LeagueNews.co | Cooper McEnroe
Shaun Johnson, the 33-year-old player of the year for the NZ Warriors, has been confirmed as a starter for their NRL semifinal against the Newcastle Knights.
This comes after a week of speculation about his fitness, as he had been dealing with a calf complaint.
Johnson missed the qualifying final loss to Penrith due to this injury.
The last time he played in a finals match was in 2019 when he was with the Sharks.
In his absence against the Panthers, Te Maire Martin filled in at halfback.
This was only Martin's second first-grade appearance since breaking his left fibula in April.
Interestingly, Martin's injury occurred in a match against the Knights, the same team they will be facing in the semifinals.
The last time Johnson and Martin played together was also against the Knights in the club's first-round encounter, which resulted in a 20-12 win for the NZ Warriors.