NRL 2016: Shaun Johnson matchwinner finally delivers Warriors golden point win over Penrith

SHAUN Johnson never even looked like kicking a field goal. So he dusted Penrith with his running game, a brilliant 90th minute try sealing the Warriors first win in three straight golden point games.

\Shaun Johnson proved the match winner against Penrith.

SHAUN Johnson couldn’t get close to kicking a field goal against Penrith.

So he won it with his running game, sealing a 20-16 thriller to deliver the Warriors their first win in three straight golden point games.

Penrith’s loss to the Warriors has cost them a top eight spot by the smallest of margins with New Zealand leapfrogging the Panthers.

Johnson’s try in the closing stages of golden point handed the Warriors a four point win. Johnson dummied to kick a field goal, instead slid across field and beat a tired Panthers defence to score.

Penrith and the Warriors sit equal on 22 competition points, and are even on points differential.

The Warriors jump the Panthers in eighth spot by having a superior percentage of overall points scored.

“It’s been a tough few weeks,” Johnson said. “We knew they were going to be rough. We got one up so it’s good. It was a tough game. The conditions played their part. We stuck at it. I’m really happy.

“Massive plays all around. That last play capped off all the handwork the boys had done.”

Johnson’s solo effort bettered that of NSW winger Josh Mansour who scored one of the best individual efforts of the year, as he raced 45 metres, beating three players and carrying two others to score the first of his two tries.

The Panthers took the lead via a Nathan Cleary penalty goal for their only first half points in the 12th minute.

The Warriors scored two tries and could have added a few more after being held up three times in the opening half. An uncontested Thomas Leuluai cross field bomb allowed David Fusitu’a to score after 17 minutes.

The Panthers were denied a try when a Tyrone Peachey tap on pass to Josh Mansour was ruled forward.

The Warriors next points came after a horrid period for Penrith wingers Mansour and Dallin Watene-Zelezniak.

Watene-Zelezniak slipped to be tackled in the in-goal on a kick return that put the Warriors on the attack. A last tackle grubber kick on the next set was knocked on by Watene-Zelezniak, and the Warriors made them pay.

Shaun Johnson drifted on the outside of some Penrith defenders, attracting Mansour just enough to create space for winger Ken Maumalo to complete the movement to score.

After missing his previous goal kick from virtually in front of the posts, Issac Luke converted from the sideline to give the Warriors a 10-2 halftime lead.

Cleary sprung the Panthers to life after halftime, running the ball on the last tackle, before passing to Isaah Yeo who threw the final pass for Peachey to score five minutes into the second half.

Fusitu’a scored his second try in the 52nd minute to give the Warriors a 14-8 lead. A Luke penalty goal extended the Warriors lead to eight before Mansour’s solo effort had Penrith trailing by four with 15 minutes remaining.

Mansour had his second try after a Peter Wallace 40/20 put the Panthers on the attack to draw the scores level with Cleary missing the sideline conversion with less than seven minutes remaining.

NZ WARRIORS 20 (D Fusitua 2 S Johnson K Maumalo tries I Luke 2 goals) bt PENRITH 16 (J Mansour 2 T Peachey tries N Cleary 2 goals) in golden-point extra time at Mt Smart Stadium. Referee: Chris Sutton, Grant Atkins. Crowd: 13,026.

Originally published as NRL 2016: Shaun Johnson matchwinner finally delivers Warriors golden point win over Penrith