Richie Barnett: Tuivasa-Sheck signing great news for club

Roger Tuivasa-Sheck of the Roosters. Photo / Getty Images

The signing of Roger Tuivasa-Sheck is great news for the Warriors and I am really looking forward to seeing how he fits in to the side and how he handles the pressure that comes with the "marquee player" tag.

He is obviously an incredible fullback talent but after gradually emerging on the wing at the Roosters in a side chock full of big names, he will find himself in uncharted territory as one of the Warriors' key men.

Under Anthony Minichiello's guidance he was able to develop slowly and was well managed through the early stages of his career.

He'll return home to New Zealand and join the Warriors with huge expectations on him to deliver wins and help the side reach the next level.

As Sam Tomkins has found out at different stages over the past year, if things don't go well for the Warriors next season, Tuivasa-Sheck will have plenty of people pointing the finger his way.

The club just needs to give him the space and time to settle in and fans need to be aware that it will take some time for him to make that adjustment.

He's quite a different style of player to Tomkins and can play a number of backline positions - fullback, wing, centre and possibly in the halves- which is a real bonus.

We know he's a strong carrier of the ball on kick returns, can break the line with his footwork, and he is a tough kid who can play through the hard knocks.

The Warriors have a lot of players capable of busting tackles so I think Tuivasa-Sheck's basic role would be playing in support of offloads and second-phase and helping out early in the tackle count by running out of dummy half.

As for the Roosters, I am gobsmacked that they let a player of his calibre slip from their grasp.

Generally they do a good job of holding on to players that are important to their whole make-up and Tuivasa-Sheck fits that mould.

Apart from his footballing ability he offers plenty off the field, with his clean lifestyle and marketable looks and personality.

He's the full package with superstar qualities and the only reason I can fathom for the Roosters letting him go is the salary cap.

To be fair, if you looked at their roster they have probably been pushing the boundaries there anyway and the Warriors seem to have trumped them with a much better offer.

With Tomkins deciding to head home to England at the end of the year, I really hope he can make a successful return to the park soon and quickly get back to his best form.

As I wrote last week, I don't think people appreciate just how talented a footballer he is and it would be a shame for him to depart without reaching his full potential with the Warriors.

Tomorrow night's clash against the Tigers should be a beauty and hopefully Manu Vatuvei can celebrate his 200th NRL match with a win.

In many ways he epitomises everything New Zealand rugby league stands for and he is a tremendous role model for any emerging player at the club, particularly for the Polynesian boys.

Although he is off contract at the end of the year, the Warriors need to do everything to ensure he stays with the club and finishes his career as a one club player.