Lolohea did well at fullback after RTS was forced off last weekend and, in contrast to last season, has significantly more experience than when he replaced Johnson in the halves last year.
He's now got 30-plus NRL games under his belt, plus an appearance for the Kiwis, and is delivering on the potential that marked him out as one of the club's brightest prospects. There is a confidence and swagger about his play.
Leuluai's return from injury is another reason the Warriors should be better able to deal with this week's injury blow. He can fill the void in the halves left by Lolohea moving to fullback. His experience and guile should provide stability.
So where there was a rookie attempting to fill a big hole in 2015, there is now Lolohea and Leuluai providing excitement and experience respectively in 2016.
There is nothing standing in the way of this team overcoming the loss of one of their star recruits. The mood is more positive and there is not the doom and gloom of last year.
The Warriors responded poorly to last season's loss of Johnson. There seemed to be a resignation that they could not win without their star playmaker. The rhetoric from the administration, coaches and players was defiant but their actions and body language were anything but that.
The media wrote a script that foretold how the rest of last season was going to play out and unfortunately I think the team believed what was written.
Yes, the loss of Johnson was a blow to their chances, but they did not give themselves the chance to prove anyone wrong - they ended up sticking to the script.
Now there's an opportunity for the Warriors to show fans and critics alike that they have the fortitude to ensure history does not repeat.
Debate on this article is now closed.
