The New Zealand Warriors already struggling season has gone from bad to worse, with the news that star halfback Shaun Johnson is set to miss at least a month due to injury.
Johnson went down during the Warriors horror 60-point loss at the hands of the Titans, and further scans have revealed he will miss an extended period.
After a stunning 2023 season saw the team bow out in the Preliminary Finals, the Warriors' 2024 campaign has gotten off to a much rockier start, currently 13th with a 6-1-8 record, and the absence of last year's Dally M Medalist runner-up Johnson could spell disaster for the team.
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Shaun Johnson injury update
After being forced from the field during the Titans thrashing of the Warriors due to a hamstring strain, Shaun Johnson is now expected to miss at least four weeks.
However, the area of complaint for Johnson is not the hamstring, but the achilles, with coach Andrew Webster telling The NZ Herald he had been dealing with niggles on both areas of the leg.
"He's going to be out for at least four weeks. It's all around the Achilles," Webster said.
"He had ice on his hamstring, he had some hamstring tightness on the weekend but Shaun rehabbed it, it felt amazing and we took our time with him but he's just not come back the way he wanted."
When will Shaun Johnson return for the Warriors?
While four weeks is the estimated return timetable for Johnson, Webster said the team was happy to give him "as long as he needs" to properly recover.
This is the latest in a long line of recent injuries to Johnson; having battled both an ankle injury and a pectoral issue this season.
He now joins a growing Warriors injury list that includes Dallin Watene-Zelezniak, Paul Roache, Luke Metcalf, and more.
