Breathe easier, Warriors fans.
Newshub sources indicate Shaun Johnson got through Friday's all-important captain's run well, with confidence he will play in the Warriors' sudden-death NRL finals clash against Newcastle Knights on Saturday.
After missing last weekend's finals opener against Penrith Panthers due to a torn calf, Johnson has been a limited participant in training this week, working on an individual basis in attempt to recover in time for their do-or-die contest at Go Media Stadium Mt Smart.
On Thursday, coach Andrew Webster said Johnson's availability would rest on how he fared in Friday's final training run, which he's understood to have got through without incident, putting him on track to start in the must-win fixture.
Warriors chief executive Cam George says Johnson "trained well" on Friday but wouldn't confirm he's a lock to reclaim his No. 7 jersey against Newcastle.
The club plans to delay any official decision until approximately an hour before Saturday's 6pm kickoff.
Johnson's return will be an enormous boost to the Warriors chances' of breaking their 12-year drought without a finals win, as they look to extend their season to a preliminary final showdown with the Brisbane Broncos next Saturday.
The Dally M medal contender was sorely missed in their finals opener against Penrith Panthers, where the team struggled without his generalship.
After Thursday's training, Webster said he was "confident" he'd have his star halfback on hand for their sudden-death showdown.
"He just has to do parts of the captains run and if he can't physically do it, he can't play," added Webster.
"At this stage, all signs are that he'll physically be able to do it. That's why we've gone this far and this is why we're confident he'll play.
"But if he doesn't, we're well prepared. We've trained without him so we know what that looks like."
The Warriors have split their two games against the Knights this year, winning their round-one matchup in Wellington, before being beaten in a rematch in Newcastle five weeks later.
Join Newshub at 6pm Saturday for live updates of the Warriors v Knights NRL playoff
