NZ Warriors coach Andrew Webster isn't blaming the absence of injured star Shaun Johnson for his side's NRL playoff capitulation to champions Penrith Panthers.
That said, he's confident he will have his ace back for next week's sudden-death home fixture to keep his team's Grand Final hopes alive.
In their first postseason appearance since 2018, the Warriors were thoroughly outclassed 32-6 by the minor premiers, who led 20-0 at halftime, after heaping pressure on their rivals throughout the opening 40 minutes.
Johnson, who took out the club's Simon Mannering Medal as its Player of the Year, was a late scratching from the line-up, after a calf niggle tightened up at training and ruled him out of contention.
By finishing fourth on the competition ladder, the Warriors secured a second life in the playoffs and will now host either Newcastle Knights or Canberra Raiders next weekend. Webster seems sure Johnson will be recovered enough to take the field.
"Confident, definitely confident," he said. "I was confident he would play this week, but we'll be day by day and just keep ticking over, but confident he'll be right."
Webster admits Johnson's presence may not have been enough to change the result against Penrith, with many of the crucial errors that let them down likely outside his direct control.
"If you look at the bits we got wrong, Shaun wouldn't have had any impact on them," he said. "Yeah, he would have had some different touches and different kicks at times, but we had two yardage errors and offside on a kick chase that Shaun couldn't have changed.
"We'd love to have him out there, but that's not the reason we didn't do that today."
Webster also absolves the makeshift Dylan Walker-Te Maire Martin halves combination from blame for the outcome. Walker has been used mainly as an impact off the bench this season, but has played extensively in the halves and centres throughout his career.
"We thought Shaun would be playing, so this was their first opportunity together," he said. "There were so many good things they did today and so many things they'll learn and get better at.
"I don't think that combination hurt us today."
The main lesson learnt from the defeat was the need to build pressure, something the Warriors never really achieved until the second half, when they seemed to come out of the break with a second wind that generated a try to hooker Wayde Egan.
"When you build pressure you look at different football team," said Webster. "You've got way more energy, you look way more comfortable, you believe in what you're doing, you stay in the system more and you don't start making things up.
"When you build pressure, you give yourselves a chance to win and we didn't do that."
While Johnson is expected to return, captain Tohu Harris may have some anxious moments this week, after he was placed on report for a crusher tackle on Panthers centre Luke Garner.
"I think that's the first time I've been put on report in my career, so I think my record's pretty good," Harris said. "I don't know how they'll judge it, but I should be good to go next week."
