Magic Johnson strikes gold for Warriors
RUGBY LEAGUE: Warriors match-winner Shaun Johnson says he dares not think about how the team would be feeling if they had lost in golden-point time to the Panthers at Mt Smart Stadium on Saturday night.
Johnson scored a superb try in the 89th minute to give the Warriors a 20-16 win over the Panthers.
Having lost three NRL games in the last four weeks in sudden death, it would have been catastrophic for the team’s confidence if they had let the visitors snatch the win in golden-point time after letting them back into the game in the second half.
‘‘I don’t know where our heads would be if we lost that one to be fair, I don’t really like to think about that,’’ Johnson said. ’’But it was massive for us going forward, we need to use that win for something bigger, to finish off our season.
‘‘Obviously, we’re right in the mix, we know that. For us, our thought process can’t change, we want to get better every week.’’
The 25-year-old Johnson has scored many memorable tries for the Warriors since making his debut in 2011 and his try on Saturday night was up there with the best of them.
"I actually looked wide. I knew that the defence was going to come in and I think I pumped the ball and they held off, so I went for it and it was a pretty good feeling." Shaun Johnson
With numerous Panthers players offside and rushing towards him, Johnson quickly took the decision to run, rather than attempt a field goal and as he’s done so often, and he danced his way to the tryline.
‘‘I obviously got charged down the play before,’’ Johnson said. ’’Refs don’t blow penalties in overtime, so I knew they were always going to get to me.
‘‘I learnt my lesson from a few weeks ago, where I wished I had done that. Just beat that first player then let instinct take over.’’
Johnson said he didn’t realise he was going to make it all the way once he took off and he still had a few more defenders to beat.
‘‘I actually looked wide,’’ he said. ’’I knew that the defence was going to come in and I think I pumped the ball and they held off, so I went for it and it was a pretty good feeling.’’
The result continues some impressive streaks for the Warriors. They haven’t been beaten in regulation time since losing 38-12 to the Raiders on May 21 and they haven’t lost at Mt Smart Stadium since going down 34-18 to the Sea Eagles on April 9.
‘‘I’m pleased that over the last month that we’ve competed for the whole 80 minutes,’’ Warriors prop Ben Matulino said.
‘‘We’ve lost games in golden point, but they’ve been some pretty tough games and both teams have turned up.
‘‘We’re always there, we’re not falling off at the back end of games and that’s the most pleasing thing.’’