Johnson masterclass fires Warriors to victory

A classy second half display from Shaun Johnson has fired the New Zealand Warriors to a 36-14 victory over the Gold Coast Titans at CBus Super Stadium tonight in front of 14,132 fans.

It was all the Warriors in the opening exchanges who had multiple attacking chances to score early. After repelling a number of attacking raids, it was the home team who posted first points with a try to makeshift five-eight Josh Hoffman in the 13th minute. It came on the back of some sharp work from speedster James Roberts who drifted across field before sending mid season recruit Nene MacDonald into space down the left. The newly Titans centre showed good awareness to draw and pass for Hoffman to cross and give his side a 4-0 lead.

From the ensuing set of six, the home team marched down-field on the back of a penalty and were quick to capitalize with back-rower Lachlan Burr crossing for his first four pointer in first grade. The try came off a neat little short ball from Titans prop Luke Douglas who was gallant all night in a losing team. Titans half Aiden Sezer converted to give his side a ten point lead in the 17th minute.

The tide would soon turn on the coastal strip though, with a try to Warriors rake Nathan Friend in the 21st minute. After returning to the field only moments earlier after receiving an early knock to the head, Friend made a sharp dart out of dummy half to get his team on the board. Johnson added the extras to reduce the deficit to four.

Both teams looked content to go through the motions and complete their sets for the remainder of the first half with neither team showing much spark with the ball. The home team ultimately went into the sheds with a deserved lead on the back of a gritty defensive performance early on.

The second half started much the same as the first half ended with both teams trading sets until Warriors rookie Raymond Faitala-Mariner crossed for his first try in the 53rd minute. On the previous play five-eight Chad Townsend showed the way by straightening the attack and taking on the line. This resulted in him sucking in defenders which left the Titans short out wide and Faitala-Mariner who was playing in the centres finished off a sweeping back-line movement to score. From out wide Johnson converted to put his team in front for the first time of the night.

From here on in, it was the Shaun Johnson magic show who controlled the second half with a smart kicking game and a 20 point individual haul for the match. In the 57th minute he set the game alight with a piece of individual brilliance, beating multiple defenders with his pace and evasion to send his team eight points clear heading into the final quarter.

By this time, the visitors had all the momentum and they soon extended their lead when Johnson laid on a try with a well placed grubber for hulking centre Konrad Hurrell to score in the 65th minute. Johnson again converted to give his side a commanding 14 point lead.

The Titans got a late sniff of a comeback when Roberts again showed his blistering pace to score out wide in the 71st minute, reducing the Warriors lead to ten.

The comeback was short lived though and the Warriors would soon drive the final nails into the Titans coffin. Another Johnson grubber resulted in a try to back-rower Bodene Thompson in the 75th minute, before Johnson capped off a man of the match performance with another solo try from 35 metres out in the dying stages.

The home team will be sweating on getting some troops back before they take on the Sydney Roosters on the Central Coast next Sunday. They will also be hoping a lower leg injury to their general Aiden Sezer doesn't see him miss any action. The Warriors will return home and prepare for what should prove a tricky battle against an in form Canberra Raiders outfit at Mt Smart Stadium next Saturday.

Match Details

Gold Coast Titans 14 New Zealand Warriors 36
Venue: Cbus Super Stadium
Crowd: 14132
Halftime Score: Gold Coast Titans 10 New Zealand Warriors 6

GOLD COAST TITANS (14)
Tries: Josh Hoffman, Lachlan Burr, James Roberts
Conversions: Aidan Sezer (1/2), Daniel Mortimer (0/1)

NEW ZEALAND WARRIORS (36)
Tries: Nathan Friend, Shaun Johnson (2), Raymond Faitala-Mariner, Konrad Hurrell, Bodene Thompson
Conversions: Shaun Johnson (6/6)

LeagueUnlimited.com Players of the Match:

3 points - Shaun Johnson
2 points - Ben Matulino
1 point - Luke Douglas

LeagueUnlimited.com Live Commentary

Welcome to CBus Super Stadium where we'll be bringing you all the action between the Gold Coast Titans and New Zealand Warriors. Both teams are on the cusp of the top eight on 14 competition points, making this an important clash for both teams to kick start their season.

LATE MAIL TITANS - Brad Tighe, Nate Myles and Ben Ridge have all been ruled out with injury. Nene MacDonald makes his club debut in the centres for Tighe. Eddy Pettybourne moves up front for Myles with Lachlan Burr joining the run on side at lock. Matt Robinson will start in the second-row with David Taylor and Chad Redman joining the bench.

LATE MAIL WARRIORS - Sam Tomkins makes his long awaited injury return coming in for the unlucky Tuimoala Lolohea at fullback. Origin forwards Jacob Lillyman and Ryan Hoffman will ease their way into this contest from the bench with Sebastine Ikahihifo and Raymond Faitala-Mariner running on tonight.

1: Were underway on the Gold Coast with the Warriors getting first use

2: A strong 1st set for the Warriors with Johnson putting up a towering bomb on the last...taken safely by Mead though

3: Sezer kicks from inside his 40 but Tomkins is their for the catch

4: Johnson kicks high again & this time Mead fumbles it, Mortimer was their to clean up but the Warriors get a drop out

4: Johnson earns his team another set with a neat grubber

5: After copping an early knock Nathan Friend has headed up the tunnel for his second concussion test in as many weeks

6: Johnson grubbers again but the Titans get a penalty from a push in the back by Hurrell

8: UNFORCED ERROR GOLD COAST TITANS
Aidan Sezer makes an unforced error.
Sezer has come up with a lost ball in the tackle, Warriors scrum 40m from their line

9: Penalty Warriors against Mortimer for holding on too long in the tackle

10: A Johnson cross field kick comes down for The Titans and now they earn a penalty to ease the pressure

13: TRY GOLD COAST TITANS
Scored by Josh Hoffman. Kick to come.
The speed of Roberts creates something out of nothing after drifting across field to put MacDonald into space who turned it on the inside for Hoffman to score

13: UNSUCCESSFUL CONVERSION GOLD COAST TITANS
Conversion attempt by Aidan Sezer unsuccessful.
Sezer from out wide pushes it to the right

14: Penalty against Havili for a dangerous tackle

16: Repeat set for the home team. Sezer kicked high across field with the Titans coming up with it before Sezer grubbered into the in goal

17: VIDEO REF possible try. The ref indicates try, just checking the grounding...

17: TRY GOLD COAST TITANS
Scored by Lachlan Burr. Kick to come.
With his first NRL try, Burr has crossed under the sticks running onto a short ball from Douglas

17: SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION GOLD COAST TITANS
Conversion attempt by Aidan Sezer successful.
Sezer makes no mistake from in front

19: Friend is back on for the Warriors

19: A last tackle penalty will give the Warriors a chance to hit back deep in Titans territory

20: TRY NEW ZEALAND WARRIORS
Scored by Nathan Friend. Kick to come.
And he makes an immediate impact on his return to the field with a sharp scoot out of dummy half

21: SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION NEW ZEALAND WARRIORS
Conversion attempt by Shaun Johnson successful.
Johnson from close range slots it through

23: Another set for the Warriors after a Dave Taylor charge down

24: Tomkins grubbers in goal but Mead cleans it up, repeat set

25: ball turned over bu the Warriors

26: Sezer goes high but Vatuvei cleans up the bouncing ball

27: Johnson stabs a kick down the sideline with Mead bringing it back over his 20

28: Handover Warriors after Taylor made a strong charge down the right but fails to get rid of the ball on the last

29: Townsend kicks to the corner & leads the chase for his team

29: Sezer kicks on the last with Ken Maumalo bringing it back nice & hard

30: A smart kick from Johnson finds touch 5 out from the Titans line

32: Both teams completing well trading sets at the moment..

33: 6 more for the Warriors after the ball was knocked out by the Titans

34: Repeat set from a Johnson grubber. The Titans defence is standing tall with the Warriors throwing plenty of ball movement their way

35: VIDEO REF possible Warriors try, checking the grounding

35: NO TRY Charlie Gubb goes millimeters short of scoring his 1st NRL try grounding the ball just short of the line before losing control. Titans scrum

36: MacDonald turns the ball over after going close to scoring down the left

37: Mead takes a jumping catch from a monster bomb from Johnson

37: A Roberts long ball is knocked down by the Warriors, 6 more..

39: UNFORCED ERROR GOLD COAST TITANS
Aidan Sezer makes an unforced error.
Sezer puts down a low pass whilst his team was on the attack

39: Friend turns it over now, Titans ball on halfway

40: Sezer kicks early & forces a Warriors mistake, they get one play from a scrum before halftime

40: UNFORCED ERROR GOLD COAST TITANS
Kevin Gordon makes an unforced error.
And a knock on from the scrum base, that's why halfbacks should feed the scrum!

40: HALFTIME at the Gold Coast and the home team is again showing plenty of grit to take a slim lead into the sheds. The Warriors attack hasn't really fired and they'll need to find more in the second half..

41: & were back in action with Douglas bringing it back for the Titans

42: Hoffman nearly slices through & earns his team a penalty

43: Penalty for hands on the ball, Titans with an early chance..

43: Redman turns the ball over whilst trying to offload, Warriors scrum

44: Penalty Warriors, Sezer was offside. Warriors ball 30 out from Titans line

45: Gubb again goes within inches...

46: Townsend kicks across field, taken by MacDonald

46: Sezer goes high on the last with Tomkins coming down with it

47: Townsend kicks for the corner & Mead just gets it back in play despite a flying Kata trying to stop him

48: Redman kicks out of dummy half to relieve some pressure after some strong defence from the Warriors

49: Handover with Thompson getting caught with it on the last.

50: Redman again kicks out of dummy half & finds touch 25 out from the Warriors line to earn his team a breather

51: Penalty Warriors after Vatuvei was pushed while trying to play the ball, Warriors ball 45 out from Titans line.

51: Penalty against Ioane for a high short on Friend

53: TRY NEW ZEALAND WARRIORS
Scored by Raymond Faitala-Mariner. Kick to come.
A first try to Faitala-Mariner who ran onto a sweeping back line play. Chad Townsend was good on the lead up play straightening the attack & attracting defenders which created the space out wide

54: SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION NEW ZEALAND WARRIORS
Conversion attempt by Shaun Johnson successful.
Johnson edges his team in front

55: Mannering makes a big bust up field...

56: The Titans scramble & Mead cleans up a grubber from Tomkins on the last

57: Tomkins traps a Sezer kick with his boot before unleashing a charging Hurrell at them

58: TRY NEW ZEALAND WARRIORS
Scored by Shaun Johnson. Kick to come.
On the back of an offload from Matulino, Johnson turns on a piece of magic to step through defenders to score

59: SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION NEW ZEALAND WARRIORS
Conversion attempt by Shaun Johnson successful.
From right in front, Johnson converts his own try to put his team eight clear

61: The Warriors with all the momentum now, running 70m in that set before kicking, Gordon cleaned up the bomb for the Titans though

61: Sezer kicks from deep in his half & Hurrell is really winding up now

62: VIDEO REF possible try Warriors...

62: NO TRY but they'll get a repeat set after Mead knocked the ball into Kata initially

63: Another repeat set with Townsend rolling it in on the last & Don cleaning it up in goal

65: TRY NEW ZEALAND WARRIORS
Scored by Konrad Hurrell. Kick to come.
A try to big Konrad! Johnson took the ball to the line before grubbering into space for Hurrell to dive on it

66: SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION NEW ZEALAND WARRIORS
Conversion attempt by Shaun Johnson successful.
Johnson from out wide...nails it

67: The Titans get it back from a short kick off

68: Hoffman kicks to the corner on the last but the ball goes into touch off the hands of Don

69: Townsend puts his kick out on the field under pressure on the last from Taylor

71: A knock on on the last tackle will see a changeover for the Warriors 10 out from their line

71: VIDEO REF possible Titans try...

71: TRY GOLD COAST TITANS
Scored by James Roberts. Kick to come.
After the Warriors turned the ball over, a quick spread resulted in Roberts having plenty of room to move and scores out wide

71: UNSUCCESSFUL CONVERSION GOLD COAST TITANS
Conversion attempt by Daniel Mortimer unsuccessful.
With Sezer off the field with a leg injury, Mortimer misses

72: Hoffman goes high on the last but the beast gobbles it up

73: Johnson juggles it on the last but hangs on and puts in a sharp kick to find touch 10 out from the Titans line

74: UNFORCED ERROR GOLD COAST TITANS
Mark Ioane makes an unforced error.
Ioane has a shocker in trying to play the ball, turning it over

75: VIDEO REF possible Warriors try...

75: TRY NEW ZEALAND WARRIORS
Scored by Bodene Thompson. Kick to come.
A Johnson grubber ricochets off Titans defenders & Thompson is there to pick up the scraps and score against his old club

75: SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION NEW ZEALAND WARRIORS
Conversion attempt by Shaun Johnson successful.
Johnson continues his perfect night with the boot

78: Roberts knocks it down in an attempted intercept

79: TRY NEW ZEALAND WARRIORS
Scored by Shaun Johnson. Kick to come.
Another piece of magic with Johnson carving them up from the scrum from 35 out

79: SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION NEW ZEALAND WARRIORS
Conversion attempt by Shaun Johnson successful.
Johnson again adds the extras

79: And the Titans kick out on the full

80: And thats time! The Warriors have turned it on in the second half to record a commanding victory and move back into the top eight. Thanks for joining us folks, stay tuned for our match report to come soon.