Green aims to improve Johnson

New Warriors signing Blake Green believes he can be the perfect foil for Shaun Johnson when he links up with the talented but inconsistent playmaker next year.

Green this week was granted an early release from his contract with Manly to join the Warriors on a three-year deal.

It continues a well-travelled career for the 31-year-old as he prepares to join his eighth club and third in as many years.

But he has shown his value since returning from England in 2015, helping Melbourne reach the grand final in 2016 before helping Manly halfback Daly CherryEvans return to his best in his one season at Manly this year.

Green said the experience he gained from playing alongside Cherry-Evans, not to mention the ‘Big Three’ of Cameron Smith, Cooper Cronk and Billy Slater in Melbourne, will hold him in good stead for his move to Auckland.

‘‘I learned a heap at Melbourne from Cameron and Bill and Cooper in terms of controlling games, speeding up and momentum and slowing it down,’’ he told The Australian.

‘‘I am going to go there and hopefully give Shaun Johnson and Roger [Tuivasa-Sheck] every opportunity to be the best they can because they are pretty special talents.’’

After missing the finals in 2015 and 2016, the Sea Eagles recruited Green this year and he immediately assumed much of the playmaking responsibility to ease the pressure on Cherry-Evans.

As a result, Manly made it back to the playoffs, finishing sixth, and Green is hoping he can do something similar with Johnson.

‘‘Those special ones need to have a foil who can tick the right box and provide them a bit of stability and balance to play the best they can,’’ he said.

‘‘Cooper was completely different to Chez [Cherry-Evans]. I am guessing he will be different again to someone like Shaun. It’s about developing that relationship and getting it right on the field.’’