The saga of Shaun Johnson should serve as a warning to those who remain: no one is untouchable

OPINION: There is a new sheriff in town at Mt Smart Stadium and no one is safe, not even the enigmatic face of the club.

The news that the Warriors have agreed to part, rather bluntly, superstar playmaker Shaun Johnson has been a shock to many.

But this is not the first, or the last, big call by CEO Cameron George and his staff.

It was the story that the boss hammered home before the flashing cameras on Wednesday.

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It was a clear message for this locker room and one of George's continued to come back throughout the 15 minutes or so of questions: "We are not afraid to make big calls."

Now, if you hear that and think it sounds familiar, it's because we've heard it before.

From the same man. Standing in the same place. This year. Just ask Issac Luke.

George and the Warriors spent most of the 2018 season in a similar but less arduous stalemate, with the former Kiwi hooker refusing to yield to a reduced bid.

Rumors said that Luke aroused the interest of rival clubs. But still, the warriors have not moved.

Finally, George's strong-arm tactics paid off and Luke was re-signed in October for a one-year contract, much to the delight of his and the club.

Although the Johnson saga was similar in that both sides clashed at the bargaining table, this relationship quickly turned sour.

That left George, along with recruiting director Peter O. Sullivan and coach Stephen Kearney, with a decision to make.

And in just a few hours, the trio may have made the biggest decision in the club's history: giving up a well-known player, an itinerant marketing machine.

While the fans and the media are moved, according to your opinion of the man, it is a call that will be felt in the Warriors' dressing room more than anywhere else.

Johnson has been a staple in Penrose since he entered the scene in 2011 and if the winner of the 2014 Golden Boot and the best scorer of his club of all time are not safe, do you like it?

The decision with an iron fist can go in two ways and we'll see what it means for the warriors.

Letting go of such a polarizing player will galvanize or break the current group – it's as simple as that.

He had a lot of blame in his time as a scapegoat for warriors when things went wrong.

Sometimes the criticism was justified but a lot was due to the prodigious talent that was obvious to the fans.

It's cruel that a player who has encouraged fans so much has finished with a performance that will be considered one of his biggest failures in the jersey.

Johnson has undoubtedly had his best season ever in 2018 – which only adds to the agony of his departure for some – when the Warriors clashed with the Panthers in the first round of NRL playoffs this year.

It was the club's first trip to the promised land of the finals in seven years.

The disaster struck late in the first half when captain Roger Tuivasa-Sheck left the injured knee field.

You could almost feel that all eyes are turning to Johnson at once. It was his moment, his moment to seize the big game by the skin of the neck and to propel the Warriors towards a famous victory.

But alas, it has faded and this has unfortunately been a recurring theme throughout his career.

The scene was ready and the magic Johnson produced another act of disappearance.

It's something his next club hopes to use to exploit Johnson's indisputable abilities. .

The quick divorce has left many questions, but one thing is certain: 2019 appears as one of the most interesting seasons of the NRL in recent history – for Johnson, his next port of call and now. former club.