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New Zealand Warriors boss speaks out after club captain Roger Tuivasa-Sheck joins All Blacks Sevens training camp
The New Zealand Warriors have maintained that star player and captain Roger Tuivasa-Sheck will remain with the club next year despite training with the All Blacks Sevens in Mount Maunganui this week.
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Tuivasa-Sheck, the 2018 Dally M Medallist for best player in the NRL, has spent the past few days training with the All Blacks Sevens squad at their Bay of Plenty headquarters.
A report from Stuff suggested the 27-year-old had reached out to the reigning World Sevens Series champions for a chance to “meet the side” and “see what the environment is all about” as part of his off-season break.
Not initially expected to train with the side, Stuff reports that Tuivasa-Sheck, who has recently completed a two-week quarantine period after returning from the Warriors’ NRL campaign in Australia, was convinced to lace up the boots.
All Blacks Sevens squad member Tone Ng Shiu posted a pair of images onto his Instagram account where he and his teammates posed with the Warriors fullback.
The post was accompanied by the hashtag ‘#WelcomeHome’.
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Good to have the Uzo in the @allblacks7s environment? #WelcomeHome? #The4Horsemen? #AnklesStrapped?
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News of Tuivasa-Sheck’s involvement in the All Blacks Sevens set-up comes little more than a month after he shot down rumours of a move to the XV-man code.
In September, the former New Zealand Schools and Blues U18 representative expressed frustration at being regularly linked to a switch back to union.
Those comments came less than a week after incoming Warriors coach Nathan Brown declared on Australian radio that Tuivasa-Sheck still harboured aspirations to be an All Black.
Nevertheless, Warriors chief executive Cameron George has insisted that Tuivasa-Sheck will stay at the club next year, which the player in question confirmed himself over a month ago, despite his training stint with the All Blacks Sevens.
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“Each year, Roger does an education trip,” George told Stuff. “Last year, he went to the States, but this year, he can’t travel.
“It was coincidental that where he was staying in Papamoa, the sevens team were there too, so he went into their camp to watch and learn.
“If he could have travelled overseas, like last year, when he went training at a university, he would have. He spent a week working with a sprint coach last year.”
George said he was “fully aware” of their star man’s participation with the All Blacks Sevens, and is adamant that he would return to the club for the 2021 season.
That campaign looms as another tricky one for the Warriors to navigate after they were forced to spend their entire season abroad in Australia due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Tuivasa-Sheck – the only player to spend the entire season away from home during the Warriors’ five-month stay across the Tasman – and his teammates could face that prospect again next year.
However, a full-fledged two-way travel bubble between New Zealand and Australia is hoped to be in action by early 2021, which should alleviate the travel strain that the Warriors endured this season.
Renewed speculation surrounding a potential move by Tuivasa-Sheck comes on the same day of reports that Newcastle Knights star Kalyn Ponga could transfer to union in a bid to play at the 2023 World Cup in France.
Newcastle fullback Kalyn Ponga is free to pursue a spot at the 2023 Rugby World Cup after previously unknown details of his long-term Knights contract were revealed. #RugbyWorldCup #RWC2023 #NRL https://t.co/ilNx0znyf8
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) November 5, 2020
In June, the 22-year-old playmaker, who last played union as a schoolboy in 2014, signed what was thought to be a long-term deal that would keep him at the Knights through until 2024, seemingly killing off any hope of a highly-speculated cross-code move.
Revelations on Friday, though, show that Ponga has a player option in his current contract that will make him a free agent by the end of 2022 if he chooses not to take up the final two years of his deal, thus making him eligible for a code switch.
In spite of interest shown by the Wallabies and numerous Super Rugby clubs, the Queensland State of Origin representative said two years ago it would be a “huge goal” of his to play for the All Blacks should he move back to union.
Although he was born in Western Australia, Ponga is eligible to represent New Zealand both through his father and on residency grounds after he spent five years growing up in Palmerston North between 2006 and 2011.
“Obviously, that [playing for the All Blacks] would be a huge goal, if I was to come back to union I’d want to tick,” Ponga told TVNZ in 2018.
“I’m not too sure what my future holds — whether I’m going to stay in league or change codes but if I was to go back to rugby union I’d probably want to strive for that black jumper…it’s the pinnacle.”
In other league-to-union transfer news, former Wallabies and Kangaroos wing Wendell Sailor last week encouraged Rugby Australia to make a play for Sydney Roosters and New South Wales star Angus Crichton.
“Every [NRL] club, [should be looking to sign Crichton],” Sailor told Triple M of the ex-Australia Schools union representative, who is off contract at the end of next season and could be a free agent should the Roosters sign teenage prodigy Joseph Suaalii.
“You know what I love about Angus Crichton. It’s not just what you see on the field, he does a lot of great stuff in the Indigenous community.
“He’s unbelievable and from a really nice family.
“The ARU [Rugby Australia] should be looking to get him back into rugby union.
“He’s a really good player and a lovely young man.”
Former All Blacks midfielder and Sydney Roosters second-rower Sonny Bill Williams, meanwhile, is set to retire from rugby league after becoming a free agent following the Toronto Wolfpack’s exclusion from next year’s Super League.
The Sydney Morning Herald reports that the 35-year-old has “no interest” to play anywhere else and will instead focus on resuming his professional boxing career.
Williams signed a two-year, $10 million deal with the Wolfpack after playing the last of his 58 tests for the All Blacks at the 2019 World Cup in Japan, but joined the Roosters on a loan deal at the backend of this year’s NRL season.
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Comments on RugbyPass
Beautiful shot from Finau, end of story. Gutted for Shaun Stevenson though.
4 Go to commentsThe Chiefs definitely didn’t win ugly. They had the superior scrum, a dominant lineout, and their defence was excellent once the Waratahs scored their two tries (thanks to some lucky refereeing calls mind you). They put pressure on the Waratahs lineout throughout the game, and the mind boggles as to why the referee did not award a yellow card or a penalty try against the Waratahs for repeated scrum infringements on their own try line before Narawa’s first try. And the Chiefs were slick with their passing and running angles on attack. It was a dominant performance all round, even with many questionable refereeing decisions.
1 Go to commentsWasnt late. Ref 2 assistants andTMO all saw it so who are you to say it was?
4 Go to commentsAre the Brumbies playing the Blues twice in a row?
4 Go to commentsBig difference from the Saders. Forwards really muscled up and laid a solid platform. Scooter brought some steel and I liked the loosie combination. Newell has been rather disappointing this season but stepped up big time - happy also to see Franks dot down. He should do that more often! Reihana had a good game and there seems to be more flair and invention with him in the saddle. McNicoll plays well from the back and is reliable plus inventive when he joins the line. Keep it up chaps!
3 Go to comments🤦♂️🤣 who cares who’s the best . All I know is the All Blacks have the star coach but have few star players now …
30 Go to commentsJe suis sûr que Farrell est impatient de jouer avec Lopez et Machenaud et d’être entraîné par Collazo… 🤭
1 Go to commentsAn on field red (aka a full red) in SRP must surely carry a bigger suspension than a red card given by the bunker as that carries a 20 minute team punishment. Had Damon Murphy abdicated his responsibility as a ref and issued both Drua players a yellow, which would have been upgraded to a 20 minute red by the bunker, that would have killed Australia and New Zealand’s push for the 20 minute red to be trialled globally from July this year.
11 Go to commentsEver so often you all post a Danny Care story that isn’t the announcement that he has finally re-signed for one more, victory tour season at Quins and I’m just like, “well you fooled me again!” My absolute favorite player ever, we need to make his final year at the Stoop (and Twickers) official already. I know he supposedly snubbed France but I won’t feel better until he signs.
1 Go to commentslate hit what late hit it wasn’t at all late and can clearly see he was committed before the tackle
4 Go to commentsChristian Lio -Willies 2 try perfomance was a standout. As was captain Scott Barrett. Up front was where the boys won it.They are a great team and players. Fantastic Crusaders , you can keep going.
3 Go to commentsI don't know how the locals feel about that? I guess if you call yourselves the Worcester Wasps that might be appease. But really we need more teams in the Premiership in my view so they are not padding it out as they are at the moment. It might curtail so many players going abroad as well
5 Go to commentsNZ 😭😭😭is certainly rivaling England for best whingers cup!😭😭😭 !!!
30 Go to commentsYup. New Zealand won 3 out of 10 world cups played. SA 4 out of 8 attempts 30 Vs 50 per cent.🤔🤔
30 Go to commentsShould've done this years ago. Change Saturday kick off times to around 11am. Up and off and back home before 3pm, limit travel time too. Allows players to actually do something else with their Saturday that's family oriented or being rugby fans they could ‘watch’ pro rugby. Increases crowds etc. How can anyone that enjoys grassroots and pro rugby have to choose between the two on Saturdays?
9 Go to commentsI bet he inspired those supporters just as much.
1 Go to commentsBen Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
30 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
9 Go to comments