Why Johnson is still Warriors' key man, despite emerging questions

By Michael Burgess

Shaun Johnson can still be the Warriors’ key point of difference in 2024.

Despite the prevailing mood, it’s too early to write off his potential influence on the team over the rest of this season. His status has shrunk somewhat over the past two months, first during the painful losing streak between round seven and 10, then after the underwhelming comeback in last Saturday’s 38-24 defeat to the Storm.

That has prompted questions over what he has left to give and whether the end of the road is looming for the 33-year-old. But the answer should be plenty and no, not yet.

Across the first 10 rounds of the season, Johnson struggled to reach the heights of 2023 – when he was exceptional – but so did the team. There wasn’t the consistency and connection, while opposition teams were much more ready to counter the Warriors’ recipe. And Johnson had to deal with an ever-changing cast around him due to injuries, while also carrying an Achilles problem.

Despite that, there were strong performances. He was one of the best on the field against the Storm in Melbourne and exceptional in the round five win over the Rabbitohs. There were key contributions in the victories over Canberra and Newcastle, and who can forget his solo try against Manly, along with the remarkable pass to Dallin Watene-Zelezniak to engineer their late, late escape?

Te Maire Martin was outstanding in Johnson’s absence, in the eye-catching wins over the Panthers, Dolphins and Cowboys. But that three-game turnaround coincided with a sharper gameplan and other personnel changes, particularly the return of Marata Niukore, which added up to stronger performances across the board.

The Storm defeat was a step back, though the Warriors weren’t as far away as the scoreline suggested. It was always going to be a gamble to reintroduce Johnson in such a match, given Melbourne are arguably the most demanding team in the competition to face, with their defensive discipline, organisation and constant gamesmanship.

It would have also been a strange experience for Johnson. In 35 previous games under Andrew Webster, Johnson had been the dominant playmaker, controlling and cajoling, with his hands on the ball more than any other player apart from the hooker.

Now he was in a secondary role, sometimes three off the ruck. He didn’t always look comfortable, not helped by a couple of early handling errors. But he’ll be back and the spark could come as soon as this Saturday against the Gold Coast Titans (5pm).

The remodelled Johnson-Martin partnership will take time to work out. The Warriors needed to change, as they were getting a bit predictable, especially with all the kicking (yardage and attacking) going through Johnson. If it works, their attack could go to a new level, with threats on either side of the ruck. Getting that balance won’t be easy but it will come.

It feels like Johnson will still be the central focus of the attack but Martin has a much bigger role than previously, to bring his qualities into the match.

“We always planned to make adjustments so we’ll definitely see that,” said Webster of Saturday. “It will look the same but different. What I mean is that every other player on the field will feel like our style is the same but those player’s involvement will be different.”

“[Before the Storm game] they had two training sessions together. So we weren’t going to change it. I think the whole world was really happy with what Te Maire was doing. I was still happy with what Te Maire did [last weekend]. We just didn’t want to come in off the back of two sessions and change the world.”

Saturday’s match is the first of three crucial games ahead of their next bye (round 19) and the Warriors need to start making ground on the top eight. The Auckland team will also have revenge on their minds – after the shock 27-24 loss to the Gold Coast on Anzac Day – but won’t be complacent given the Queensland club has won five of the past seven encounters between the two teams.

This article was first published on nzherald.co.nz and is republished here with permission