Full Time
80:00
7:35pm Sat August 31, 2024
Round 26 - PointsBet Stadium, Woolooware / Dharawal - Crowd: 12637

Match Overview

Shaun Johnson's final touch on an NRL field was a try assist to complete a comeback 30-28 Warriors win against the Sharks.

The match started off in an arm wrestle with both teams struggling for advantage until the Warriors opened the scoring with a vintage effort by Johnson to put Luke Metcalf over.

But after that it was a Braydon Trindall take over, the Sharks half picking up try assists to Teig Wilton and Kayal Iro to put the black, white and blue in the lead.

The Sharks wrapped up the half in style, with Samuel Stonestreet and Tom Hazelton also picking up tries to take a 16 point advantage into the break.

The Sharks started how they left off with two quick tries, however both were overturned by the bunker. And in the end it was the Warriors who struck first through in the second stanza through Dallin Watene-Zelesniak, and when DWZ scored a second not long later it was suddenly game on.

Not long after a string of penalties saw Kayal Iro sent to the sin bin, and Charnze Nicoll-Klokstadt scored soon after before a Marcelo Montoya try put the Warriors ahead.

The Sharks didn't die wondering however, and a converted Stonestreet try put them back ahead. Then when the Metcalf put a two point field goal wide, it seemed they would hold on for the win.

But a Jack Williams error gave the Warriors one more chance, and that's when 'SJ' stepped up. In the final touch of his NRL career, he fired a marvellous pass to DWZ to give the winger his hat trick and a marvellous farewell to the game for one of the games biggest stars.

3. Shaun Johnson

I mean who else could it be? Three try assists and a dominant performance in the final match of his career. What a way to farewell rugby league.

2. Dallin Watene-Zelezniak

As all eyes were on Johnson, DWZ picked up a hat trick as well as he passed 100 career tries.

1. Blayke Brailey

Was brilliant in a losing side, terrorising the Warriors around the ruck.