Northern Edition

Select Edition

Northern Northern
Southern Southern
Global Global
New Zealand New Zealand
France France

Roger Tuivasa-Sheck eyes championship before NRL return

Roger Tuivasa-Sheck. (Photo by Dave Rowland/Getty Images)

The history of rugby league converts is full of variety in the levels of success achieved. Roger Tuivasa-Sheck sits in the upper echelon of those stories, having donned the All Blacks jersey, but struggled to find a home in the 15-man code.

ADVERTISEMENT

Now, the Dally M winner is in training with Auckland’s NPC team, preparing for his final season in rugby before he returns to the NRL and the Warriors.

There’s no rush to move on though, Tuivasa-Sheck is grounded with a growth mindset that is embracing all of the opportunities before him.

Video Spacer
Video Spacer

Set to take the field for a stacked Gulls squad, the hot-stepper is determined to end his Auckland career with some silverware.

“I have 13 weeks with this crew and I’m pretty excited about this team,” he told 1News at Auckland training.

“To win a championship here would be pretty cool – I’m an Auckland boy, grew up here so that would be something special to leave here with a title for Auckland.

“There’s so many little things I’ve really enjoyed (in rugby), especially the off-field things.

“On-field, it’s all the same – you work hard, you get rewarded for what you put in, that’s all the good stuff – but I feel it’s the off-field rugby does really well.

“The connecting, getting together – that’s the stuff I want to take back to league so that we can grow teams a lot tighter and professional.

“There’s so many little things I know I can take back.”

Related

With his Warriors side having grown a lot in his absence and currently enjoying their best form in years, sitting third on the NRL table, RTS is looking forward to switching back to a more familiar code.

The midfielder found amusement in his journey, going from an NRL rookie to a leader who young players would come to for advice, and back to a rookie in rugby who would learn from young players.

“I’ve had to really lean on players, whereas before (in rugby league) I was giving out the answers and people would come to me, now I have to lean on some younger boys.

“I remember just training and running with the boys and I would do something and I could tell that I was doing it wrong but they were too shy to say something, so I had to say, ‘boys, don’t forget, I’m a rookie, you might see me in a different way but I’m a rookie and I want to learn so please put me on show or blow me up if I’m not doing it right because that’s the best way I learn’.

“And credit to them — I was able to don a black jersey which was the ultimate dream for me and it was all because of the boys here that were helping me from Auckland, day one.”

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

HSBC SVNS Singapore 2025 | Day Two Men's Highlights

HSBC SVNS Singapore 2025 | Day Two Women's Highlights

Jet Lag: The biggest challenge facing international sports? | The Report

Boks Office | Episode 39 | The Investec Champions Cup is back

Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry? | New Zealand & Australia | Sevens Wonders | Episode 5

Kobelco Kobe Steelers vs Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo | Japan Rugby League One 2024/25 | Full Match Replay

The Rise of Kenya | The Report

The Fixture: How This Rugby Rivalry Has Lasted 59 Years

Trending on RugbyPass

Comments

1 Comment
J
Jon 626 days ago

Err, the NRL will be next year for him, so no, he's not eyeing the NPC before the Warriors. He's probably got the best of both worlds now and breathing the success of the Warriors in, from within the team any chance he can get. While playing union for the first time freely, which he could have done with a few years ago.

I imagine he'll also be looking forward to the end of his rugby stint, a few good months of some fun footy and I hope he goes well. You never no, could be on fire and first reserve selected for the RWC.

Join free and tell us what you really think!

Sign up for free
ADVERTISEMENT

Latest Features

Comments on RugbyPass

J
JW 1 hour ago
How key Waratahs playmakers could reshape Joe Schmidt's Wallabies backline

Yeah like a classic comedy show, not too different to how he went at the same venue last year? Perhaps there’s something about that latitude that puts his equilibrium off?


The rush on Jo was fine though, you’d catch most players out with Dmacs ex3cution of it. There were actually quite a few instances like that, not too dissimilar to that Bledisloe game actually, were things just didn’t work out for no luck of trying to skill. I laughed when Dmac took himself out of that try and basically gifted it to them by trying to bowl over Kellaway was perhaps the most comical.


Actually now you say that, yes, very reminiscent of Aus v England wasn’t it. The two changes at halves have been instrumental for me. Not that the first two weren’t playing well, but these two seem to pair up better, with everyone. Like you say with those sorts of counter attack plays, they are on instinct and that stuff needs to be shared with everyone. That’s another thing too I was thinking, in that respect guys returning can be a hinderance to a team playing well, but I might have just thought that because I wasn’t sure (hadn’t seen much) which of NSWs midfields were best suited where.


I’m very similar in my TMO preference as well. I had actually said to myself several times already this season (SR here) that they are pretty bullish basically telling the ref what theyve seen as fact. If I remember rightly it even happened a few times in November and some of the refs then said “no, I’m actually happy with that.” etc. But very tough on Maybe (I think) who probably has plss poor vision on the big screen to say anything otherwise, so yes, definitely just make it an offer to look and also communicate ‘why’ precisely to the ref, and (just like he does to the players) he can even say to the TMO “no I was happy how I saw it live, I don’t need a replay thanks” etc. He started like that I think, “I’d like to review a simultaneous grounding” but then yes, he took over after. Of course in the refs minds, it’s the right call, thoughts how it’s always been ref’d, even when theres a good few frames in the slowmo that actually show ball obviously hitting grass first (which they didn’t in this game), they’ve always ruled that (like in cricket) if the ball continues to then be ground on the line after (or in the same frame in this example) they always gone ‘dead ball’. The new SR committee apparently what to making the line the attacking teams so they award the try’s instead of taking them away, but just like I said with them not wanting to look closely at the first forward pass (like they did for the Chiefs try), I don’t want random JRLO level decisions, and giving the line to the attacking team is just going to make clear no trys, a try instead. It’s exactly the same result.

46 Go to comments
LONG READ
LONG READ Despite the Croke Park horror show, Marcus Smith shouldn't be discounted from Lions conversation Despite the Croke Park horror show, Marcus Smith shouldn't be discounted from Lions conversation
Search