How All Blacks will turn Roger Tuivasa-Sheck into the next Sonny Bill Williams

Roger Tuivasa-Sheck will become one of the highest-paid Kiwi rugby players after some clever manoeuvring from All Blacks management.

When New Zealand Rugby came to Roger Tuivasa-Sheck last year for the potential of a shock code switch, the numbers didn’t stack up.

At the time, they could only offer the Warriors captain $550,000 a year, less than half of what he’s earning as the NRL’s second-highest paid player at $1.2 million.

While Tuivasa-Sheck had always harboured an ambition to play for the All Blacks, the financial hit was too great to accept.

But NZR wasn’t quite done.

Once they sorted out their fiscal issues post the COVID-affected 2020 season, they set about putting together a more compelling offer for the 27-year-old.

Kayo is your ticket to the best sport streaming Live & On-Demand. New to Kayo? Get your 14-day free trial & start streaming instantly >

A happy Warriors Roger Tuivasa-Sheck after the Warriors v Manly NRL match at Central Coast Stadium, Gosford.

While many had assumed Tuivasa-Sheck would be a fullback or wing option, the All Blacks coaching staff had a plan to transform him into an inside centre, the position left vacant by Sonny Bill Williams.

NZR is aware that another midfield star, Ngani Laumape – ironically another former NZ Warriors back who became an All Black – is being heavily pursued by Japanese clubs and could walk after this season.

That would leave Crusader Jack Goodhue as the only bona fide No.12 option for the All Blacks, although Chiefs star Anton Lienert-Brown can alternate between inside and outside centre.

The lack of depth in the midfield is a concern for the All Blacks with the next World Cup looming in 2023.

So began the next phase of “Operation Get Roger”.

Can RTS be the man to replace Sonny Bill Williams at No.12 for the All Blacks? Picture: Getty Images.

NZR had been able to save a substantial amount of contractual money by allowing stars such as Beauden Barrett, TJ Perenara and Brodie Retallick stints in Japan.

They’d planned to lure Tuivasa-Sheck away from the NRL this year, and have him begin his Super Rugby career in 2021.

But again, they could not quite manufacture a deal that came close to his league contract.

Then they got creative and put together a multi-party deal that includes numerous third-party and private sponsorships, as well as performance bonus clauses, that was compelling for Tuivasa-Sheck.

The Daily Telegraph understands the deal is worth $800,000 a season over two years, making Tuivasa-Sheck one of the highest paid players in the New Zealand system.

Given Tuivasa-Sheck was unlikely to receive another $1.2 million-a-year offer for his next NRL deal, and the chance to represent the All Blacks at the 2023 World Cup in France would be his last opportunity, he agreed.

The deal with the Auckland Blues and NZR is expected to be announced on Saturday.

Tuivasa-Sheck won’t earn as much as he did in the NRL but will still be one of New Zealand Rugby’s highest paid stars. Picture: Getty Images.

Tuivasa-Sheck, a financially-savvy operator who has a raft of investment properties, is expected to complete the 2021 NRL season with the Warriors, then skip the Rugby League World Cup scheduled for October and November in the United Kingdom to instead switch codes and play in the 2021 Mitre 10 Cup for Auckland.

Tuivasa-Sheck grew up playing rugby, and was in the 2011 New Zealand Schools team alongside Laumape and All Blacks stars Ardie Savea and Patrick Tuipulotu.

So his adjustment back to the 15-man code is expected to be relatively quick, but he’ll need to add a kicking game to his hole-running and passing arsenal to become an all-round No.12 as Williams did.

In 2022, the Blues will field a backline featuring Barrett, Tuivasa-Sheck, Rieko Ioane, Caleb Clarke and Mark Telea.

Originally published as How All Blacks will turn Roger Tuivasa-Sheck into the next Sonny Bill Williams