The Warriors have confirmed the signing of Sydney Roosters fullback Roger Tuivasa-Sheck on a three-year NRL deal.
The 21-year-old Kiwi star will join the Auckland-based club from next season.
The Warriors also confirmed unsettled England fullback Sam Tomkins would be granted an early release from his three-year Warriors deal, allowing him to return to the Super League club.
Tomkins, who has been sidelined by a knee injury, will leave at the end of the season.
According to reports, the Warriors offered Tuivasa-Sheck a contract of more than $800,000 a year – double the $400,000-odd the Roosters’ offered.
“This hasn’t been an easy decision for me. The Roosters have treated me so well ever since I got here and I owe the club a lot, but the lure of going home to New Zealand was too great,” Tuivasa-Sheck said in a Roosters club statement.
“I’ve learned so much from (coach) Trent Robinson and made some lifelong friends at the Roosters and, for the rest of the year, I’m focused on doing the very best job I can for the club. And right now, my number one focus is on preparing for our game against the Broncos on Friday night.”
Warriors coach Andrew McFadden said Tuivasa-Sheck had been a player the Warriors had been looking at for further down the track rather than specifically next year.
“To be fair, if Sam did stay, we probably wouldn’t be talking about Roger,” McFadden said.
“We talked about Roger in terms of the future potentially and where things would move, but Sam was our fullback.
“He’s decided to leave us and that makes Roger a very valuable person to us.”
McFadden said Tomkins and Tuivasa-Sheck had slightly different styles, but the young star could fit the style the Warriors wanted to play.
“I think certainly Roger would fit into our style of football,” he said.
“He’s a dynamic player. He’s still only learning the position and he’s going to get better, so we think we’ve got a good one there.”
Samoa-born Tuivasa-Sheck, who went to school in Auckland, has made 62 appearances for the Roosters, his NRL debut coming in mid-2012.
He has also played six Tests for the Kiwis.
Breeze101
Roar Rookie
Well he originally is a Rugby Union player like most kiwi boys before being poached from Aussie clubs, so you never know... but with the endless amount of talent in the Rugby Union ranks in NZ it will be interesting if he went back to Rugby my answer is no.
Muzz
Guest
I wish him all the best,mate. Do you think he'll play for the ABs one day?
Breeze101
Roar Rookie
Also to be a part of potentially the Warriors first Premiership side & to represent his home team there's still plenty to play for!! It does matter!!
Muzz
Guest
Graveyard for talent comes to mind. I guess his won his premiership and represented his country so it doesn't really matter.
Breeze101
Roar Rookie
Why does it matter to you weather he can ball play or not??... I get what your saying for that price tag he should be more of the complete player, but just let the Warriors & Andrew McFadden & his coaching staff worry about that. Tomkins short stint in the Nrl really hasn't delivered on the hype surrounding him was it the Warriors inconsistency that affected his performance Probably??.. also his Girlfriend surely didn't help. Maybe the week to week grind of the Nrl was too much for him to handle??.. who knows maybe he just wasn't Nrl material??. but to assume RTS career will plummet base on Tomkins is stupid. NZ Warriors have to be given a chance to work with RTS to unleash his full potential time will tell.
Muzz
Guest
For the record, it was Tomkins GF that got homesick. $800k a season FB should be of the ball-playing variety.
Pot Stirrer
Guest
i think this is a really bad career move for him. I wonder how all the other young players will react to him when he is on 800k to thier 150K and he is unable to live up to his potential becuase of the warriors incncistency. If the Roosters hold out signing a replacement hel prob end back up there in 2017 with the warriors paying half his salary.
Breeze101
Roar Rookie
I'm pretty sure he can pass a ball!!! like you said he is still young & still learning!! Sounds like your hurt that he is leaving, more money to return home that's a dream come true for any player!! He did see the bigger picture, Roosters ain't New Zealand & stop looking down on the Warriors they saw an opportunity had the money & RTS was more than happy to sign.
Breeze101
Roar Rookie
Tomkins being so home sick probably never had his heart set on playing for the Warriors anyways. I'm not sure but Warriors lost alot of Money on Tomkins good luck to him, season has yet to finish though. RTS is a Kiwi returning to his homeland of New Zealand like Tomkins home is where the heart is. Warriors are prepared to invest heavily on RTS it's a risk given Warriors history of inconsistency but RTS will fit in perfectly with NZ Warriors in my opinion.
Muzz
Guest
He's still a pup with potential who's only played a handful of 1st grade games at fullback. $800k for a fullback that can't pass a ball to save his life is just crazy. Perhaps he should've spoken to Tomkins who's game has gone backwards whilst at the Warriors.
Alex L
Roar Rookie
As opposed to being paid like the NRLs best FB in his home country?
Muzz
Guest
Robbo and the coaching staff have turned players that were on the scrap heap into rep players. RTS has failed to look at the bigger picture. Stay and play for 550k a season for the next 2 years and potentially become the NRL's best FB.
ScottWoodward.me
Roar Guru
My system values him now at 700k and he is only 21, so he certainly should be worth what they paid for him (actually $880k) and by year 3 he will be great value. Tough for the Roosters but money speaks all languages.
Hoy
Roar Guru
I think he will regret this... so many young players show promise, shift clubs after big offers, or any offers, and then don't amount to what they could have been...
up in the north
Roar Rookie
Then report the reporter. Still 800k pa seems like a lot for a young bloke. I can understand if they're trying to build a team around him but gee.
Sleiman Azizi
Roar Guru
That's obvious. The reporter.... :)
peeeko
Guest
i love it how "reports say" 800k, who makes these reports?