Shaun johnson scores solo try as nz warriors beat canterbury bulldogs 20220812 p5j0tr.html – Breaking News & Latest Updates 2026
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Shaun Johnson winds back the clock with solo try as Warriors thump Bulldogs

Matt Bungard

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The Warriors may not be playing for much more than pride, but they've given a parochial home crowd plenty to cheer about with a thumping 42-18 win over the Bulldogs.

Last week's defeat to the Rabbitohs was, for the most part, an uninterested showing in their old temporary home of the Sunshine Coast - but back in the friendly confines of Mt Smart Stadium, they fired on all cylinders.

Reece Walsh laid on a couple of tries with his ball playing, but the highlight was undeniably a Shaun Johnson solo try that sealed the result with five minutes left.

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The 31-year-old turned back the clock as he sent Kyle Flanagan the wrong way with a dummy, and then did likewise to fullback Jake Averillo with another, before diving underneath the posts.

Shaun Johnson dives over to score a wonderful solo try.  Getty

Two more tries - to Ed Kosi and Addin Fonua-Blake - padded the scoreline in the final minutes, but it was a deserved win for the home team.

Canterbury were gifted both of their second half tries in a 40 minute period that was almost entirely played in their own half; the first off a Reece Walsh dropped ball, and the second via a 90 metre Josh Addo-Carr intercept.

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The Fox flew away to level the scores, but the Dogs would not score another point after that.

The Warriors have been a different beast since moving home, smashing the Tigers and hanging in gamely against a Storm side that beat them by 60 earlier this year.

They'll get one more chance at home to end the year when they host the Titans in the final game of the season.

Paul Green's life in pictures: From Sharks prodigy to premiership-winning coach

<p>Paul Green and Johnathan Thurston embrace after winning the 2015 premiership with the Cowboys. Green took over the team in 2014 and only a year later he led the Townsville club to its first ever NRL premiership.</p><p>It&#x27;s remembered as one of the most exciting grand final finishes in the history of the game. With the final play of regular time, Michael Morgan flicked a pass to Kyle Feldt who scored to level the board, before Thurston&#x27;s conversion hit the upright and the game went to golden point. Thurston&#x27;s field goal then clinched victory.</p><p>A devastated Morgan spoke to Triple M radio after learning of his former coach&#x27;s death.</p><p>&quot;He was more than influential (in my rugby league career), he helped me carve out the career that I had,&quot; Morgan said. &quot;It&#x27;s no coincidence that once he took over he gave me an opportunity at fullback, a position I&#x27;ve never played in before, and taught me … about the game. </p><p>&quot;You grow up playing it, you think you know everything but he just opened up a new world to the actual knowledge of the game for me and I&#x27;ve never been able to thank him enough.</p><p>&quot;Something that Greeny brought up when he first got there (at the Cowboys) was what people said about us. He made us look in the mirror and say, &#x27;what do we think about ourselves? What do other people think of us? And who do we want to stand for as a club?&#x27;.</p><p>&quot;Like I said, there was no coincidence the success we started to have after he arrived - he brought a very strong-minded mentality to the group. He used to say, &#x27;Don&#x27;t be the first to blink with the opposition&#x27; - so you hang in there for as long as you need to and it was all about being mentally tough and getting through things. He really reshaped and rebuilt the club once he got here.&quot;</p>

Paul Green's life in pictures: From Sharks prodigy to premiership-winning coach

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