With his future beyond this year now mapped out, Roger Tuivasa-Sheck is in sight of two more personal milestones before signing off from the One New Zealand Warriors and the NRL at the end of the season.
Tuivasa-Sheck, 33 on June 5, started his 13th and final NRL campaign by making his 150th appearance for the Warriors – and kicking a goal – in the 40-6 round two victory over Canberra; he’s the 13th player on the club’s 150-game roll of honour.
The former Dally M Medal winner and four-time Warriors player of the year should add two more achievements to his personal swag.
He now sits just 14 games short of making his 250th career appearance after his 236th game on Friday night (84 for the Sydney Roosters, 152 for the Warriors).
And, while he’s without a try so far this season, he needs only three more to bring up his 50th try for the club.
Match: Sharks v Warriors
Round 5 -
home Team
Sharks
9th Position
away Team
Warriors
2nd Position
Venue: Ocean Protect Stadium, Sydney
Match broadcasters:
- WatchNRL
Tuivasa-Sheck has the opportunity to finish his NRL playing days with a staggering career metres gained average of more than 190 a game (he’s sitting on 191 now). He’s just below that this season averaging 182 metres in the opening four rounds.
He could also be just one outstanding game away from cracking a total of 30,000 metres gained for the Warriors – he’s 231 short – while his overall tally sits at 45,123 metres.
In acknowledging Tuivasa-Sheck’s end-of-season departure, One New Zealand Warriors head coach Andrew Webster is on the one hand excited for him but on the other zoned in on the present.
“So proud of Roger, so happy for him that he gets an opportunity to experience something different,” he said.
“To go to the north of England and play in the Super League is a great experience, something he’ll remember forever … but we are more celebrating what we get to do together this year.
“This team, we want to do something special so we’ll focus on the now while we’ve still got Roger but we’re really happy for him.”
That ‘now’ is first and foremost the Warriors’ next challenge against the Sharks on Sunday and how they respond after their first loss of the season against Wests Tigers last Friday night.
