Eyes will be on them. Famous eyes, influential eyes, eyes that could change lives and take them places they have only dreamed of.

They are the eyes of New Zealand rugby league legend Shaun Johnson. 'One hundred per cent man,” Johnson told The Weekend Sun. 'I will definitely be on the sideline watching.”

'Yeah? Shaun Johnson. Really?” says a quietly incredulous Hohepa Chandler, a Tauranga Boys' College rugby player dabbling in league. 'That's daunting.”

Hohepa has been selected for one of three Coastline age-group rugby league teams invited to join a new NZ Warriors and Auckland Rugby League initiative – a competition involving the best young league talent that Auckland, Northland, Waikato and Bay of Plenty can muster.

Coastline, which draws its players from Whakatane, Kawerau and Tauranga, will be represented by Under-16 and Under-18 boys' teams, and a girls' Under-17 team.

Shaun Johnson played his first game of league aged four, and growing up never dreamed of having a competition named after him. But this month the Under-16s will play for the Shaun Johnson Shield.

Fiery cauldron

The Coastline teams were chosen from trials and started training together last weekend. This weekend they'll be cast into the fiery cauldron that is the Auckland league scene.

Shaun Johnson knows the feeling well. 'I grew up north of Auckland and whenever we crossed the harbour bridge to play the Auckland-based kids we knew we were in for it.” But he also has some calming advice.

'The Coastline guys should be more excited than anything. It's just an exciting time.”

Jasper Dobson, a rugged 15-year-old prop out of the Ngongotaha Chiefs, is up for it. 'Played in Auckland last year and we shook the boat. Gave them a good run.”

'Everyone wins really,” says Coastline District Rugby League's coaching and development officer Rob Taingahue. 'We're reinventing league's youth space, giving our rangitahi, our youth, something to strive for.”

And this competition is the best way of doing that. 'Not just for the young players, but for coaches, managers, trainers and hopefully local referees – right across the game.”

That's the big picture, but for the best of the district's age group leagues, and the good sprinkling of talented cross-coders drawn into the mix, they'll be exposed to some tough, top-level competition.

More opportunities

'I play both codes because just one is boring,” says 14-year-old Ronan Byford from Whakatane. 'And it means more game time.”

And more game time means more opportunities to showcase talents and express themselves in a fun way. 'Just enjoy it because you never know where it will lead you,” says the 202 NRL game vet Shaun Johnson.

The Coastline boys' teams will play six games against four Auckland teams and one each from Northland and Waikato. Two games will be played at home at Mitchell Park and the top two teams will play off in a final.
The girls will play four games for a cup named for captain of the NZ Warriors women's team and vice-captain of the NZ test team, Georgia Hales.

'The NRL women's game is exploding,” says Under 16s coach James Nicholson. 'They'll be needing good players and so this new competition is a chance for our women to put their hands up.” There are five teams, including Coastline, in this inaugural women's competition.

Build on experience

The Warriors age group competitions started last year without Coastline. But then two tournament teams were chosen from the inaugural Auckland competition and played one off-games against Coastline. 'We lost both,” says Rob. 'But it was valuable. It showed us exactly what our players needed to do to become competitive and reach that next level.” And this month Coastline rugby league will build on that experience.

Shaun Johnson intends being more than just a shield sponsor and spectator at the competition in Auckland. 'I will be watching all teams and players very closely. And on the back of that there might be extra opportunities to work with me one-on-one. I am also very passionate about setting up an academy, where we can help these kids rise to the next level.”

A shield for Under 16s bearing the name Shaun Johnson is a good start.