The New Zealand Warriors have won a nail-biting game against the Sharks 30-28, capping off Shaun Johnson’s illustrious NRL career with a bang.
If Johnson couldn’t finish his career in New Zealand, one must imagine he’d have been nearly as happy ending it in his second home: Cronulla.
Against the side he played 44 times for in a three year stint, Johnson began the game in vintage fashion, selling Sharks middle Oregon Kaufusi with an early dummy before slicing in and finding Luke Metcalf in support for the game’s first try.
MATCH CENTRE: Cronulla Sharks vs New Zealand Warriors live scores, videos, teams
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SJ honoured by teammates in final game | 00:59
With Metcalf expected to take the mantle as the Warriors’ dominant half once Johnson’s boots are hung up, Fox League’s Andrew Voss described the try as a “passing of the baton.”
For much of the game, this was one of the few moments of Warriors joy in Johnson’s final career game, with the home side asserting themselves on the contest, and top four, with a dominant performance in the first half.
Teig Wilton got the Sharks on the board in the 24th minute, hitting a hole beautifully off Braydon Trindall.
Eight minutes later Kayal Iro powered over for the host’s second try of the night and from there the Sharks had the wind firmly in their sail, scoring in the 34th and 37th minute through Samuel Stonestreet and Thomas Hazleton.
By halftime, Craig Fitzgibbon’s side led 22-4, enhancing their chances of finishing as high as second and landing a once believed unlikely home final.
Cronulla had two tries disallowed early in the first half, one to Nicho Hynes and another to Samual Stonestreet, with the latter, and a penalty for high shot on Marata Niukore, opening the door for the Warriors to re-enter the game.
They did so through Dallin Watene-Zelezniak following a brilliant right edge shift, with Johnson converting the try to get his side within two tries of the home side.
Watene-Zelezniak was the next to score, racing to get on the end of a brilliant Johnson grubber that allowed the winger to grab his 100th career try and get the Warriors right back into the contest.
“See you soon” SJ bows out on top | 05:01
“A brilliantly executed kick here from Johnson,” Fox League’s Michael Ennis said.
Seven minutes after DWZ’s try the winger was collected high by Sharks centre Kayal Iro, with the contact starting an all-in melee between the two sides.
From there Iro was sent to the bin, with Johnson going to work to target the space the centre vacated.
In the following set, the Warriors attacked Iro’s edge three times, crossing through Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad on the third time of asking to get within two points of the home side.
With the wind in their sail, Andrew Webster’s side scored again after Luke Metcalf’s rocket cut out pass found Marcelo Montoya’s chest, with the winger strolling over to give his side their first lead in some time.
Cronulla, as all champion sides seem to do, worked their way back into the contest through Stonestreet following some wonderful footwork from Will Kennedy, who jinked past a jamming Watene-Zelezniak before finding his winger untouched in the corner.
Fitzgibbon confused by sin bin surge | 07:58
Trindall nailed the sideline conversion, setting up the contest for a hair-raising finish in Johnson’s final game.
And that is what we got, with the man of the moment Johnson creating the Warriors’ game winning try in the final minute after firing a bullet pass to Watene-Zelezniak’s chest.
“This is ridiculous. This is 15/10 on the incredible meter,” Voss said on commentary.
What a moment. What a win. What a career.
Here are the three biggest talking points to come out of tonight’s match
GLASS HALF EMPTY
As one superstar playmaker said goodbye to the NRL, another made his long-awaited comeback as Nicho Hynes returned on a costly night for the Sharks who can kiss a top-two finish goodbye.
Hynes would have wanted a nice and easy return to the NRL in his first game back from injury in nearly two months, and everything was going to script with the Sharks up 22-4 at the break.
Hynes had already laid on a try for Tom Hazelton before the prop returned the favour, only for the four points to be wiped off for an obstruction.
It was a different role for the returning Sharks star who played second fiddle to Braydon Trindall who set up two first-half-tries, with Hynes happy to sit back in his new role at five-eighth.
There were some dazzling plays by the hosts but this was a wasted opportunity as they now prepare to travel to Manly next week wondering how they let this one slip.
COSTLY BIN
The home fans are always angry with the officials, but their fury rose to new heights in the second half when Kayal Iro was sent to the sin bin for a high shot on Watene-Zelezniak who didn’t leave the field for an HIA.
The Warriors scored twice while he was off the field, but the decision seemed harsh.
ONCE WERE WARRIORS
They got within 80 minutes of a spot in last year’s grand final, but the Warriors are now on holidays after an underwhelming year.
It’s been a fall from grace for a team that had such high hopes at the start of the year and has enjoyed unprecedented support with all of their home games sold out this season.
But they gave their fans one good memory to hold onto over summer before they open the 2025 season in Las Vegas without Johnson and Addin Fonua-Blake.
~ Martin Gabor
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