John Nick
Contributor
Great summation.Hopefully his potential return to 6 doesnt come back to bite us.WARRIORS STAR RELISHING ADDED FREEDOM IN JOHNSON’S ABSENCE
The Wahs are back.
Over the past month, Andrew Webster’s men have arguably been the hottest team in the NRL, stringing together three wins on the bounce.
Those came against the Panthers, the Dolphins (who were in the top four at the time) and most recently, the Cowboys up in Townsville.
What’s been the most impressive part of those three wins though, has been the fact they’ve done it without star halfback Shaun Johnson.
The injured Johnson was the Warriors’ best player during their golden run last year.
He’s battled with injuries this season as the Warriors dropped as low as 14th on the ladder in 2024 and struggled to regain the magic which saw them become the feel-good story in 2023.
Te Maire Martin, who played 12 games at five-eighth last season including all three final games, has been tasked with wearing the No. 7 jersey in Johnson’s absence, and while his form was patchy over the first couple of months of the season, he’s really relished the new role.
He was outstanding against the Cowboys, setting up four tries.
Over the last three games, he has posted a whopping nine try assists, which leads the competition in that span.
Webster said that Martin has been clinical since deputising at halfback for Johnson.
“Yeah he was awesome. I thought Te Marie’s played a good three games now. And he’s been clinical,” Webster said.
“He’s been so important for us and has been the glue. So happy for him.”
Webster said the key has been giving Martin a bit more freedom but said his role will likely have to change when Johnson returns.
“He’s been awesome. We’ve released him and let him play a bit,” Webster said.
“Te Maire’s been the main focus there. Charnze (Nicoll-Klokstad) at five-eighth one week. Chanel’s (Harris-Tavita) come back from injury and done a great job.
“We can adapt our style from the individual and adapt our style. And when Shaun comes back we can adapt that again.”
Considering the form the Warriors are in, the fact a fully healthy Johnson is still to return should be a scary proposition for the rest of the competition.
‘Undeniable’ truth behind Dogs boost as Ciraldo masterstroke pays off: Talking Points
‘Undeniable’ truth behind Dogs boost as Ciraldo masterstroke pays off: Talking Pointswww.foxsports.com.au
But YES he has been awesome at 7.
