Aotearoa Warriors Diary: Breaking Down Warriors Business
Roger Tuivasa-Sheck will bid ka kite to New Zealand Warriors after this season and given what hearty Warriors fans steadily endure, there ain't no shame in feeling a bid down about all of that. This has been the major Warriors news of late and I'll break down Tuivasa-Sheck's move, lay out some junior Warriors notes and also drop an early geeze at how the best 17 may look in this diary entry.
Roger Tuivasa-Sheck's Departure
Roger's a rather special dude and his move to rugby union is in alignment with his sporting journey. Tuivasa-Sheck caught the attention of professional footy clubs through his work with Otahuhu College's 1st 15 and 1st 13, only playing league as a bit of extra fun. In 2011 he won the NZRL National Secondary Schools Tournament and was named in the tournament team, while also cracking the Auckland Blues Under 18 squad and the NZRU Secondary Schools Team.
Tuivasa-Sheck then moved to Sydney Roosters, with clubs from either code chasing him hard. The Roosters seemed to offer the best non-footy package for Tuivasa-Sheck and his whanau, then while soaring with the Roosters as he worked his way into a starting fullback role at won the Dally M Fullback of the Year award in 2015, Tuivasa-Sheck made a move to NZ Warriors.
Who leaves the winning Roosters, for NZ Warriors? Young Roger.
After what is likely to be two years of being based in Australia, Tuivasa-Sheck will now slide back into rugby union. This move is likely to see Tuivasa-Sheck earn less money in Super Rugby and face a tricky path to higher honours, not that higher honours are a key ambition for Tuivasa-Sheck as all signs point to him wanting to chill in Auckland with his whanau.
If Tuivasa-Sheck is to sign with Auckland Blues, he will link up with Patrick Tuipulotu and Sione Mafileo who were in that 2011 Blues Under 18 squad. It would be low key bonkers to see Tuivasa-Sheck play alongside his 2011 NSST comrade Ardie Savea and Ngani Laumape at a higher level.
This move does not expose NZ Warriors or rugby league, nor does it many anything greater for rugby union. Tuivasa-Sheck is the matua of the new breed of Aotearoa ballers, who grow up playing both codes and in the depths of either code there are NRL clubs signing kiwi 1st 15 players and Super Rugby teams picking up league talent. This move reflects how talented kiwi sports folk are.
In losing Shaun Johnson and Tuivasa-Sheck recently, there is a 'bummer' vibe to this. Keep your heads up and embrace a different vibe because being down in the Warriors dumps can scar. Ponder the emotional rollercoaster of last year; terrible first two games, become the second favourite club of NRL fans by staying in Australia, then the Stephen Kearney drama and then finishing with funky footy under Todd Payten.
That's two niggly lows and two fun highs in one season. Let alone the past 25 years or so. Either you ride all those emotions and lose the plot, or you stay mellow and find balance. That journey led me to excitement at seeing how Tuivasa-Sheck leads the Warriors this season as he is not the dude to pull up and 'cbf'. Everything we know about Tuivasa-Sheck informs us that Tuivasa-Sheck will be rather hungus to win footy games.
Who will be fullback in 2022 and beyond?
I'm weary of the Warriors being linked to every available fullback around the NRL. Those yarns may hold truth, they may also be whipped up by agent using the Warriors as leverage and other than Melbourne Storm halfback Jahrome Hughes coming in as a fullback (where he played much of his footy prior to 2020), other options aren't overly exciting.
Just as I'm excited by what Tuivasa-Sheck could do this season, now we have intrigue as to how the likes of Hayze Perham, Rocco Berry and Viliami Vailea perform this season. Perham's hunting a NRL centre gig, while Berry started at fullback in reserve grade last year and with just one rugby league game of experience, Berry will be a key figure to keep tabs on with Redcliffe Dolphins. Perham can play all backline positions at a stretch and Berry seems to be developing as a fullback after making a move from 1st 15 rugby with St Pat's Silverstream; Warriors recruited Berry pretty hard when he left school.
Vailea played three SG Ball games last year, while playing 1st 15 rugby for Aorere College at fullback. For what it's worth, Vailea was ranked 7th overall by HS Top 200 in all Aotearoa 1st 15 rugby and was the second-ranked back. Those SG Ball games came on the wing and I suspect Vailea will be part of that Redcliffe crew.
The Warriors have options within their system, whether that be on the fringes with Berry or deeper in their junior system (see below). The Warriors also have options in the open market and my hunch is that they will at least see how their own options look in reserve grade before making a move.
The Financials
Players in coming off contract: Bunty Afoa, Leeson Ah Mau, Tom Ale, Josh Curran, Jackson Frei, Tohu Harris, Peta Hiku, Karl Lawton, Sean O'Sullivan, Hayze Perham, Adam Pompey, Jazz Tevaga, Paul Turner.
Big group huh? This may have influenced the Warriors decision with Tuivasa-Sheck, as well as two years being based in Australia. Tuivasa-Sheck's current deal is reported at $1.1mil and the NRL salary cap for 2021 is reported to be $9.02mil, moving up to $9.11mil in 2022. The Warriors will have that rough $1milly figure to work with in their salary cap and while some automatically want that spent on marquee players, first the club needs to invest in re-signing who they want to re-sign and/or upgrade.
Tohu Harris is the key bloke in this discussion. It's tricky to compare Storm Tohu to Warriors Tohu as Melbourne Storm get the best out of every player and as I reckon last season was peak Tohu Harris, he is someone the Warriors should invest in. At the Storm, Harris was an edge forward with literally all the attacking skill a forward can have as well as a grit package that helped him thrive in the Storm system. In his first two years, Harris had a wee dip in what he offered the Warriors which shouldn't be a surprise as most Storm players have that dip when leaving Melbourne.
In top-tier Storm outfit, Harris was great as an edge forward. In a mediocre Warriors group, it's far more difficult for Harris to have an impact as an edge forward and last season, Harris' move to the middle saw him churn out hefty numbers while also showing more influence in the team's performance.
Harris played 20 games last year, the first 20+ game season for Harris since 2016. Harris played the most minutes for the Warriors last season overall and averaged 75mins per game, which resulted in Harris leading the Warriors forwards for run metres and tackles. Harris makes his metres through extremely late footwork, has a passing game that can help shift the footy around and Harris casually averaged 42.25 tackles per game @ 93.5 percent efficiency.
All of this is far superior to previous seasons for Harris. For example, Harris averaged 173m per game last season and his previous best was 133.36m in 2016. That's due to more minutes and playing scope with the Warriors last season. Harris never had to churn that production out with the Storm and I reckon this is peak Harris because he showed what his top-end ceiling can be. Whether Harris plays middle or edge this season, I'm not sure but at least Harris has put his best foot forward with the Warriors to tap into that peak.
The main point here though is that the Warriors could be Harris' team. We've had a tremendous young leader in the South Auckland Samoan Tuivasa-Sheck and there is scope for Harris to be the next Warriors matua as a Hawke's Bay Maori. Both are pretty damn cool and the mana, plus a salary around that $1mil mark will help keep Harris.
Harris won't require $1.1mil. He's worth something near that though and there is also flexibility to attract Harris as the Warriors can either hit the market to bring in quality, or ensure that the best young players are upgraded and show Harris the path forward.
Junior Warriors Systems
The Warriors SG Ball fullback for all six of their games last year was Ali Leiataua, who played in the Kings College 1st 15 last year with Francis Manuleluea and Eric Va'afusuaga who are also in the Warriors system. Leiataua has now been named in the Auckland Blue Under 20s team for the upcoming National Under 20s competition starting in a couple weeks and this will make for enticing viewing for Warriors fans.
The Blue team also features Salesi Ataata, who played one SG Ball game last season, Zyon Maiu'u who played all six games and Carlos Tarawhiti who played one game. The Auckland White team features Tony Tafa who played all six SG Ball games. Tafa, Manuleleua, Leiataua and Jeremiah Asi (five SG Ball games) were all named in the Auckland Blues Under 18 squad last year.
In 2019, the Future Warriors had two major outings against an Auckland Vulcans Under 16s team and then Newcastle Knights' Harold Mathews Under 16s team. There was a Future Warriors camp last summer and while there isn't much information on the players involved, so far in 2021 there have already been a Future Warriors 'regional development camp' and a Future Warriors trial.
All the Future Warriors stuff was in place before Phil Gould's arrival and it started under Stephen Kearney/Peter O'Sullivan a couple years back. There is a smidge more coverage this year though and between Gould and O'Sullivan - the two best takers of Aotearoa footy talent in the past 20 years who are now tasked with keeping the best in Aotearoa - I reckon there are encouraging signs starting to emerge.
Players in the Warriors system are still leaving the Warriors and that's all good. If anything, this proves that the systems in place are valued as other clubs like Wests Tigers signed Tray Lolesio, Tamehana Pururu and Jarney Proctor-Harwood from the Warriors SG Ball team and all three are named in the Western Suburbs Magpes SG Ball team for this weekend. Sione Moala was the SG Ball halfback last year, now he is the Canberra Raiders SG Ball halfback this year.
Don't get caught up in who leaves the Warriors. Every NRL club loves Aotearoa talent and while this wasn't always the case, with Gould/O'Sullivan in charge there are at least incredibly experienced operators in charge. The Warriors have their cups full with talent and overflow suggests that other clubs are well aware; all other NRL clubs love 1st 15 and rugby league talent from Aotearoa.
Below the NRL Warriors, will be Redcliffe Dolphins Warriors. Here's how I've mapped out that cluster from connecting various dots...
Outside backs: Edward Kosi, Setu Tu, Viliami Vailea.
Forwards: Jyris Glamuzina, Isaiah Vagana, Preston Riki, Vailingi Kepu, Otukinekina Kepu, Lleyton Finau.
Hookers: Temple Kalpeo, Taniela Otukolo.
I'm not sure if all of these lads will play for Redcliffe and am eagerly awaiting those Queensland Intrust Super Cup team lists to see how the Warriors have split out their wider NRL squad. The Dolphins may also have some of these Warriors in their Hastings Deering Colts (Under 20s) team and their Mal Meninga Cup (Under 18) team.
Early Team Selection
Fullback: Roger Tuivasa-Sheck.
Wings: David Fusitu'a, Ken Maumalo.
Centres: Euan Aitken, Peta Hiku.
Halves: Kodi Nikorima, Chanel Harris-Tavita.
Middles: Addin Fonua-Blake, Leeson Ah Mau, Tohu Harris.
Edges: Eliesa Katoa, Ben Murdoch-Masila.
Hooker: Wayde Egan.
Bench: Jazz Tevaga, Bunty Afoa, Bayley Sironen, Kane Evans.
Next up backline depth: Adam Pompey, Hayze Perham, Rocco Berry.
Next up halves depth: Paul Turner.
Next up forwards depth: Jamayne Taunoa-Brown, Jack Murchie, Josh Curran.
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Peace and love.