Sport

Shaun Johnson on track to line up against the Knights for NRL semifinal

21:04 pm on 12 September 2023

Shaun Johnson of the Warriors. Photo: PHOTOSPORT

Warriors head coach Andrew Webster has announced his line up for the sudden death semi-final game against the Newcastle Knights on Saturday.

And 250-game veteran halfback Shaun Johnson has been included in the squad after a calf complaint ruled him out of the qualifying game against Penrith last Saturday where he was left watching from the sidelines.

The starting pack named for the semifinal is the same used in Wellington on 3 March.

Since then, the Warriors have gone on to register 16 wins and claim a top four spot to guarantee a home final for the first time since 2008.

Two-time defending champions the Penrith Panthers dominated the Warriors 32-6 in Sydney on Saturday, 9 September.

The Warriors and the Knights have met 48 times since 1995, with the Warriors taking out the win 23 times, the Knights 24 and one draw.

Saturday's match will be the first between the two sides in Auckland since 2019.

Warriors line-up

1 CHARNZE NICOLL-KLOKSTAD

2 DALLIN WATENE-ZELEZNIAK

3 ROCCO BERRY

4 ADAM POMPEY

5 MARCELO MONTOYA

6 TE MAIRE MARTIN

7 SHAUN JOHNSON

8 ADDIN FONUA-BLAKE

9 WAYDE EGAN

10 MITCHELL BARNETT

11 JACKSON FORD

12 MARATA NIUKORE

13 TOHU HARRIS (c)

Interchange:

14 DYLAN WALKER

15 JAZZ TEVAGA

16 BAYLEY SIRONEN

17 JOSH CURRAN

Extended bench:

18 FREDDY LUSSICK

20 TAINE TUAUPIKI

21 BUNTY AFOA

22 TOM ALE

23 EDWARD KOSI