1
Spare me the Roger Tuivasa-Sheck gossip, his NRL days are done
I don’t often laugh out loud while reading something.
Especially not when the comments aren’t intended to be funny.
But I had to chuckle last week, when catching up with news that Roger Tuivasa-Sheck was potentially in contract talks to re-join the Sydney Roosters.
ADVERTISEMENT
Let’s rewind a little first.
Tuivasa-Sheck once had the rugby league world at his twinkling feet. Had he stayed a Rooster, he would probably be spoken about now as the finest player in that code.
Having begun his NRL career on the wing, where he won a title in 2013, Tuivasa-Sheck inherited Anthony Minichiello’s fullback jersey, establishing himself as one of the code’s brightest stars.
Only, he wanted to go home.
No matter how rosey the future at the Roosters, under coach Trent Robinson, and how likely it was the club would win more NRL titles, Tuivasa-Sheck had had enough of Sydney.
History shows us the club bought James Tedesco as his replacement, won the 2018 and 2019 Grand Finals, and remain one of the game’s great clubs.
I’ve argued that joining the New Zealand Warriors marked the end of Tuivasa-Sheck’s career as an elite athlete. That once he put his personal life ahead of his football, it was all over.
Now, he was still a good Warrior. My word he was.
ADVERTISEMENT
But when Covid hit and the club became based in Australia, Tuivasa-Sheck walked out on them too. And not at the end of a campaign either.
No, despite being captain of the club and with games remaining in the season, he went back to Auckland.
So spare me this idea that Tuivasa-Sheck would be keen to move back across the Tasman.
The dots just don’t connect.
Rugby gave him the soft-landing he needed. The chance to be based out of Auckland, still be paid well and still be in a team environment.
To me, that was a commercial decision on New Zealand Rugby’s (NZR) behalf. They saw a rival business’ product and added it to the stockpile, without much thought for whether it would work.
ADVERTISEMENT
I don’t know the terms of Tuivasa-Sheck’s NZR contract. I don’t know if All Blacks coach Ian Foster is commercially-obliged to include him in squads.
What I do know is Foster doesn’t appear to have much fondness for him as a rugby player and that the chances he ever becomes a regular member of the starting side look scant.
Tuivasa-Sheck is 29, his best footballing days are behind him and he doesn’t appear to have the all-round game favoured among All Blacks backs.
It was interesting to see Auckland played him on the wing against Taranaki, because I’m really not sure he’ll ever make an elite second five-eighth.
Tuivasa-Sheck’s contract with NZR expires next year and then who knows? Maybe there’ll be a compelling enough offer from Japanese rugby to tempt him overseas once again?
But I don’t see an NRL club offering him $700,000 to a million or him wanting to go through the rigours of that competition again.
Certainly not the Roosters, where you have Tedesco, Joseph Manu and Joseph Sua’ali’i all able to play fullback instead.
Maybe Tuivasa-Sheck can become a serviceable rugby union backline utility. Maybe Foster does develop a confidence in him and he does become a trusted bench option.
I’d be surprised. But then I was dead-set shocked when Tuivasa-Sheck traded the Roosters for the Warriors all those years ago.
We all want Tuivasa-Sheck to be good at rugby. We all remember the Rooster he was and all hope to see that calibre of football from him again.
He truly was a joy to watch and an inspiration to age-group players on both sides of the Tasman.
Rugby league was the code that enabled him to express his outrageous talent best and no rugby union coach appears to have scratched the surface of that.
But Tuivasa-Sheck’s back in Auckland, he’s earning a good whack and maybe he’s happy with that.
Instead of wondering what the future might bring him, perhaps the rest of us should accept he’s quite content with the present.
Comments on RugbyPass
Thanks for that Marshy, noticed you didn't say who is gonna win it. We know who ain't gonna win it - your Crusaders outfit. They've gone from having arguably the best Super Rugby first five ever, to having a clutch of rookies. Hurricanes all the way!
1 Go to commentsGeez you really have to question the NRLs ability to produce players of quality. Its pathetic. Dont the 25mil in Aus produce enough quality womens players. Sad.
1 Go to commentsBulls fan here, and agree 100% with the conclusion (and little else) of this article. SA sides should absolutely f-off from the champs cup until we get fair scheduling, equal support for travel arrangements and home semis. You know, like all the european teams get.
20 Go to commentsI’m yet to see why Grace would be an ABs contender. He’s pedestrian and lacks the dominance required of a top flight 8.
7 Go to commentsGee my Highlanders were terrible. They have gone backwards since the start of the season. The trouble began when we left Millar behind to prep as the 10 against the Brumbies and he was disconnected from the team that came back from Aussie. We rested Patchell for that game and we blew an avalanche of ball in good attacking positions in the 1st half. Against the Rebels we seem to of gone into a pod system with forwards hanging off from the breakdown leaving Fakatava to secure our ball!
72 Go to commentsPot Kettle, the English and French teams have done it for years.
20 Go to commentsHas virtually played every minute of previous games. Back row of Li Lo Willie , Grace and Blackadder would be the 1. Crusaders issue is a very average 1st 5 who cannot run. Kicking in general play is also below par They need to put Yong Kemara in. He must have so.e talent for them to bring him down from Waikato. Hoehepa would struggle to play in so.e club sided
7 Go to commentsI hope this a good thing making all these changes!
2 Go to commentsThe Hurricanes are good, especially with a decent coach now. However, let’s be real, the Crusaders and Chiefs are clearly a good degree weaker without the players they’ve lost overseas now. The Canes lost one player. It’s also why the aussie teams ‘seem’ to be stronger.
9 Go to commentsOr you could develop your own players instead of constantly taking from the SH competition and weakening it in the process? With all the player and financial resources these unions have compared to SH countries you’d think they could manage that, or is weakening the SH comps and their national sides an added bonus? Probably.
3 Go to commentsNot so fast Aaron, we might need you in black yet lol. God knows he’d be a lot less nerve-racking than hot and (very) cold players like Perofeta. It’s really a shame Reuben Love isn’t playing 10, we’ve got enough 15 options.
4 Go to commentsAnd those from the NH still seem to be puzzled (and delighted) why NZ’s depth isn’t what it once was. Over 600 NZ players overseas, that’s insane. This sort of deal is why Super Rugby coaches have admitted they struggle now to find enough quality to fill out their squads.
6 Go to commentsArticle intéressant ! La question devrait régulièrement se poser pour les jeunes français originaires de Nouvelle-Calédonie, Wallis-et-Futuna et de Polynésie entre la Nouvelle-Zélande et la Métropole… Difficile pour la fédération française de rugby de se positionner : soit le choix est fait de dénicher les jeunes talents et de les faire venir très tôt en Métropole, au risque de les déraciner, soit on prend le risque de se les faire “piller” par les All Blacks qui, telle une araignée, essaye de récupérer tous les talents des îles du Pacifique… À la France de se défendre en développant l’aura du XV de France et des clubs français dans ses collectivités d’Outre-mer !
3 Go to commentsWrong bay. He needs to come to the REAL BAY which is Bay Of Plenty and have a crack at making the Chiefs.
3 Go to commentsIs Barrett going play full back??? They already have all the centers…
15 Go to commentsForgive my ignorance, I might not fully understand so would appreciate clarification: Didn’t the Bulls have to fly with three different carriers, paid for by the South African Rugby Union, whilst Edinburgh got a chartered flight sponsored by EPCR? Also, as far as I understand it South African teams don’t yet share in the revenue from the competition and are not allowed to host Semi-finals or Finals at home. Surely if everyone wants South Africans to “take the competition seriously” then they must make South Africans feel welcome, allow them to share in the revenue, and give them the same levels of access as the teams from the other countries. Just a reminder that South Africa has a large and passionate Rugby audience. Just by virtue of our teams being a part of these competitions means that more of us are likely to watch the knockout games, even if our teams haven’t qualified. It would be silly to alienate such a large audience by making them feel unwelcome.
20 Go to commentsFirst of all. This guy is very much behind the curve. All the bleating, whingeing, whining and moaning took place days ago already. Not adding anything to the topic other than more bleating, whingeing, whining and moaning. 🍼 Second of all, not one mention of the fact that South African teams can’t get home semi finals or finals. The tournament was undermined and devalued by the administrators. 🤡 Thirdly, football teams often have to juggle selections in mid week games, premier games, champions league games etc. and will from time to time prioritize certain titles over others. 🐒 And lastly FEK Neil, and anyone else for that matter, for insisting on telling teams how to manage themselves. If they make what is largely a business decision that suits them and doesn’t suit you - tough shite. 💩 It’s not rocket science as to why the Bulls did what they did. If this guy is too slow to figure it out (and is deliberately not mentioning one of the key reasons why) then he isn’t a journalist. He should join the rest of us pundit plebs in comments section. 🥴
20 Go to commentsSo the first door to knock on Rob is Parliament followed by HMRC. The Irish Revenue deliver a 40% tax relief rebate on the HIGHEST EARNING TEN YEARS of every pro Irish rugby players contract earnings at retirement. That goes a long way to both retaining their best talent and freeing up wages for marquee players. Who knows, if that had been in place in the UK, you might not have been able to poach Hoggy and Jonny Gray from Glasgow…!!!
3 Go to comments1. True, if that “free” ticket means access to all but the prized exhibit - EVIP only. SA cannot host semis, even if they’ve earned it (see Sharks vs ASM Clermont Auvergne at… Twickenham Stoop). 2. Why no selective outrage over Lyon doing the exact same thing a week earlier? Out of all the countries France send the most “B teams”, why nobody talking about “disrespect” and “prioritising domestic leagues” and “kicking them out”? 3. Why no mention of the Sharks fielding all of their Springboks for the second rate Challenge cup QF? No commitment? 4. Why no mention of all the SA teams qualifying for respective euro knock out comps in the two seasons they’ve been in it? How many euro teams have qualified for KO’s in their history? Can’t compete? 5. Why no mention of SA teams beating French and English giants La Rochelle and Saracens? How many euro teams have done that in their history? Add no quality? The fact is that SA teams are only in their second season in europe, with no status and a fraction of the resources. Since joining the URC, SA has seen a repatriation of a number of players, and this will only grow once SA start sharing in the profits of competing in these comps, meaning bigger squads with greater depth and quality, meaning they don’t have to prioritise comps as they have to now - they don’t have imports from Pacifica and South America and everywhere else in between like “European” teams have - also less “Saffas” in Prem and T14, that’s what we want right? 'If the South Africans are in, they need to be all in' True, and we have to ensure we give them the same status and resources as we give everyone else to do just that. A small compromise on scheduling will go a long way in avoiding these situations, but guess what, France and England wont compromise on scheduling because they ironically… prioritise their domestic comps, go figure!
20 Go to commentsthe success of the premiership can be summarized by : only 10 teams. It makes a huge difference with the overcrowded top 14 (let us not talk about Leinster and URC…)
2 Go to comments