Roger the dodger to keep faith
Tuivasa-Sheck tipped to reject NZ Rugby offer and sign Warriors deal
Warriors captain Roger Tuivasa-Sheck is set to shun a lucrative offer from New Zealand Rugby and re-sign with the Auckland-based NRL club.
The Herald understands the offcontract 24-year-old fullback is poised to knock back persistent advances from NZR and put pen to paper on a new deal in the coming days.
The Kiwi international's resigning will bring an end to months of speculation over his future with several rival NRL clubs chasing his signature and rumours rife he was set to abandon the Warriors and switch codes next year to chase an All Blacks jersey.
It remains unclear how long his new deal will be for but sources have indicated he is prepared to sign on long-term and that he remains committed to helping the Warriors achieve success after injury and poor results marred the last two seasons.
Tuivasa-Sheck's new contract will come as a huge coup for the Warriors ahead of the start of the NRL season next week as the club looks to rebuild after a disastrous 2017 campaign saw them miss the finals for a sixth straight season.
With coach Stephen Kearney under pressure to turn his side's fortunes around after they ended last season with a club record nine-straight defeats, TuivasaSheck's re-signing will give them confidence going into their round one clash against South Sydney in Perth on March 10.
The Warriors refused to shed any light on the matter, with CEO Cameron George tight-lipped on contract talks progress. The Herald understands it is close to a done deal, however.
“We reiterate that we'd love Roger to be a part of our club's future,” said George.
“He's a huge part of the Warriors and, as I've said before, we have been talking with Roger and his management for some time.’’
Tuivasa-Sheck's manager Bruce Sharrock refused to clarify his client's contract status but reiterated he expected the situation to be resolved before the Rabbitohs game.
In his first appearance of the season, Tuivasa-Sheck looked unaffected by the ongoing off-field drama as the Warriors claimed a 20-14 trial win over the Gold Coast Titans on Saturday night.
In a promising team performance, he threatened with every touch of the ball and helped create a try for centre Solomone Kata at the end of the first half of the four-tries-to-three victory at Sunshine Coast Stadium.
The signs are good that he is ready for a big season after an ACL injury limited him to just seven matches in his first year at the club in 2016.
He made a successful return last year in which he played 23 games and took the reins as the club captain before finishing the season as the Warriors Player of the Year, however the side managed only a 13th-place finish.
The former Sydney Roosters premiership winner was also a stand-out performer for the Kiwis throughout their failed World Cup campaign and was named as the national side's Player of the Year at the annual NZRL awards this month.
Speculation linking him to a cross-code switch began during the end of season tournament and resurfaced again earlier this month after a report suggested he was set to sign the Blues Super Rugby franchise.
That story was strongly denied by Sharrock, and sources at both NZR and the Blues privately dismissed the report to the Herald.