Roger Tuivasa-Sheck leads the Warriors out ahead of a 2019 clash. Photosport
OPINION:
Roger Tuivasa-Sheck has always had impeccable timing – on and off the field.
His decision to seek an early release from his Warriors contract to pursue his long-held dream to play for the All Blacks is a good example.
At 27, Roger remains young enough to perform at the highest level alongside the cream of New Zealand rugby talent. It will also give him the best chance of making a successful transition to rugby union, and enough time to compete for a spot in the All Blacks' Rugby World Cup 2023 squad. The timing is perfect.
Roger is the ultimate professional and a supreme athlete, who will be successful no matter what he chooses to do.
I saw that in him as a schoolboy, when he captained Otahuhu College to win the New Zealand Rugby League secondary schools' tournament in 2011. I was then CEO with the NZRL and even I, a Scotsman with little knowledge of rugby league talent, could see he was an outstanding professional athlete in the making.
On the sidelines I remember saying to Tony Kemp, who was Kiwis manager and high performance GM, "that fullback from Otahuhu College is going to be a star."
So, when I took the reins as managing director of the Warriors one of the first things I set about doing was to sign Roger to the club.
I continued my connection with Roger during the time I worked for the NRL in Sydney. Roger was at the Roosters, whose offices were next door to the NRL headquarters, so we would see each other regularly.
Roger's partner Ashley, his parents and siblings were all in Sydney with him, and this strong family base has always kept Roger grounded and well supported. On top of that, he has surrounded himself with good people.
When we first started talking about the possibility of Roger coming to the Warriors, I talked with our coach at the time, Andrew McFadden [Cappy]. We were looking ahead and agreed we needed to add players not just with talent but with very high professional standards so they could help the club reach the heights we all wanted, and someone our future players could follow.
I had felt for a while that there was too much pressure on Shaun Johnson as both our key playmaker and the face of the club. The expectation on him to create some magic every time he touched the ball was immense – and unrealistic.
I said to Cappy that we needed to bring in some other strong players who are good as, if not better than, Shaun, to complement him and take some of the load off him – both on and off the field. Our number one priority was Roger.
At the time, we had Sam Tomkins at fullback. Sam had come to the club on an expensive transfer from Wigan in the United Kingdom and had another year to run on his contract, which was due to conclude at the end of the 2016 season.
At the same time, we had Roger coming available at the Roosters and I was keen that we did not miss the opportunity to secure him for the Warriors, even if we had to shuffle our backline to make it work. During the times Cappy and I met with Roger and Ashley and his manager Bruce Sharrock, he had expressed a desire to come back to New Zealand and he and Ashley saw it as an opportunity to settle in Auckland and start a family, which were important goals.
As we were finalising the deal, Sam spoke to Cappy and I, saying he was missing home and wanted to go back at the end of that 2015 season.
It was perfect timing. We released Sam one year early (and even got some of the transfer money back) signed Roger and improved our salary cap position. Not a bad day at the office. Cappy and I had a quiet drink that night.
Based on my relationship with Roger, I felt strongly that he would also be the long-term leader for the Warriors. He was such a professional – what I call a 24-hour-a-day athlete. I knew that he would set a positive example for the other players to follow.
Sadly, an ACL injury in his first year with the club rubbed out most of 2016. But in 2017, we named him captain as we believed he was the right person to lead the Warriors into the future.
The decision to elevate Roger at such a young age wasn't without controversy but Stephen Kearney and I were convinced he was the perfect person to take us forward. The captaincy also had the added benefit of providing a retention incentive for Roger. It's hard to walk away from a club when you're the skipper, and so it proved when Roger signed a four-year extension that would take him to the end of the 2022 season, and he was named the NRL captain of the year in 2020.
In my conversations with Roger, it was clear he always had in the back of his mind a desire to explore rugby union at some point. He had played schoolboy rugby and impressed enough to make the Blues development squad and the New Zealand Schools rugby team in his teens.
At the Warriors we had already experienced players who wanted to try their hands at union – including Ngani Laumape, who had a major impact when he transitioned to the Hurricanes which earned him selection in the All Blacks.
I knew Roger would one day want to explore his rugby opportunities and so it has proved. No doubt the Warriors did everything they could to keep him, but have done the right thing and allowed him an early release to follow his ambition.
When he does step out of the Warriors changing room for the last time later this season, he will do so as one of the great leaders and servants of the club.
I hope Warriors fans will join me in wishing him well. It's better that he has had these six years at Mt Smart, where his talents have been a commanding presence, than not at all. My advice is to wear your RTS jersey with pride and support your captain this year.
Similarly, I hope rugby fans will embrace him. I have always thought that New Zealand should celebrate its top athletes in whatever sport or code they participate in.
I have no doubt that Roger will be a success in rugby union. We will see him in Blues colours in 2022, which means we will still be able to enjoy his skills in Auckland. There is great depth of talent at the Blues and in the All Blacks, but I know Roger will work as hard as it takes and will rise to the top of that talent.
Now is the perfect time for him to take that opportunity. And before too long, we may be hearing his name read out alongside others to go to France in 2023 for a chance to taste Rugby World Cup success.
The Warriors keep finding ways to win, even though it's not pretty at times.