“Is something in this place?” – the discussion that redirected RTS toward the Warriors
A few years ago, he made headlines when he revealed a dramatic code switch. Although Roger Tuivasa-Sheck’s rugby union career brought him to Eden Park, he now feels as though he is at home. The former Warriors captain’s first press conference following his return to the NRL took place at Go Media Mt Smart Stadium, but things could have gone very differently if he hadn’t had a coffee with a few of his former teammates.
Tuivasa-Sheck acknowledged that he had seriously considered accepting an offer to play rugby in Japan after it became apparent that his time wearing an All Black jersey was coming to an end. His family was actually Googling how to pronounce him, so seriously
I made calls to Tohu (Harris) and Jazz (Tavaga). I took a seat and asked myself, “Do I just go and go to Japan or do I come back?” Is something going on at the Warriors? ‘Bro, there’s something here,’ they exclaimed. I decided because that made me happy.” The 31-year-old revealed to a sizable group of media members.
“It feels like home,” stated Tuivasa-Sheck.
“My body hurts. I had completely forgotten about the intense and difficult pre-season rugby league games. We cover a lot of ground in one day: we go from a field session to a speed session to a wrestling session. I’m not getting any younger, either.
After a two-year, mostly frustrating stint in the union, Tuivasa-Sheck is back with the team. A poor-performing All Black team that was expected to perform miracles, thrown into the midfield by the Blues, and ultimately placed on the NPC scrap heap rather than a World Cup spot.
Tuivasa-Sheck responded, “It’s all the defensive decisions,” when asked what the biggest adjustment would be going back to league play.
“In league, you’re back 10 meters, but in rugby, you’re right there on the last man’s foot. It involves a lot of footwork and checking to see if I’m calling the appropriate plays.
However, there is one major issue. The Warriors have prospered as well as gotten better without Tuivasa-Sheck. They had their best season in more than ten years in 2023, and they advanced to the preliminary final thanks to first-year coach Andrew Webster’s well-balanced team.
According to Tuivasa-Sheck, “I don’t think they fluked it last year.”
Everyone is trying to face what’s in front of them, not run away. I’m enjoying that everyone here is putting in effort.
That was largely due to Webster’s ability to extract the most performance out of several important players; he was named Coach of the Year at the season-ending Dally M Award. Among them was fullback Charnze Niccol-Klokstad, who Webster has already declared to be the starting quarterback for the upcoming campaign.
Webster praised Tuivasa-Sheck’s performance in the preseason thus far, saying, “He’s killing it.”
“He’s everything we want and I hope we’re everything that he wants.”
What position does Tuivasa-Sheck hold on the Warriors roster? The departures of centers Adam Pompey and Rocco Berry further complicate matters, although Webster stated that the former fullback and wing are a part of a competitive group.
He is obviously not starting at fullback, unless he was the backup. He should concentrate on center, possibly even wing. The other day, I told the boys, “It’s yours to go after here,” and I threw all the outside backs into a room. There will be someone watching from the sidelines; they ought to be participating, and I’ll tip a couple of them off.
“Rog wants to win for his hometown, but it’s not about him. He can improve the lives of those around him by doing it with them.
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It’s reasonable to argue that Roger Tuivasa-Sheck has returned to a very different club than the one he left. Success, a new coach, and the goal of winning a premiership are present. If he hadn’t had all of those things and some support from his friends, he probably would be in Japan right now.
