Stace, 'Let's go, bro, I'm in'."
Johnson will likely line up alongside former Warriors teammate Kodi Nikorima in the halves against the Kangaroos at Christchurch on Sunday.
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