Star Warriors halfback Shaun Johnson is in doubt for the New Zealand club’s qualifying final against the Panthers, having been restricted at training this week due to a lower-leg injury, reports the New Zealand Herald.
Young gun Ronald Volkman was not named in the 22-man Warriors squad released on Tuesday, but the club could apply for an exemption in the hope of replacing Johnson with the 21-year-old.
Alternatively, the Warriors could shift Dylan Walker from the bench to the halves and move Freddy Lussick from the extended bench to the pine.
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Johnson was among a host of Warriors stars rested for the last round of the regular season because Andrew Webster’s men had already locked up a top-four berth.
The 32-year-old boarded the team flight bound for Sydney on Thursday, ahead of the Warriors’ clash with Penrith at BlueBet Stadium on Saturday night.
Johnson’s injury has rattled the Warriors as they zero in on their first finals appearance since 2018 and the club’s most-important game since the 2011 NRL grand final.
But the veteran playmaker’s injury is not believed to be related to the one which has restricted his goal-kicking duties in recent weeks.
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Johnson suffered an Achilles tear when he was playing for the Sharks, which contributed to a major form slump, but has reinvigorated his career since returning to the Warriors ahead of the 2022 season.
He’s carved out a superb 2023 campaign that resulted in him claiming the club’s highest individual honour, the Simon Mannering Medal for player of the year, as well as the players’ player of the year award.
Johnson and Warriors legend Stacey Jones are the only halfbacks who’ve won the club’s top individual honour.