Shaun Johnson has opened talks with the Warriors about staying at the club beyond 2024, with his current NRL deal set to run out at the end of the year. New Zealand coach Adam Webster revealed on Monday the side are eager keen to keep him on the books and the club is excited by the prospect of Johnson working with new recruit James Fisher-Harris.

The three-time premiership winner was announced as a new signing for 2025 last week, with the New Zealand international panning a four-year deal with the club. Following Fisher-Harris’ signing announcement, Johnson revealed he has since met with his management and says he has opened talks with the Warriors over a new deal.

“It’s certainly something to celebrate (Fisher-Harris’ signing) and want to play on for,” Johnson revealed on Monday. “I’m taking it week by week. For me to make that decision to play on, I’ve got to actually receive a contract offer, and that hasn’t happened yet. But I am certainly starting those conversations with the right people, catching up with my manager today.”

Johnson is currently battling an Achilles injury, which forced him from the field with three minutes left on the clock in Friday night’s loss to the Dragons. The halfback did not train on Monday but is expected to play this weekend, although there have been talks that he may be rested in the coming weeks to give his niggling injury some time to heal.

While Johnson’s future beyond this year is still somewhat up in the air, Webster made no secret of his desire to see him stay for another few years. “A hundred per cent would love to have Shaun around again,” Webster said.

“I think he’s huge for our team, he’s important, love the way he is playing but it’s only early in the season. We’ve got a good relationship, we’ll work it out when we can.”

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Shaun Johnson confident Warriors can bounce back from Dragons defeat

After an embarrassing defeat to the Dragons last week, Johnson says he is confident that the side can turn things around when they face the Titans on Anzac Day. “The best part about it is that we don’t have to wait long to right our wrongs or build on the things we did well because although we got blown out, there were things I was really happy with,” Johnson said.

“Just too many moments where we lapsed in concentration or let them off the hook and just didn’t defend our errors, so they are the sort of things we want to get right this time. I don’t think there’s a better time than Anzac Day to get things going for ourselves.”

Brad Fittler stunned by Panthers’ decision to let James Fisher-Harris leave

Panthers premiership player Brad Fittler said he was shocked by Penrith’s decision to allow Fisher-Harris to get out of his contract early. Fisher-Harris is widely regarded as one of the premier front-rowers in the NRL and had two years left on his contract with Penrith. But the Panthers revealed in a statement last week that they had decided to grant the player’s request out of respect for all he had done for the club.

But Fittler believes it is a huge call to let arguably the best front-rower in the game get out of his contract early and says it leaves the three-time premiers a marquee front-rower short in 2025 and beyond. According to The Sydney Morning Herald Wests Tigers forward Stefano Utoikamanu is at the top of the Panthers’ wish list to replace Fisher-Harris.

Utoikamanu is understood to have a clause in his contract that he can trigger to leave at the end of the season if the Tigers miss the top eight, although that clause will be negated if he is selected to play two or more games for NSW this year. The 23-year-old made his debut for the Blues in last year’s series, however, is nowhere near the level of experience of Fisher-Harris.