League: Cameron George, the boss of the Warriors, participates in shooting at Shaun Johnson and expects senior players to be involved in finding a replacement

Warriors CEO Cameron George made a decisive pass to starter Shaun Johnson, suggesting he did not pay his high salary.

George announced yesterday that an early release of his contract with the Warriors would be granted to Johnson, effective immediately.

It was after Johnson, who had signed a two-year contract with the club in 2017, had asked for publication Tuesday.

The search for a new half-back was launched almost instantly after the signing of the exit papers. Draman Brown, Parramatta's young revolver, would top the club standings, according to the Herald.

[[[[Anatomy of a break – How Warriors and Shaun Johnson fell in love]

George seemed to take a liking to Johnson, saying that he was expecting his replacement to play to his "maximum".

When asked if he was referring to Johnson's inconsistency and inability to meet his price, George told New Corp Australia, "Look, I'm sure the coaching staff worked with Shaun on his performance, especially its consistency.

"I think without a doubt that this is an obvious problem that has been tackled from time to time by the coaching staff.

"From my personal point of view, I think it's a problem that's been around for quite some time now.

"We need consistent performance and as a result, we need consistent individuals, and not everyone has done it."

The boss of the Warriors revealed that head coach Stephen Kearney had informed Johnson's teammates. George jokingly said that he was lucky that the team then had a yoga session to "relax a bit after receiving this news," reports the AAP.

However, George expects the team to recover quickly and the senior players to play a role in the decision to fill the void left by Johnson.

"They would be crazy not to talk to the management group, I have no doubt that they will," George told AAP.

"They will be disappointed because Shaun has been a big part of their lives.

"They grew up with Shaun, but it's also another example of the nature of this competition.

"It's really important that guys bounce back from adversity and show our fans that we will not miss a beat."

Johnson spoke for the first time last night after asking for his release from the Warriors, with a heartfelt message on Instagram thanking the club, its fans and supporters.

"Maaan, where should I start? What two days were crazy," wrote Johnson on the social networking site, accompanied by a photo of himself signing the release.

"Now, you all know that I've been released. (Pictures of my signature)

"Thinking that my time at Mt Smart to play for the team from my hometown has officially ended is a mixed emotion.Thank you for the boys and all those who have been involved with the Warriors over the past 8 years. I am really grateful and will never lose [sic] see how my life could be different if it was not for all of you. "