RTS back where he belongs
Roger Tuivasa-Sheck is back in his happy place but admits his exit from the Warriors in 2021 doesn’t sit comfortably with him.
The 30-year-old left the club in July that year, while the team was stuck in Australia because of the Covid pandemic.
He had already decided to try his hand at rugby union the following season, to play for the Blues. But a brief reopening of the trans-Tasman travel bubble gave Tuivasa-Sheck the chance to return home to be with his family and fast-track his rugby career by playing for Auckland in the NPC.
Had he stayed, there were no guarantees he’d be back in New Zealand for Christmas.
The Warriors’ chances of making the top eight were already remote by that stage, but as the club’s captain, it wasn’t easy for him to fly home and leave his comrades still stranded in Australia.
While playing rugby, he still closely followed the Warriors through another arduous and stressful season in 2022, but then also saw them experience a great 2023 campaign.
“I was happy for everyone at the club. Not just the players, but for everyone,” Tuivasa-Sheck said.
“For 2020 and 2021, we were over in Australia and it was tough times. We were just turning up to play. I don’t think the boys wanted to play, but we turned up and had to be there, just so our families were being fed.
“To come back [to New Zealand] and see the whole country behind the team (last year) and for them to play well and have smiles on their faces, that was good to see.
“I was so happy for them and in a way, seeing them succeed like that made me want to come back and try to add to them. I didn’t enjoy the way I left. I didn’t finish my season in 2021 with them, so I’m glad I’m back now.”
Warriors CEO Cameron George believes Tuivasa-Sheck shouldn’t feel bad about leaving the club the way he did.
“It was unique, it was devastating circumstances for the club, being stuck in Australia, and he was separated from his family,” George said.
“He led like a true leader through that period in really difficult circumstances. So when he decided he needed to get home to his family, I fully endorsed it.’’
Tuivasa-Sheck and George had a number of conversations in the lead-up to his decision to head home and George said it was clear it wasn’t an easy call for him to make. “You could see it weighed on him heavily that he was leaving his mates and role at the footy club.”
Rugby didn’t work out for Tuivasa-Sheck the way he hoped and he’s back at the club that means so much to him. While there are some familiar faces still at the Warriors, a lot has changed.
“It’s different,” he said. “This is a place where I grew up a lot, I was captain of the side, but I’m a new guy as well. So I’m coming in and trying to find that balance.
“Webby [Warriors coach Andrew Webster] told me to try to be the young boy and learn, listen to what we’ve got, learn the new system, and I love that part. At the same time, I see things as a leader and want to step in, but I’m like ‘no, leave it, let them learn’.’’‘
There were plenty of question marks about Tuivasa-Sheck going into this season. He didn’t light up the rugby world as hoped and was shifting to the new position of centre at the Warriors.
Those doubts disappeared in the trial game against Wests Tigers in Christchurch a couple of weeks ago when he ran the ball for 196 metres, had eight tackle breaks, three offloads and was huge on defence.
“It’s been all right to test the lungs out again,” he said, modestly.
For the Dolphins trial, Tuivasa-Sheck spent the second half playing at fullback, although his main position this year will be centre. It means Warriors fans will see him play differently this year, but he also feels he needs to continue to evolve as a player.
“I’ve got to,” he said. “The game is changing, it’s a lot quicker and I’m not playing fullback, so I won’t take so many carries. I’ve got to firstly learn and stick to our systems here and the way Andrew wants me to play.
“It’s a second opportunity for me to chase the ultimate here at the Warriors,” he added. “I’m an 09 boy, from South Auckland, so to do it for the city would be awesome.”
“I’m an 09 boy, from South Auckland, so to do it for the city would be awesome.”
Roger Tuivasa-Sheck