NRL strikes back in code switch war as Warriors lure All Blacks star from Rugby New Zealand amid concerns over a move from Payne Haas to the Wallabies
- Roger Tuivasa-Sheck will return to the NRL in 2024 with the Warriors
- The Dally M medalist left in 2021 to sign for the Blues in Super Rugby
- The dual-code international made his All Blacks debut last year
Roger Tuivasa-Sheck is on the verge of a shock return to rugby league, having agreed to leave the 15-man game and sign a three-year deal with the Warriors from 2024.
Tuivasa-Sheck, a 2018 Dally M medalist, left the NRL in mid-2021 after signing to move to the Auckland-based Blues before making his All Blacks debut last year.
Tuivasa-Sheck’s Blues deal expires at the end of this year and there was speculation he could move to Japanese club rugby next season.
But the 29-year-old will return to the Warriors instead, having previously captained the club and made 111 of his 195 NRL appearances for them.
“It is hugely exciting to know that Roger is coming back to us, back to his home at Mt Smart Stadium,” said Warriors CEO Cameron George.
Roger Tuivasa-Sheck will return to the NRL next season with the Warriors
The 29-year-old switched codes midway through the 2021 season to sign for the Blues
“When he went to rugby union he did so knowing that if he wanted to return to rugby league he was always welcome here. We couldn’t be happier that it’s happening.
He is popular with the players and a real favorite with the fans. It will be so good to see him back in our jersey.’
The return of the fullback marks a major coup for not only the Warriors, but the NRL as well, after young striker Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii signed to go the other way last month.
The return of Tuivasa-Sheck, a doubles international, will also be an immediate boost to New Zealand’s 13-man game, having previously played 20 Tests for the Kiwis and was named a 2019 Golden Boot winner.
One of the game’s most dangerous forwards, when he is at his best, he will rejoin a Warriors team that is clearly on the rise after spending three years in Australia due to COVID-19.
With new coach Andrew Webster at the helm, the Warriors have won five of their first seven games and are third on the ladder as they wrap up their home ground in Auckland.
“Roger came to the club in my second season as assistant coach in 2016 and he made a huge impact on the side,” said Webster.
“That first year was cut short by his ACL injury, but it was great working with him. I’m super excited knowing he’s coming back to the club.’
Tuivasa-Sheck, NRL premiership winner with the Sydney Roosters, has not played for the Blues since March after a hand injury.
He posted a photo of himself in a Warriors jersey on Thursday afternoon to confirm his return, while insisting he focused on the Blues for the rest of this year.
“Out of respect for the Blues, my teammates, coaches and of course the fans, I’m not going to go into too much detail about my next move,” Tuivasa-Sheck said in a statement.
Tuivasa-Sheck made his All Blacks debut last year, playing three Tests for New Zealand
The Samoan-born star won the 2014 premiership with the Sydney Roosters
Sydney Roosters star Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii signed a three-year contract with the Wallabies
“One thing was clear to me though, once I knew what my future held, I wanted to announce it and quickly shift focus back to this season.
“I’m a Blues man now and that’s where all my energy goes.
“There is an important series of games coming up in which we aim to get into the play-offs and make sure we finish as high as possible.
“In the near future I want to have my injured hand treated so that I am back and available to help this team in any way I can for the remainder of 2023.”