The Warriors failed to give Manu Vatuvei the send off he deserved, but coach Stephen Kearney has bigger things to worry about after star halfback Shaun Johnson was struck down by a potentially serious knee injury.

With so much to play for in front of 13,067 people at 'Manu Vatuvei Stadium' on Friday night, this was a chance for Stephen Kearney's side to rise to the occasion. Instead, they turned in another inconsistent performance for the home crowd at Mt Smart before unravelling at the back-end as a hat-trick from halfback Nathan Clearly led the Panthers to a crucial 34-22 victory.