Johnson shines as Warriors claim another come-from-behind win

Down but not out, history was all over again for the New Zealand Warriors this Sunday as they once again came from behind to claim an exciting 16-14 win over the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs.

The Warriors’ slow starts continued, going to zero early before rallying to take the two-point lead, a result that was equal parts gratifying and frustrating for head coach Andrew Webster.

After the game, Webster addressed his team for showing the resilience to come back while also admitting they had a problem with being in this situation consistently.

“Really happy with the result, happy with the resilience coming out of that eight-to-zero start, we’re certainly not getting that right at the moment,” Webster said.

“It’s like they almost wanted that to happen just so they could get some blood in the water or something.

“We know how we make it difficult for ourselves at the beginning but are just super proud that they know how to fight back, keep your composure.

“It certainly becomes our identity that we don’t lose our cool.”

Back a team head-to-head and if they lead by 6+ points at half-time you get paid! Excludes residents of SA. The terms and conditions apply. Gamble responsibly.

A big part of the Warriors’ comeback effort was halfback Shaun Johnson, who put in a clinic on both sides of the ball, including a try in the 66th minute that would prove the difference.

As impressive as Johnson was, teammate Dylan Walker said that this level of play was nothing new and that his skill and effort gave the Warriors something to rally behind.

“He’s been doing this for a long time… the way Shaun is playing now, the leadership he’s shown with his defense and just the toughness he wants to play with, it’s really good as a team, that’s your half to see,” called Walker.

“With Shaun there’s no secret behind it, he’s probably one of our strongest attacking players. Seeing him on defense just gives everyone a boost.”

Webster also praised his player, saying that he was essentially the winning factor.

“I was also pretty excited that Shaun [Johnson] scored that try, I thought he had the moments today, Shaun, defensively I thought he was great, he took the moments and he won the game for us,” Webster said.

“Shaun’s toughness is the most important thing for us, the way he tackles, how he handled [Viliame] I found Kikau incredible.

“His kicking game was the difference and that try but I will say it was a team effort because we give Shaun the opportunity to do that and we are super proud of how tough he was and I thought our forwards gave him the opportunity to win the game.”

This was the Warriors’ third win of the season and they now have a week to recover before taking on the Cronulla Sharks next Sunday.