Former NZ Warriors and Kiwis teammate Adam Blair is backing Shaun Johnson’s stand against social media trolls, as the veteran half prepares for a prolonged stint on the sideline with injury.

As he has for most of his Warriors career, Johnson has attracted much of the blame for back-to-back defeats, including a record-equalling 66-6 loss to bottom-of-the-table Gold Coast Titans, while also battling a string of injuries that have undermined his personal performances.

Coach Andrew Webster has closed him down for “at least four weeks” to rehab a niggly Achilles tendon, sparking a barrage of vitriol from online critics, answered by Johnson on an Instagram post.