For a full wrap and highlights click here.
Kia ora and welcome to Newshub's live coverage of the Warriors' penultimate match of the NRL regular season against the Dragons.
The cellar-dwelling Sydneysiders have won just one of their past six matches and face a tall order against a Warriors side riding a six-game unbeaten streak.
The hosts will be out to consolidate third place on the ladder as well and give themselves every possible chance to catch the second-placed Broncos, should the Queenslanders slip up in their run into the finals.
We'll have all of the action from 8pm.
TAB betting odds: Warriors - $1.14 Dragons - $5.55
Warriors line-up: 1-Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, 2-Dallin Watene-Zelezniak, 3-Rocco Berry, 4-Adam Pompey, 5-Marcelo Montoya, 6-Luke Metcalf, 7-Shaun Johnson, 8-Addin Fonua-Blake, 9-Wayde Egan, 10-Mitchell Barnett, 11-Josh Curran, 12-Marata Niukore, 13-Tohu Harris (c)
Interchange: 14-Dylan Walker, 15-Jackson Ford, 16-Bayley Sironen, 17-Freddy Lussick, 18-Tom Ale, 20-Taine Tuaupiki
NZ Warriors halfback Shaun Johnson refusing to shy away from Dally M Medal contender tag
By Alex Powell
As a favourite to take home the NRL's coveted Dally M Medal - awarded to the best player in the league - NZ Warriors halfback Shaun Johnson concedes it's hard not to get caught up in the plaudits coming his way.
Johnson, 33, has been arguably the biggest on-field figure in the Warriors' 2023 resurgence, sitting third on the ladder with two games of the regular season to play.
So far this season, Johnson leads the NRL in assists with 25, to go with eight tries scored, and another competition-high 11,371 kicking metres.
Those numbers, as the Warriors' creative linchpin, have seen Johnson rocket into contention to become the Kiwi club's second player to win the Dally M Medal, and first since former captain Roger Tuivasa-Sheck in 2018
.When the Dally M standings went behind closed doors in round 12, Johnson had 22 points to sit eight behind the leader, Brisbane Broncos prop Payne Haas with 30.
With points awarded on a 3-2-1 basis for each NRL match, though, Haas is competing with teammates like Reece Walsh (24 points), while Johnson perhaps has easier competition from within.
On Friday, the halfback will notch his 250th NRL game - with 205 of his 249 appearances so far having been for the Warriors.
And with just St George Dragons at home and Dolphins away to finish the regular season, Johnson has two games left to accrue as many points as possible.
Normally, players would insist that their focus lies with their team, and not individual efforts, especially granted the Warriors need just one more victory to seal a top-four finish.
Johnson, though, doesn't hide from exactly how he's feeling contending for such a major award.
And rather than shy away from his own plaudits, Johnson is embracing it - with the help of a mental skills coach.
"I do a lot of work with a guy called Dan Hassler around my mental approach and blocking out or absorbing what energy is going to be beneficial to me playing well.
"This year in particular, I've had to knuckle down on it more than ever. It's a distraction, but it's a distraction that I'm open to.
"I hear all the noise, I hear the conversations, I get tagged in things, I have family members who talk about it all the time. My dad's always been my biggest fan, and he's telling me how many points I am off being the Kiwis' top point scorer.
"It's always there. For me to absorb the information that'll help me play well and narrow my focus and park it is something I'm always working at."
Talk of Johnson winning the Dally M has come from far and wide already this season.
From current players like Reed Mahoney of Canterbury Bulldogs, to newly appointed Wests Tigers coach Benji Marshall, it's not hard to find high-profile names backing Johnson to take home the top prize.
For coach Andrew Webster, who from day one has made clear exactly how much he believes in his halfback, Johnson's season has been a success regardless of any individual accolades that come his way.
"If it happens, I'd be really, really proud of him, really happy, over the moon," said Webster.
"If it doesn't happen, I don't think it defines him. Those accolades are great. If it happens, I'll be the first bloke to shake his hand and cheer for him.
"Shauny doesn't change in my eyes, what he's achieved this year has been amazing.
"If he got it, he'd definitely deserve it. He's been the most consistent player in the competition, that's what that award is about."
