Shaun Johnson has confirmed he plans to stay on with the Warriors - amid speculation he will move.
Shaun Johnson has made it clear he wants to stay with the Warriors. Photo: PHOTOSPORT
Despite signaling he would follow Kieran Foran across the Tasman Shaun Johnson said today he is working over his contract at the moment to stay with the Warriors.
"I've been in talk with the Warriors for a while now and it's getting close so hopefully everything will be sorted soon
"I think walking away people have said I should walk away it's what I should do in order to take my game to a new level but that doesn't make sense to me."
Johnson said all the speculation around players moving has not affected the team.
"It's the media who seem to come up with all of it so they should be the ones getting tired of it."
Reports in Australia say Foran will move back to Australia next year and is set to sign a three year deal with the Canterbury Bulldogs.
"Kieren has been honest with everyone so we're not getting tired of the talk we're just focusing on what's in front of us and that's the Anzac test," Johnson said.
Foran was signed by the Warriors for this season after leaving Parramatta due to personal issues.
Warriors chief executive Jim Doyle said his Bulldogs counterpart Raelene Castle texted him late on to deny reports the club had reached an agreement with Foran.
"I got a text message from the Bulldogs CEO after midnight last night saying, 'Despite what's on the back page of the newspaper, we've got no agreement with Kieran, we've got no contract with Kieran Foran," Doyle said.
Foran has been meeting with clubs in Sydney as he's always said he wanted to be closer to his children.
Kieran Foran during the New Zealand Kiwis v England match in Dunedin in November 2014. Photo: Photosport
Australian Network 7 News is reporting he will move to the Bulldogs next season after talks with management there earlier this week.
He'd also held talks with other clubs including Newcastle.
The Bulldogs are expected to make an official announcement next week.
A move to Canterbury is likely to trigger a domino effect with with Cooper Cronk, James Maloney, Chad Townsend, Gareth Widdop and Canterbury's own Josh Reynolds some of the players coming off contract.
At training today Warriors coach Stephen Kearney said he wouldn't address speculation around Foran's next move.
"I won't be talking about players off contract or on contract - I'm totally focused with what is ahead of us on Tuesday, all of this has not been a distraction to the team."
- AAP/RNZ
