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Roger Tuivasa-Sheck's positional uncertainty a lesson for code switchers
By Ned Lester
The short-lived professional rugby career of Roger Tuivasa-Sheck will conclude at the end of 2023, when the former Rugby League star returns to his familiar code and club, the Warriors of the NRL.
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His time in Rugby Union has been disrupted by Covid-19, minor injuries and positional uncertainty; the latter of which has left a sour taste in the mouth of former New Zealand Warriors coach Tony Kemp.
Kemp reflected on Tuivasa-Sheck’s two-year stint with the Blues and three Caps with the All Blacks, pinpointing the root of certain shortcomings while determining the code-switch an overall success, despite what he believes critics might suggest.
“There’ll be people saying, ‘He got picked because he was Roger Tuivasa-Sheck,’ well, I don’t believe that,” Kemp said on SENZ Breakfast.
“I think what he’s achieved … you’ve got to take your hat off to him.
“He went back with a vision to make the All Blacks, he’s done that, he’s a dual international.
“We can’t take that away from him, no one is ever going to be able to take that away from him.”
Expectations for Tuivasa-Sheck were wildly diverse, with some claiming a Sonny Bill Williams type influence would be realistic while others pointed to a long list of NRL stars who failed to have the desired impact in the 15-man game and suspected RTS may be another to fall in that pile.
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Kemp suggests that Tuivasa-Sheck’s ceiling was established before he had even taken the field for his Blues debut, when Leon MacDonald – and potentially Ian Foster – decided to inject the hot stepping NRL fullback into the midfield, placing him inside All Blacks star Rieko Ioane.
“My take on this straight away is that the rugby union have got this wrong right from the get-go,” Kemp continued.
“They should never have played him at second five-eighth, they should have started him out wide on the wing, possibly give him a look at fullback if need be but to use him up as a battering ram in at second five-eighth was just a waste of talent.
“We know that he’s got great footwork but when you’ve got a defensive line that’s basically a metre away from you every time you’re getting the football, even Roger Tuivasa-Sheck has found it hard to adapt into that game.”
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While his dazzling footwork and physicality made Tuivasa-Sheck an almost certainty to get across the gain line, his influence on games has often been limited to just that.
Given the chance, the 29-year-old showed skill in the offload but his destructive prowess in the open field has not featured like many fans had hoped.
Despite this, the Blues No 12 has performed admirtably in the role handed to him and will look to again earn selection for the All Blacks squad, hoping to achieve his dream of participating in a Rugby World Cup.
I agree that he should not have been played at number 12 but it was the only position at the Blues that there was a vacancy. Interesting the strongest advocate for him to play there was JK. It just goes to prove once again what a poor rugby analyst he is. First Benji Marshal was lured across to play at number 10 and we all know how that turned out and then RTS to play at number 12. Madness.
Rugby did not fail RTS. There were just better players ahead of him. He is not multi-dimensional like Havili and Jordie. Also defensively they read it better. That said RTS is a bloody good player, they all are to get to that level, but just a lot of competition. I wonder if 13 would have been better for him, either way he has my best wishes for the future.