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'An act of betrayal': Kiwi columnist hits out at Roger Tuivasa-Sheck over rugby union move
An outspoken New Zealand columnist has lashed out at Roger Tuivasa-Sheck over his announcement that he will be leaving rugby league to join New Zealand Rugby.
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Tuivasa-Sheck confirmed on Saturday that this year would be his last with the New Zealand Warriors in the NRL as he is set to return to rugby union, the sport he formerly played as a schoolboy.
While his move to the XV-man game has been largely well-received by those in the union fraternity, league supporters have been hard hit by the 27-year-old’s decision to walk out on the Warriors and the NRL.
An instrumental leader for the Warriors in their season-long move to Australia last year, Tuivasa-Sheck is also one of the NRL’s best players, having won the Dally M Medal in 2018.
Renowned for his athleticism, professionalism and leadership, it’s no surprise league fans and pundits are disappointed at his imminent departure from the code.
The New Zealand Herald‘s Chris Rattue has taken Tuivasa-Sheck’s upcoming exit particularly harshly, labelling the move as “an act of betrayal”.
He noted that because of the value that Tuivasa-Sheck holds to the Warriors and New Zealand rugby league in general, his decision to go to union is “anger-inducing moment” of “seismic” proportions.
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“Roger Tuivasa-Sheck IS the Warriors. Or he was. I actually think the Warriors should tell him to shove off now,” Rattue wrote in an opinion column.
“… It’s hard to think of a more disappointing or even anger-inducing moment in the history of a truly crazy, often inept but endlessly entertaining and fascinating sports club.”
He added: “It’s going to be very hard to cheer for him quite frankly. Rugby will be licking its lips, even though this coup just fell into their lap.
“You long sensed this was coming, but it still doesn’t deal with the shock of it actually happening.
“It’s seismic. It’s that bad. The guy is that good, his attitude is that good, his effect on a wobbly club is that important. He also happened to be the probable Kiwis captain.”
New cross-code convert Roger Tuivasa-Sheck may make his highly-anticipated union debut as early as this year in the Mitre 10 Cup.https://t.co/h2N23T94hN
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) February 2, 2021
Rattue went on to write that he would “happily rip his [Tuivasa-Sheck’s] player of the year photos off the Warriors walls. I really would. It feels like an act of betrayal.”
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Adding insult to injury is the report, also from the New Zealand Herald, that Tuivasa-Sheck could forgo this year’s Rugby League World Cup in the United Kingdom to begin his union career in the Mitre 10 Cup with Auckland.
Doing so would help ease Tuivasa-Sheck’s cross-code transition ahead of next year’s Super Rugby campaign, but it would also rob the Kiwis of their 20-test star as they target their first world title since 2008.
Considered by Rattue as “the probable next Kiwis captain”, Tuivasa-Sheck was offered a dire farewell from league by the writer.
“By the time he gets to grips with the game, he will be well and truly past the usual prime for an outside back. He isn’t in the Sonny Bill Williams class. Nowhere near it. I don’t see him making it big in rugby,” Rattue wrote.
“Good luck Roger although – at this very point in time – I don’t mean it.”
Tuivasa-Sheck is currently in Australia with the Warriors as they prepare to spend at least the opening four rounds of the new NRL season abroad amid the ongoing travel restrictions brought on by COVID-19.
The Warriors will kick-off their 2021 campaign against the Gold Coast Titans at Central Coast Stadium in Gosford on March 13.
Comments on RugbyPass
In the 70s and 80s my club ran 5 Senior sides plus a Vets. Now it is 2 sides with an occasional 3rd team. Players have difficulty getitng to training now, not sure why and the commitment is not there. It seems to me more a problem of people applying themselves and not expecting to turn up and play whenever they want to.
5 Go to commentsROG’s contract is until 2027. The conversation about a successor to Galthie after RWC 2027 may be starting now. We can infer that Galthie’s reign stops then. He is throwing the Irish Coaching Job angle in because he is Irish. The next Irish coach MUST be Leo Cullen. As well as being the best coach available, coaching the vast majority of Irish Internationals week in week out, he has shown incredible skill at recruiting the best coaching staff for the job in hand. That was a failing in France. Cullen is a shrewd guy and if there is a need for foreign coaches underneath him he won’t hesitate. Rightly so. Ireland does need to start to bring Irish coaches through. Not just at the professional level but we need to train coaches to man new pathways for developing kids from schools/clubs up through the divisions.
6 Go to commentsNo Islam says it must rule where it stands Thus it is to be deleted from this planet Earth
18 Go to commentsThis team probably does not beat the ABs sadly Not sure if BPA will be available given his signing for Force but has to enter consideration. Very strong possibility of getting schooled by the AB props. Advantage AB. Rodda/Skelton would be a tasty locking combination - would love to see how they get on. Advantage Wallabies. Backrow a risk of getting out hustled and outmuscled by ABs. Will be interesting to see if the Blues feast on the Reds this weekend the way they did the Brumbies we are in big trouble at the breakdown. Great energy, running and defence but goalkicking/general kicking/passing quality in the halves bothers me enormously. SA may have won the World Cup for a lot of the tournament without a recognised goalkicker but Pollard in the final made a difference IMO. Injuries and retirements leave AB stocks a bit lighter but still stronger. 12 and 13 ABs shade it (Barret > Paisami, Ione = Ikitau, arguably) Interesting clash of styles on the wings - Corey Toole running around Caleb Clark and Caleb running over the top of Toole. Reece vs Koro probably the reverse. Pretty even IMO. 15s Kelleway = Love See advantage to ABs man for man, but we are not obviously getting slaughtered anywhere which makes a nice change. Think talent wise we are pretty even and if our cohesion and teamwork is better than the ABs then its just about doable.
11 Go to commentsCompletely agree. More friday night games would be a hit. RFU to make sure every club has a floodlit pitch. Club opens again Saturday to welcome touch / tag. Minis and youths on Sunday
5 Go to comments1.97m and 105Kg? Proportionately, probably skinnier than me at 1.82 and 82kilos. He won’t survive against the big guys at that weight.
55 Go to commentsThe value he brought to the crusaders as an assistant was equal to what he got out of being there. He reflected not only on the team culture but also the credit he attributed to the rugby community. Such experience shouldn’t be overlooked.
6 Go to commentsGood luck Aussie
11 Go to commentssmith at 9 / mounga 10 / laumape 12 / fainganuku 14
54 Go to commentsBar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to commentsDon’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
11 Go to commentsExcept for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
54 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
6 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
54 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
55 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
54 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
54 Go to commentsI’m a pensioner so I've been around a bit. My opinion of SBW is he is an elite athlete and a great New Zealander and roll model. He has been to the top and knows what he's talking about. To all the negative comments regarding SBW the typical New Zealand way, cut that tall poppy down.
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