NZ Warriors 2024 Round 26 Review: Johnson Ignites Warriors' Stunning Comeback to Topple Sharks

After their emotional and disappointing Round 25 defeat to the Bulldogs, the Warriors travelled back across the ditch for the final time in 2024 to face a Sharks side looking at cementing 2nd place on the ladder. The Sharks shrugged off a valiant Warriors start and looked to have victory in hand at halftime. However, the Warriors staged an incredible second-half comeback, just like the game played between these sides in 2023 at the same venue, to send SJ into retirement with a 30-28 victory.

What Went Down

Just like last week, the Warriors started purposefully and looked ready to take it to the Sharks. They struggled to create scoring opportunities as errors and penalties were traded between the sides. The game swung into action when Shaun Johnson turned back the clock, catching the home side off-guard with a jinking run before putting Luke Metcalf over for the night's first try in the 11th minute. Both sides traded sets, penalties and errors for a spell until the Sharks found themselves in good field position after an Addin Fonua-Blake error deep in the visitor's half. Moments later, Braydon Trindall threw a short ball to Teig Wilton, who crossed over untouched in the 24th minute. This injected life into the Sharks as they took control of the match and started a scoring spree with three tries to Kayal Iro (32nd minute), Sam Stonestreet (34th minute) and Tom Hazelton (37th minute) as the Warriors defence fell apart, seeing them go into the sheds trailing 22-6 and the prospect of ending the season with a heavy defeat.

Warriors fans started the second half concerned about what was to come and held their breath when the Sharks took only five minutes to cross the try line when Nicho Hynes squeezed through a gap to score on his first-grade return. However, the bunker denied the try due to obstruction. On the next set, the Sharks scooped up a loose Metcalf carry and ran the length of the field to score; the bunker once again intervened, advising that Sione Katoa knocked the ball on at the beginning of the counter-attack, letting the Warriors breathe a sigh of relief. The Warrior's defence started to firm, and they wrestled their way back into the contest and had the first official try of the second half in the 48th minute when some slick passing between Johnson and Taine Tuaupiki saw Dallin Watene-Zelezniak touch down in the corner. The Warriors kept the pressure on, and minutes later, DWZ had his second and 100th career try when Johnson pushed through a kick early in the tackle count that the winger outraced his opposite number to dive on. The game started to get a bit tense after a handful of high and late tackles against DWZ and Jazz Tevaga, including a high shot on DWZ that led to a scuffle and the sin-binning of Iro in the 60th minute. The Warriors took full advantage of facing 12 men and took only a minute to add points when Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad crashed over in the 61st minute, reducing the Shark's lead to 2 after Johnson's successful conversion. A few minutes later, the Warriors found themselves back in front 26-22 after Marcelo Montoya barged his way over on the left corner in the 64th minute. A few sets later, Montoya went from hero to villain when he was penalised for an escort, which handed the Sharks the perfect chance to reclaim the lead. They did not have to be asked twice as they sent the ball to their left edge for Sam Stonestreet to cross untouched; Trindall's sideline conversion saw the Sharks ahead 28-26 with only ten minutes left to play. Both sides traded sets as time started to wind down with neither able to gain the upper hand; another break from SJ set up Metcalf for a two-point field goal, and while he had the distance, it sailed to the right of the posts, the game looked all done and dusted until an error from Jack Williams handed the Warriors the ball back and on the final play with just seconds remaining, Johnson delivered a pinpoint cutout pass to DWZ allowing him to complete his hattrick and seal a fantastic comeback victory 30-28, sending Johnson, Tevaga and AFB out on a high in what has been a poor season.

My Thoughts

This year has been a chore to watch and write about, but that was a hell of a way to sign off for the season. This match had me riding the waves of emotions with that solid start, followed by that shocking second 20 that had me preparing for a blowout in the second half. Then I was back on the edge of my seat for that final 40 minutes and jumping around my lounge when SJ threw that final pass to DWZ to secure the win. After a fortnight of second-half shutouts, it was great to see the team just refuse to quit and fight against the odds; who knows what would have happened if the bunker hadn't denied those two tries to the Sharks at the beginning of the half, but after those poor calls we have discussed at length this season, it was nice to see a few calls go the Warriors way.

The team just looked more confident, and who can blame them when, in 2023, at this ground, they put on an amazing comeback to get the win. They just needed to repeat that miracle again, and they nailed it. It wasn't the greatest performance, but it was a hell of an effort; the forwards did plenty of heavy lifting despite Mitchell Barnett playing only 36 minutes and Freddy Lussick having plenty of minutes as a forward (which I wasnt a fan of). The backs hardly put a foot wrong for 60 minutes of this match. Taine Tuaupiki was getting pounded all night but just kept going and added a nice dimension to the attacking structure; Ali Leiataua and Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad looked great at centre, and DWZ and Montoya were just running, hitting the ball at pace and churning those early metres on each set. Then SJ and Metcalf just directed the attack well, with SJ picking his shots beautifully. 

It's a positive end to a very negative season, and while we can sit down and enjoy this victory, there is still so much work for Andrew Webster and the squad to do in the upcoming offseason to get back into the conversation as a finals side. It's not an easy task by any stretch. While they start to work that out, I will take time to enjoy the break and forget this season—well, after my season review is done, that is.

There were a couple of things to smile about, which brings me to my positives.

Match Positives

I already mentioned it, but after back-to-back second-half shutouts, we finally got to see the Warriors score points in the second half, scoring 5 tries in that second 40. We are still waiting to see an 80-minute performance from the Warriors, but this fightback in the 2nd half is a step in the right direction. If they find a way to perform with that level of commitment for the entire 80 in 2025, they will find themselves in finals contention. 

Addin Fonua-Blake was in beast mode in his final game for the Warriors, facing his future teammates. He led the Warriors with 211 running metres, 111 post-contact metres, 3 offloads and 25 tackles with only 2 misses. I have not shied away from my appreciation of AFB in his time with the Warriors; he has been my favourite player that whole time, and I, like many, was concerned that he may phone it in this season, especially when a chance at finals was gone, but no he kept consistent, and he will be missed, James Fisher-Harris softens the blow a little, but it's hard to replace my personal pick as the best prop currently in the NRL.

It has been a rubbish season, but this was a perfect sendoff for SJ. He played in the stadium he called home for three years, and he played a critical part in the Warriors' getting the result. It was a fairytale-like ending to his career, and it was great to see him celebrated not just by his teammates and the Warriors fans but also by the NRL community. It is a true testament to the player he is, and I'm so happy that his final match was a win.

However, I did have concerns, which brings me to my negatives from the game.

Match Negatives

The attack in the first half was clunky; the Warriors just struggled to convert their many opportunities into points, at times looking a little lost. They found their groove as the game continued, but it all ties back to looking for that elusive 80-minute performance. The attack has been very hit or miss all season, so I can't say I was surprised, but with some fine-tuning, they can hit the ground running with the attack in 2025.

That second 20 minutes of the first half were shocking; in an ongoing trend of 2024, the Warriors struggled to defend after adversity. It took a simple error in the 23rd minute to derail the focus, and for the next 17 minutes, it was one-way traffic as they allowed the Sharks to bully them and score 4 tries at a rapid pace. It leads me to believe that it is more a mental/attitude issue instead of a skill issue. Hopefully, the coaching staff will look to better prepare this squad for these situations, as adversity always happens. They just need to ride the storm and not let that adversity set them back.

Lastly, this was the last time we watched SJ, Jazz Tevaga and AFB play for the Warriors. Watching Tevaga and AFB run around next season in a different jersey will take some getting used to, but I hope they crush it with their new clubs, except when they face the Warriors. I have already talked at length about SJ earlier and in the next segment, and AFB got his props in my positives, so I will show Tevaga some love now. Jazz just bleeds Warriors, and while he was never the biggest or most skilful player on the field, he made up for it in pure heart, which is an asset you cannot train. I would have kept him on my roster if I was in charge, but I don't know enough of the details behind the scenes for the decision to let him go; however, I will back Webby, and I know Jazz will be a valuable pickup for whichever team has signed him (I've heard rumours but there has been no official announcement). 2025 is going to be different without these guys, man.

Warrior of the Match

My Warrior of the Match goes to Shaun Johnson.

Some big efforts from a few key men on this side, but SJ was the standout by far. 

Vintage SJ was on display here, engaging the line and ending the match with 176 metres, 2 linebreaks, and 3 try assists, including that tremendous match-winning pass. He kicked and defended well, with the only blemish being his 50% at the kicking tee. In sport, it is rare to end your career on your terms and on a high, but besides a grand final win, I can't imagine a more fitting way for SJ's final game to go, coming up clutch to pull his side out of an almost certain defeat and secure the win with a last-second master play. It still doesn't feel real that we won't ever see him on that field again, and it will take some time to get used to. I'm sure I will go into it more in my season review, but it has been a privilege to watch SJ legend grow over the years, and the NRL and the Warriors will not be the same without him.

Warrior to Improve

I have no Warrior to improve this week, as I couldn't find any player in the 17 who let the side down.

Not everyone was perfect, but they all gave it 100%, which is all we can ask for.

Seasons done; What's Next for me?

So that's a wrap on the 2024 season, with the Warriors getting their final bye in Round 26, 

2025 brings a lot of change, with Shaun Johnson, Addin Fonua-Blake and Jazz Tevaga all departing, and the only new addition named so far is James Fisher-Harris.

However, I will touch on the roster updates later when I write my season review. I usually wait to release it before the Grand Final, but it may be a little sooner due to the Warriors' early exit this year. In that review, I will unpack the entire year, highlight certain players and moments, and look at what's to come in 2025.

Then, I will take a little break and let these seasons' disappointments pass, perhaps writing a few articles about the Warriors if the inspiration hits me. However, my partner will be expecting me to give her a bit more attention, with the Warriors not consuming my day-to-day for a few months.

Last but not least, my show, The Stand-Off, will continue to stream live on Facebook and YouTube every Wednesday at 8pm NZ time; we haven't decided on a season finale time yet as we may stick around for the internationals, so come join us there as we discuss the footy.

So, that was an exciting Round 25, but as usual, I will leave you with some questions.

What changes does Andrew Webster need to make with this team to take it to the next step in 2025?

How would you grade the 2024 season overall?

Who has been your biggest surprise from the squad?

Who do you think is going to win the 2024 premiership?