SJ stars in career swansong to lead Warriors comeback…as sin bin costs Sharks – What we learned

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.

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.