"I've loved representing you guys": Emotional Johnson's heartfelt farewell after defeat in final home game with Warriors

Shaun Johnson may not have had the fairytale ending in his final chapter at his beloved Mt Smart, but the Warriors faithful ensured one of their favourite sons felt the love on Friday.

After the Canterbury Bulldogs had put the finishing touches on a relatively straightforward 34-18 win to consign the hosts to their fourth straight defeat, Johnson took the microphone and addressed the last in a season of record-breaking home crowds, who waited in the pouring rain to stand and roar their appreciation for a club icon one last time.

"Obviously we would've loved to have won tonight but there's a far bigger picture," Johnson told SENZ after the game.

"Just extremely proud to represent this club for the longevity I've been able to do it."

Johnson was presented with a game ball in the post-match ceremony, before he was asked to address the sodden but vocal fans.

"All I can say is that I've loved representing this club," he added on Sky Sport's broadcast. "I've loved representing you guys and I've loved wearing this jersey.

"It was a dream of mine as a kid so to be able to come out here and do it for the only club I ever wanted to play for, a playing group like these boys, has been really special."

The mercurial half signs off at Go Media Stadium as the club's leading point scorer through 224 games in two separate stints, bringing down the curtain on his 14th season in Auckland.

He sits fourth on the list of all-time appearances for the Warriors behind Simon Mannering (301), Stacey Jones (261) and Manu Vatuvei (226).

Before his teammates erupted into a haka, Johnson paid his respects to the fans who had continued to show up in historical fashion, despite the team's abysmal 2024 campaign that will come to an end against the Cronulla Sharks next weekend.

"I'm speechless by all the support, all the love. Not just this season, but my whole career. Everyone who showed up tonight and all season long.

"This whole playing group loves you with all our hearts. We can't thank you enough for everything you've done for us this year.

"We're sorry we haven't delivered on the park but this is a very special moment for a few of us boys and my family as well."

Earlier, Johnson, hand-in-hand with his family, had to take a moment to compose himself after an emotionally charged entrance to the Mt Smart turf, walking through a guard of honour after fellow departees Jazz Tevaga and Addin Fonua-Blake.

The occasion clearly took its toll on Johnson, who wiped away tears before kick off, which may have contributed to a stone cold shelling of a pass in his first touch of the contest.

But he quickly regathered his composure and was active in the opening exchanges, taking on the line and helping spearhead an excellent early effort from the hosts.

But riding that wave of emotion was never going to be enough for the Warriors against the surging Bulldogs, who closed out their 10th win of their past 12 games, riding their competition-best defence to their third consecutive second-half shutout.

The Warriors were the first to cross the chalk, courtesy of Luke Metcalf's well-timed short ball to send Marcelo Montoya bulldozing over the line.

They doubled that lead five minutes later, when Kurt Capewell ran back on a superb line off another Metcalf flat pass assist to swerve past the final defender and go in under the black dot.

Finally enjoying a period of possession, the Bulldogs cashed in with a slick set backline move finished by Bronson Xerri. After the Warriors put the ensuing restart out on the full, the visitors struck again immediately through stand-out Stephen Crichton, reducing their deficit to 12-10 with 10 minutes to play in the first half.

The Bulldogs weren't done for the half. Viliame Kikau burst through the line with a clean break, linking with Kurtis Morrin to slide in amid the heavy rain and give his side their first lead of the game.

But it was short-lived, as Wayde Egan's dummy-half sneak from close range sent the hosts into the sheds with an 18-16 edge - the most first-half points the Bulldogs' exceptional defence had conceded this season.

Early in the second half came a dose of controversy, when Stephen Crichton appeared to clearly make shoulder contact to Roger Tuivasa-Sheck's head. He was placed on report due to some very contentious "mitigating factors", spared 10 minutes in the bin.

Meanwhile, Tuivasa-Sheck failed his HIA to rule him out of the rest of the game, and the season.

When Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad failed to collect a short grubber in the wet, Harry Hayes was able to collect next to the uprights for his first NRL try, pushing the Dogs back in front 22-18 with 25 minutes to play.

Josh Addo-Carr did brilliantly to reel in a fast moving grubber to extend the Bulldogs' advantage to 10 points with a quarter remaining, before Crichton broke from 60m out and put Jacob Caraz in to put the nail in the Warriors' coffin.