Latest news with #RogerTuivasaSheck
RNZ News
17-07-2025
- Sport
- RNZ News
Warriors star open to ditching team for $1 million deal
Warriors star and former All Black Roger Tuivasa-Sheck is being linked to a Saudi Arabia-backed rebel rugby competition. The 32-year-old still has one year to run on his Warriors NRL contract but is open to switching codes again on a deal that could get him around $1 million a year. Sports reporter Felicity Reid spoke to Melissa Chan-Green. Tags: To embed this content on your own webpage, cut and paste the following: See terms of use.
RNZ News
17-07-2025
- Sport
- RNZ News
NZ Warriors star Roger Tuivasa-Sheck considers switch to Saudi-backed Rugby 360
Roger Tuivasa-Sheck is a key part of the Warriors' top-four run during the 2025 NRL season. Photo: Andrew Cornaga/ NZ Warriors star Roger Tuivasa-Sheck admits a return to rugby union is not off the table, once his current contract with the Auckland league club ends in 2026. The double international logged three tests for the All Blacks in a brief dalliance with the 15-man code, before returning to league last year and has been linked with a possible switch to a new Saudi-financed Rugby 360 competition to launch in two years. Other NRL stars in the mix appear to be Newcastle Knights fullback Kalyn Ponga and Melbourne Storm fullback Ryan Papenhuyzen. "It's something that my manager is aware of and he's put in front of me, but it's something in the future," Tuivasa-Sheck said. "I don't know what's happening - I'm just taking it game by game. "My contract ends in 2026 and he's doing his job just keeping my future open, but at the moment, I'm enjoying playing my footy here and hopefully I can be here for a long time." The former Dally M Medal winner left the Warriors in 2021 to chase All Blacks selection for the 2023 Rugby World Cup, but never really adapted to requirements of rugby union and rejoined the Warriors for the 2024 season. The Sydney Morning Herald reports his commitment to the LIV Golf-type rebel outfit is imminent, although the competition doesn't begin until 2027. Tuivasa-Sheck has not discounted a switch back to rugby, but insists an extension with the Warriors is still an option. "That's what the manager is doing right now," he said. "He's putting options in front of me, so we'll see what happens after 2026." Tuivasa-Sheck spent last season in the centres, but is back on the wing and hitting his straps, as his team consolidates their position in the top four on the competition table. "This is home," he said. "I came back for a reason and just want to keep playing footy. "You don't get those contract chats if you're not playing good footy, so I've got to focus on that." Warriors chief executive Cam George alerted other NRL CEOs to the threat at a conference last week. "I'm aware of players that have been interviewed and engaged with," he told Sydney Morning Herald . "I'm aware of the significant financial opportunities that it could bring, particularly around the branding of the players as individuals. "I needed to alert everyone, so that they are across this and what it could bring in the next few years, because it's a real and genuine concept that is growing momentum and could be quite attractive to any number of players. "My understanding is that the financial windfalls are real and they're significant. I'm sure that the financial windfalls are far greater than anything we've ever seen before in rugby." At 32, Tuivasa-Sheck has a reputation for his professional approach to the game - whichever code - and he's nowhere near a decline in his powers. His 2025 campaign was hampered by an early hamstring injury, which sidelined him for six games, but he scored seven tries in 10 appearances, including a double against South Sydney Rabbitohs in June. "I haven't spoken to him about it [Rugby 360]," Warriors coach Andrew Webster said. "I just asked him if he was OK today with the story and he said, 'Yep', so we left it at that. "I think there might be six players that come off contract on 1 November, so we've got plenty of time to sort that out and we haven't spoken to any of them. "I don't know if Roger wants to keep playing or what his dreams are, so we'll just cross that bridge when we come to it, but we've got plenty of time at the back end of the season, before 1 November, to have those conversations." Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
News.com.au
17-07-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
‘What if this 360 throws a $3m deal at Cleary?': Rebel competition threat is ‘real' as clubs prepare for stars to be offered crazy money
Warriors chief executive Cameron George concedes the threat of rugby's breakaway competition R360 poaching players on lucrative deals is real, but he laughed off suggestions that it could tear apart rugby league. The comments come on the back of reports Warriors superstar Roger Tuivasa-Sheck has been offered $1m a season to sign up, sparking speculation they could go after Nathan Cleary on a deal that would blow that figure out of the water. No NRL club could compete financially if R360 offered the four-time premiership-winning halfback a deal worth $3m a year – a sum Broncos legend Corey Parker mentioned on radio on Thursday morning. It's still unclear exactly what the competition would look like, but early reports suggest it would feature 12 teams and be played all over the world with the backing of Saudi Arabia. 'This rebel competition is threatening to steal a lot of stars out of the NRL,' Parker said on SENQ Breakfast, with Kalyn Ponga and Ryan Papenhuyzen also mentioned as possible targets. 'I have always been adamant about – we saw SBW (Sonny Bill Williams) leave to go to rugby, there's always been players leave to rugby. 'We jump up and down about it and say we need to keep them. The game is like a big wheel – it will keep turning with or without you. 'But this R360, which is still yet to get off the ground, it is set to diminish and take away some of our superstars of the game. My question is, which NRL players would you target to go cross code for this competition in Saudi Arabia? 'RTS overnight, he has been in union for a couple of years. Now back playing for the Warriors. He has presented a fair bit of interest that he wants to go over and could command $1m. 'If you're pulling away some of our superstars, let's say a Cleary, we have spoken about him playing union, what if this 360 throws a $3 million deal at Cleary? 'He has the currency for union. Why wouldn't he go and play union for $3m a year? 'There's a real concern if this gets off the ground.' George hasn't sat down with Tuivasa-Sheck to discuss his future yet, with the Warriors boss warning other clubs that they should be prepared for their star players to be offered life-changing sums of money. 'There are a lot of sports and a lot of innovations around sport that come around from time to time,' he said on SEN. 'Being over here in New Zealand where rugby is very big, I've been hearing a lot over the last month in particular about Rugby 360 getting off the ground and the discussions they're having with any number of rugby players. 'I've heard, quite frankly, that a number of our major names in rugby league would be a target to them as well. I get that because they're a PR machine and they'd be great for their sport. 'I think it's real, but is it going to tear apart rugby league? Absolutely not. We've got the greatest game in the world. 'However, I'm sure they'll come knocking and cause some clubs some headaches with the financial windfalls on offer.'
Yahoo
17-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
'Huge trouble': NRL fans warned of top players being poached after fresh RTS news
Warriors CEO Cameron George has reiterated the danger of R360 taking the elite players of the competition with Roger Tuivasa-Sheck being approached about a huge move. Reports are growing the Saudi-backed league, reportedly in the very early stages of development, are already approaching a number of NRL players about making the switch. Papenhuyzen is reportedly attracting interest from the northern hemisphere rugby union competition, while Warriors star Tuivasa-Sheck was linked with a big money move to the competition in 2027. While Tuivasa-Sheck will be off contract with the Warriors, it appears R360 is opening up another avenue for players to earn larger pay days. And it appears R360 is set to target the top names from the competition and clubs have been warned the danger is real. Speaking on Thursday morning to Greg Alexander on SEN Radio, Warriors CEO George Cameron doubled down and suggested the threat of R360 could be a worry going forward. "There is a lot of sports and a lot of innovation around sport that comes to life from time to time. But being over here in New Zealand where Rugby is very big over here, I have been hearing a lot over the last month about Rugby360 getting off the ground and the discussions they are having with any number of main rugby players," he said. "And heard, quite frankly, that a number of our major names in rugby league would be a target to them as well. I get that, they are a PR machine it would be great for their sport, I think it is real. But is it going to tear apart rugby league, absolutely I am sure they will come knocking and cause some clubs some headaches with the financial windfalls on offer." While Super Rugby and European Rugby can expect to be raided for their talent, rugby league is also a major poaching ground and could see some elite players make the move for a much larger sum of money. And the news about Tuivasa-Sheck has certainly raised some eyebrows. RTS camp address R360 conversations Speaking on Sport Nation NZ, reporter Alex Chapman claimed on Thursday morning Tuivasa-Sheck's camp had confirmed the news the player's management had been approached by R360. Speaking on Sport Nation NZ Radio, Chapman said the camp confirmed they 'had the conversations' with the competition, but were 'taking a breath' after initial talks. The reporter also claimed a number of current All Blacks have also been approached over the switch. With the reports coming in fast, the rugby league community is now raising concerns over how the NRL could stop the Saudi-backed league from taking their top talent. Fans have reacted with some hesitation to the news. While NRL clubs can expect a bigger salary cap to work with when the new broadcast deal is announced, it will still fall short of the financial power R360 is expected to be able to offer players. Should it get off the ground, it's understood that many current All Blacks are also being eyed up for R360 👀MORE 👉 — Sport Nation NZ (@SportNationNZ) July 16, 2025 The nrl could be in huge trouble here these guys throwing crazy money around — Can we talk about Rodri?🏆🏆🏆🏆 (@jakepike96) July 16, 2025 #R360 is the new Super League.. NRL bosses take note — Zane Bojack (@zanofc) July 16, 2025 Ryan Papenhuyzen remains coy on R360 links Papenhuyzen has been made aware of the reports and admitted most players would "have to consider" the huge money thrown at them. While the money was eye-opening, the Melbourne fullback remained coy on whether it was of interest of him to make a switch to rugby union. Instead he said he wasn't looking any further than aiming to win back-to-back competitions with the Storm. "I've just got a big focus for winning the premiership and hopefully going back-to-back next year and then we'll see, but you always look forward to your future and see what's happening," he said. "I'm sure my manager is doing a good job with that and has got it all under control."
RNZ News
16-07-2025
- Sport
- RNZ News
Another code switch?: Roger Tuivasa-Sheck 'on verge' of signing for R360 rugby comp
Roger Tuivasa-Sheck in action for the Warriors, is now being linked to a breakaway rugby comp. Photo: Jeremy Ward/Photosport Warriors star and former All Black Roger Tuivasa-Sheck is being linked to a Saudi Arabia-backed rebel rugby competition, according to an Australian media report. Tuivasa-Sheck "is on the verge'' of becoming the first NRL player to sign for the R360 competition, the Sydney Morning Herald has reported. The newspaper said he had been in discussions about joining the competition in 2027 on a deal worth around $1 million a year. Tuivasa-Sheck still had one year to run on his three-year Warriors deal, which was worth about $600,000 annually. The 32-year-old played for the Warriors for six years before a code switch to rugby was announced in 2021. He had a two-year foray in that code, which saw him play for the Blues in Super Rugby and gain selection in three matches for the All Blacks, but miss being picked for the 2023 Rugby World Cup. He returned to the NRL with the Warriors last year. The Sydney Morning Herald said Warriors chief executive Cameron George was aware of R360's interest in Tuivasa-Sheck's services but would not discuss the matter when contacted. However, he did warn at a recent meeting of NRL chief executives about the threat that the rebel competition posed to rugby league. "I'm aware of players that have been interviewed and engaged with. I'm aware of the significant financial opportunities that it could bring, particularly around the branding of the players as individuals,'' the SMH quoted him as saying. It's understood top players in the rebel league could earn close to $3.4 million a season. Former England centre Mike Tindall has been reported to be one of the figures behind the breakaway competition, which aims to make the sport more appealing to a global audience. Another current NRL star Kalyn Ponga, who was born in Australia to New Zealand parents, has also been mentioned as a R360 possible. There have been reports of uncertainty over Ponga's future at the Newcastle Knights and that he has engaged a New Zealand-based rugby agent to explore his options.
