NRL: Lolohea embraces halfback role

Tui Lolohea has proved to be incredibly versatile. Photo / Getty Images

Tui Lolohea says he's ready to step up and play halfback after Shaun Johnson's season-ending injury.

The Warriors' catastrophic Saturday night at Mt Smart was compounded when head coach Andrew McFadden confirmed the worst fears in the post-match conference.

McFadden looked devastated and he could hardly bring himself to say the words "season ending".

The Warriors reshuffled as best they could as Lolohea moved to play in the halves to accommodate the loss of Johnson.

He has featured on the right wing in recent weeks - scoring back-to-back braces in the Warriors' home wins over Canberra and Melbourne - but he started the Manly game at right centre.

The 20-year-old stepped up for the Warriors when they needed him as cover for Sam Tomkins at fullback earlier in the season and it looks as if he will have to step up and perform again in another new position.

Such versatility is incredibly impressive for a player in his first full season in the NRL and he seemed to be relishing the opportunity.

"Tonight was tough. Really tough. I've never really played in such a stop, start game like that.

"It was difficult for everyone to adjust when Shaun went off but I'm ready. Halfback is where I want to play and I'm ready to step up."

Lolohea's bullish attitude was refreshing as the mood among the players in the sheds was a stark contrast from the thrilling win the Warriors enjoyed over Melbourne just two weeks ago.

That success propelled the Warriors up to fourth and optimism was sky-high but the reality check since then has been brutally harsh.

Any team would struggle to recover from losing their main halfback during a game and the Warriors were no exception.

It was 6-6 when Johnson departed and Manly's attack was ruthless in the second half, against a young, shell-shocked Warriors team, as they went on to win 32-12.

Nathan Friend's back-flip pass and the joy of three excellent wins in a row are now just a distant memory.