Pressure eases slightly on Shaun Johnson and John Morris as Sharks hammer Warriors
On an afternoon where Shaun Johnson gave the Warriors a gigantic backhander for the way he was unceremoniously shown the door, he also showed great compassion.
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A heartfelt Shaun Johnson has spoken of his sadness for his former New Zealand Warriors teammates, declaring there is no way he would stay separated from his heavily pregnant wife Kayla to play rugby league.
On an afternoon where Johnson gave the Warriors a gigantic backhander for the way he was unceremoniously shown the door back in 2018, the star Cronulla playmaker also showed tremendous compassion for many of his closest friends in the wake of a humiliating 46-10 thumping.
Ever since Cooper Cronk accused Johnson of “firing blanks” early last month, Johnson has been close to the Sharks’ best on a weekly basis.
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It was no different on a glorious winter afternoon in Gosford.
Johnson scored his first try of the season along with playing a significant hand in several more in the eight-tries-to-two mauling, while also landing seven goals.
The win moves the Sharks to 10 competition points and has them ninth on the NRL ladder.
MATCH CENTRE: Game details and stats
While on equal standing with the seventh placed Wests Tigers, eighth placed South Sydney and 10th placed Manly, a late Warriors try denied the Sharks eight spot on points differential.
Johnson admitted it was good to get one back on the club “that didn’t necessarily want you”, but when he spoke about his former teammates it was from the heart.
I COULDN’T DO IT
You’d struggle to find anyone in the NRL who didn’t have compassion for the Warriors right now.
But few would understand exactly how tough it has been than Johnson.
Asked if he felt sorry for the Warriors, he explained sincerely: “I won’t say I feel sorry for them. I don’t bloody pity them, it is not about that.
“I have very close friends in that group. I still have a lot of care for the club. I have been there and I have experienced some of that pain where you try so hard and it just doesn’t translate on the field. And I know the professionalism they have in that group and the leadership. They have got the right ingredients. That is where my pain comes.
“I don’t know if I could do what they are doing in terms of coming over here and sacrificing. I have got my pregnant wife, 33 weeks pregnant, there is no way I could leave her right now. There is just no way I could leave here right now. So the fact they have got boys fielding a team here, competing hard, I know some boys are going back. But the fact they are even here I think is a tremendous sacrifice and a credit to the club as a whole.”
But judging by their performance against the Sharks, that basically fell apart as soon as their opponents turned on their ignition, being away from home for so long is really taking its toll.
It looks to have almost reached the point where the game would have to be concerned for how much longer this can go on.
Following next Saturday’s game against the Roosters, four players will return to New Zealand including Ken Maumalo, David Fusitu’a, Agnatius Paasi and King Vuniyayawa.
TOP FOUR CONTENDERS?
Still without Matt Moylan and Andrew Fifita for two more weeks due to hamstring problems, the question for the Sharks is exactly how good can they get.
Last round they were lapped 56-24 by Penrith.
But the win over the Warriors makes it four wins from their past five games.
“I was really happy with the way we defended our try line,” coach John Morris said.
“I mean, it wasn’t a very pretty game. There was 29 errors and we had 14 of them. It wasn’t great from that point of view but I was definitely happy with the improved defensive effort.”
After leading 24-4 at halftime, the Sharks really stepped up.
And with Johnson and Chad Townsend taking control, they cut the Warriors apart with Jesse Ramien, Sione Katoa, Josh Dugan and Ronaldo Mulitalo starring.
Morris said he wasn’t “entirely happy” with where the Sharks are at, but he is starting to see enough improvement to suggest the end of the season will be far imporve from the team that started 2020 with three straight losses.
WARRIORS “WORST”
The one person not feeling sorry for the Warriors was interim coach Todd Payten.
“I just told them. I said that was our worst performance of the season,” Payten said.
“I asked why and Tohu Harris said straight off the bat ‘it was soft’. The reasons being I am not totally sure.”
It doesn’t look like it will get any better next week when they take on the Roosters and following that they will lose players.
Payten confirmed the warriors would be staying at Terrigal and not moving base anytime soon.
— Paul Crawley
WHY THIS TIME WILL BE DIFFERENT FOR MOYLAN
Sharks star Matt Moylan has allayed fears his ongoing hamstring injuries have placed his career in jeopardy by declaring he‘s aiming to return against Parramatta within the next fortnight.
Key to Cronulla‘s attack, Moylan also dismissed any notion that his spate of lower leg injuries had left him shackled by mental scars or an apprehension to play at full pace.
Missing from Cronulla‘s last two matches which includes this afternoon’s clash with the Warriors in Gosford, Moylan is frustratingly back on the sidelines after suffering a grade two tear in his right hamstring two weeks ago against the Gold Coast.
The 29-year-old was hampered by hamstring issues last season which limited his appearances to just 11 matches, while a calf injury during the most recent pre-season saw him miss rounds one and two this year.
It was Moylan’s third game back from the calf problem when he left the field against the Titans clutching at his hamstring.
Unlike last season when Moylan and the Sharks were attempting to rehabilitate the injury at the back end of the season and under time pressure, Moylan said his current recovery was based on building strength in his legs and patience.
Moylan stretched out at 70-percent capacity this week with the ongoing plan to increase his speed and power over the next two weeks.
“I‘m doing everything to get it right,’’ Moylan said.
“I ran for the second time on Thursday at 70-per cent and the plan is to increase that volume again on Saturday (yesterday).
“It‘s been feeling all right, but we just need to increase the load.
“Obviously I‘ll miss this weekend and next weekend (against St George-Illawarra), but the plan at the moment is for the Eels game (round 13).
“And I think that gives us enough time to get the training and the volume into it, to get me back out there.‘’
Moylan said he had no doubt he could return to the ball-playing attacking threat that he displayed in his three matches this season when he does return.
“I don‘t feel (apprehensive) like that. Last year was maybe a bit like that because I wasn’t strong enough in my legs,’’ Moylan said.
“But I don’t think holding back is a problem this time, it‘s probably half the reason I did it, because I wasn’t holding back, I just go out there and play and forget about it.
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“What happened last year was that I probably didn’t have enough time in between games to get the load into it.
“I’m doing more running this time and getting that volume under my belt before I come back and I’m doing more weights and hamstring strengthening.
“I’ve never doubted that (my career was in jeopardy).
“I’ve just got to get the body right, I’m not worried I’m past it or anything, I’ve just got to get the body right to stay out there.
“I‘m trying to incorporate a few things to try and get the body alignment back in, some pilates and always stretching.
“I‘m confident that once I’m back, I’ll be fine because of the good work we’ve been able to put in now.’’
— David Riccio
WARRIORS WARNED OVER POACHING ATTEMPT
Cronulla coach John Morris has warned the Warriors off his players as the New Zealand club made a play for prop Braden Hamlin-Uele.
While the Warriors and the Sharks face off on the field on Sunday there has been plenty of action between the two clubs away from it. Cronulla lock Toby Rudolf wants out of the deal he agreed with to join the Warriors from next season but the New Zealander’s are holding firm on ensuring he fulfils his contract or at the very least they find a suitable replacement. Hamlin-Uele was the player the Warriors identified but Morris instantly put a stop to that.
“I’m sure they would like to get one of our other front-rowers,” Morris said.
“We can’t afford to let anyone go especially not Braden. We’re skinny in our front-rower stocks.”
Morris has maintained the club wants to keep Rudolf after impressing in his debut season this year. He will wear the no. 13 jersey for the first time against the club he agreed to join in Gosford on Sunday.
“I’ve said all along I would love to keep Toby,” Morris said.
“It’s in the hands of his management. I don’t believe he signed a contract. He knows what I think of him. We will keep monitoring the situation.
“I did talk to him (about potential distractions) and keeping the main thing, the main thing which is his performance. He rips into training. His attitude is outstanding.”
Morris said the Sharks need to bounce back after their horrid showing against Penrith last week.
“That’s been the focus of our week, fixing our defence up,” Morris said. “All the boys were disappointed with their effort. Letting in 10 tries is far from ideal. I’ve seen a response this week.”
— Michael Carayannis
Originally published as Pressure eases slightly on Shaun Johnson and John Morris as Sharks hammer Warriors