"The club are open-minded about the future and we'll talk to Shaun and his management when he gets back from overseas about the future," said George.
"We're very open-minded, and with any recruitment decisions, it's about the team and the club first. But while we're being open-minded about the future, we're not going to be scared to make big calls on any player.
"We want to win the competition and we'll be doing everything recruitment-wise to get the best people in the club to do so. We are not scared about making any big calls on our roster because we want to win this competition and everyone's always under review."
There were some questions over Johnson before his last contract renewal in 2017, and the current situation is an extension of that.
Stripping away the emotion, it's a business decision. What value does Johnson offer at the moment? What value will he offer into the future? And does that justify his status as one of the two top earners at the club?
At this stage, two things appear certain. If Johnson does extend his eight-year stay at the club, he will likely have to sign a contract that isn't as lucrative as his current deal, which made him the Warriors' first million dollar man.
But equally, there appears little chance of Johnson not being at Mt Smart for the start of the 2019 season. That is because the Warriors don't have someone at the club ready to wear the No 7 jersey - especially with the release of Mason Lino last month - and there isn't an obvious replacement on the open market.
But 2020 is another story. The club have an open mind about their roster, and that even includes their marquee names. This has been the case for Johnson over the past few years. His most recent contract negotiations dragged on until the end of April 2017, before he signed a two-year extension. At the time, Johnson became the club's first million dollar a season player, with only Sam Tomkins' mega-deal in 2014 coming close. Captain Roger Tuivasa-Sheck's new contract is also believed to be at seven figures but he has proved his worth.
Johnson's last deal was two years, which indicated uncertainty from both parties. The player wasn't sure where the club was going, after years of turmoil.
"It got to a point where I thought it never would in terms of looking at another club and leaving," said Johnson at the time. "It wasn't like I knew all along I was going to stay. I had to be open to the possibility of leaving."
For their part, the Warriors hierarchy weren't prepared to commit to a long-term deal for the halfback.
Since then, the club has proved it is on the right trajectory, especially after this season.
However, there are still some questions over Johnson. Sure, he's an easy target, and often cops unwarranted criticism, especially from fans who don't see his all-round contribution or understand the unforgiving nature of the NRL.
But it's also true that Johnson has yet to fully convert potential into performance. He had a strong 2018 but he still wasn't the week-to-week dominant performer expected of the club's equal highest paid player, and his quiet game against Penrith in the playoffs is unfortunately the lingering memory.
The club is also taking a gamble. There's a chance that Johnson will find an offer to his liking - the Roosters chased him in 2017 while the Bulldogs and Penrith were among big money suitors in 2014 - and may decide that his future lies elsewhere. Or if he does test the market, the Warriors might have to fork out even more to keep him.
