Shaun Johnson: My game will be the same

Shaun Johnson. Photo / Brett Phibbs

Warriors halfback Shaun Johnson is prepared to move to five-eighth next season but insists his game will remain the same no matter what jersey number he wears.

Johnson - who will play his 100th NRL match at halfback against the Sydney Roosters on Sunday - is aware coach Andrew McFadden is considering shifting him to No 6 and playing injured hooker Thomas Leuluai at halfback next season, to accommodate the arrival of Kiwis and South Sydney rake Issac Luke.

The 24-year-old playmaker is yet to discuss the idea with McFadden and expressed some doubt about what benefits it might have but is prepared to make the change if it is in his team's best interests.

"He [McFadden] hasn't talked to me about that but I have seen it [in the media]. I'll just do whatever is best for the team," said Johnson.

"If that means me wearing the number six then that means me wearing the number six but I don't really see it being any different."

The move would see a reversal of the numbers worn by Johnson and Leuluai last season, and regardless of whether he wears the six or seven, Johnson said his roaming attacking role would not change.

"Tommy was wearing number six and I was wearing number seven and he was the halfback of the side, really," he said of their 2014 halves partnership.

"He was pushing the boys around the park and I was just sort of floating.

"At the moment we've got a good balance where I'm on the ball trying to get us around the park but as soon as something happens I'm straight off that and into running.

"So I don't see why we have to change that but if he wants to then I'm not going to stand in his way."

Ahead of his milestone match, Johnson acknowledged the influence McFadden has had on improving and developing his play, since replacing former head coach Matt Elliott early last season.

McFadden has designed structures for both he and current five-eighth Chad Townsend to operate within, and although both halves share the organising duties, Johnson still has the freedom to play his natural game.

"He's [McFadden] helped massively. The style of plan that he's put together for our side to play, it allows me to play my own game within that.

"I'm a player who likes to play off instinct and opportunity and he hasn't set any hard structures around what I do.

"We've got forwards that are really rolling forward and creating us that second-phase footy and I'm just jumping on the back of it.

"It's a pretty simple method but these are the games coming up where we're really going to get tested and our game model is really going to have to stand up."

Sunday's away clash against the third-placed Roosters - the best defensive side in the NRL - looms as the biggest test of the season to date for the fourth-ranked Warriors.

Both Johnson and captain Simon Mannering were given an early reprieve from yesterday's training but are in no doubt to play at Allianz Stadium, but interchange front-rower Charlie Gubb will have to prove his fitness after a head knock forced him off against the Storm.

The Warriors are already resigned to being without Konrad Hurrell (shoulder) and Manu Vatuvei (shoulder) for the Roosters clash, although both players completed training yesterday.

Back-rower Ryan Hoffman also did some light running as he continues to recover from a calf injury suffered in last week's State of Origin decider.