Exclusive: Warriors face NRL finals setback, with Shaun Johnson in ...

The Warriors could face a huge setback ahead of their blockbuster NRL finals match against Penrith, with star halfback Shaun Johnson under an injury cloud.

Saturday’s game is the first playoff appearance for the club in five seasons and the most significant occasion since the 2011 grand final, with the winner progressing directly to the preliminary final in a fortnight.

But Johnson, who has enjoyed a remarkable campaign and is unquestionably the team’s most important player, is believed to be a 50-50 proposition for the match.

Sources told the Herald that the 32-year-old has taken a limited role in training this week, due to a lower-leg injury. It’s not believed to be related to the thigh strain that has restricted his goal-kicking duties over the past month, with centre Adam Pompey taking over off the tee since the round-24 game against the Wests Tigers in Hamilton.

Johnson took the charter flight to Sydney on Thursday afternoon with the team and he will be given every opportunity to prove his fitness, ahead of the game.

But if there is any doubt, the temptation will be to rest him and hope he is ready for the club’s next finals match, with the Warriors guaranteed at least one more playoff game, regardless of Saturday’s result against the minor premiers, due to their top four regular season finish.

His potential absence would be a hammer blow, off the back of Luke Metcalf’s recent hamstring injury.

Youngster Ronald Volkman is the most likely replacement for Johnson. The 21-year-old has plenty of potential and undoubted talent but his appearance in last Saturday’s game against the Dolphins was just his third NRL game of the season and fifth of his career.

In that scenario, the Warriors would be forced to lean heavily on the experience of five eighth Te Maire Martin, who has previously played first grade for Penrith, North Queensland and Brisbane and appeared in the 2017 grand final. But Martin has only recently returned from injury himself, after being out with a broken leg since early April.

-More to come