Johnson sparkles in Warriors win
OPINION: It is only round one, but the Warriors have shown the blueprint to get the best out of Shaun Johnson.
Along with Roger Tuivasasheck, the star halfback was the best on the field against South Sydney as they finally got the job done in Perth.
The jinking run to set up David Fusitu’a’s second try was vintage Johnson. Coming on the stroke of halftime moments after the Rabbitohs were unlucky to have a try ruled out for a forward pass, it was a huge play in the scope of the match.
He finished with two linebreaks and two try assists, while having a hand in two others. But it was the performances of those around him that allowed the former Golden Boot winner to shine.
Blake Green was brought to the club to relieve the playmaking pressure from Johnson, and that is exactly what he did.
The veteran five-eighth expertly marshalled the team around the field, allowing his halves partner to pick his moments when to strike from out on the right edge.
Here he was aided by the steadying influence of impressive back-rower Tohu Harris and the classy Peta Hiku.
Johnson can’t do much if the team is going backwards and the middle forwards muscled up against the big Rabbitohs pack. It was a collective effort too, with Sam Lisone, Bunty Afoa and Leivaha Pulu providing great impact off the bench.
While players like Johnson and Tuivasa-sheck attract the headlines, perhaps the most impressive aspect of the Warriors’ performance was their resilience in defence.
With temperatures around 30 degrees, alarm bells were ringing early in the contest when the Rabbitohs dominated possession and marched upfield with ease.
Yes, they conceded the opening try but previous Warriors sides may have found themselves 12 or even 18 points behind under a similar amount of pressure.
All the attacking stats were with South Sydney in the first half. But even with Simon Mannering watching from home, the Warriors displayed a hard edge rarely associated with the club during their six-year playoff drought to lead 20-10.
Again, it is very early days and no one is getting carried away.
Discipline was an issue for the Warriors. They lost their way in attack in the final 20 minutes and conceded a soft late try.
Rarely do the Warriors live up to expectations and it was just like them to come away with the points on Saturday when everyone was writing them off.
Now for the hard part - backing that up next week at home against the Titans in a game they will be expected to win.
Johnson has had a tendency to drift out of games in the past and it will be interesting to see how he responds in the coming weeks if play does not always flow his way.
Yet in what was the most encouraging sign, he played with a clear intent to run the ball.
And we all know what Johnson is capable of when he’s in that sort of mood.
"In what was the most encouraging sign, he [Johnson] played with a clear intent to run the ball."