The retirement decision now official, veteran halfback Shaun Johnson enters the farewell phase of his 14-season NRL career.
The NZ Warriors face the Dolphins on Sunday at Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium (kick-off 4pm NZ Time), with Johnson named to start.
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The 33-year-old is again paired in the halves with Chanel Harris-Tavita for the Warriors’ fourth to last match of their regular season.
It is the first of back-to-back games in Australia, with the Sea Eagles to follow in Sydney on August 16.
The Warriors’ Round 25 clash against the Canterbury Bulldogs at Go Media Stadium on August 23 – their last home game of the season – will double as a farewell occasion for club stalwarts Johnson and Jazz Tevaga.
This Sunday, it will be Johnson’s career game 266 (his 222nd for the Warriors), with just one change made to the lineup used in last Friday night’s disappointing 30-20 loss to the Parramatta Eels.
Coming back into the side on the left wing is Edward Kosi, a try scorer in the 28-16 win over Wests Tigers on July 26. His return sees Roger Tuivasa-Sheck shifted to the centres with Moala Graham-Taufa moving to the extended bench.
The starting pack is unchanged for the fifth consecutive match with the interchange the same as last week comprising Freddy Lussick, Tom Ale, Tevaga and Leka Halasima.
The match gives the team’s top try-scorer Dallin Watene-Zelezniak an opportunity to move closer to reaching twin milestones of 100 NRL tries and 50 tries for the Warriors.
He sits on a career tally of 97 tries in 208 appearances as he eyes the goal of becoming only the sixth New Zealander to reach the 100 mark after Manu Vatuvei, Nigel Vagana, Shaun Kenny-Dowall, Jordan Rapana and Jason Nightingale.
He needs just two more tries to register 50 for the club, a feat achieved by nine players previously. With 48 in 65 matches, he is in line to hit the fastest 50 (David Fusitu’a has that record, achieving it in 77 matches).
Watene-Zelezniak scored twice in a p30-8 home win over the Dolphins last season, was rested for the return match in Brisbane and was a scorer again when the Warriors beat the Dolphins 24-20 in Auckland this year.
After a hot start to the season, the Dolphins have faltered lately to slip to ninth place on 24 points, three ahead of the Warriors.
NZ WARRIORS: Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, Dallin Watene-Zelezniak, Ali Leiataua, Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, Edward Kosi, Chanel Harris-Tavita, Shaun Johnson, Addin Fonua-Blake, Wayde Egan, Mitchell Barnett (c), Marata Niukore, Kurt Capewell, Dylan Walker. Interchange: Freddy Lussick, Tom Ale, Jazz Tevaga, Leka Halasima. Reserves: Te Marie Martin, Demitric Sifakula, Taine Tuaupiki, Moala Graham-Taufa, Bunty Afoa