Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, centre, leading from the front at Warriors training. Photo / Photosport
Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, centre, leading from the front at Warriors training. Photo / Photosport
Roger Tuivasa-Sheck is not one to hide his feelings.
The likeable 24-year-old, who attended Otahuhu College, knows things must turn around in 2018 after a terrible year for the Vodafone Warriors and the Kiwis at the World Cup in 2017.
The talented fullback, apparently in the sights of the All Blacks selectors, won a Premiership medal with the Sydney Rooster in 2013.
But since arriving as the marquee signing at the Warriors in 2016, it has been a struggle for Tuivasa-Sheck to regain the blistering pace and form he showed with such spectacular results at the Roosters.
He was made captain last year in a surprise move for most pundits and has retained the role for this season. Spend any time with Tuivasa-Sheck and his leadership skills and respect from the rest of the players is obvious.
When put to him that this is a crucial season for him and the credibility of the Warriors, Tuivasa-Sheck agrees.
"It is very important. Every year I come in and try to get my own point as to why I can be better and where I can take the team. I can actually say the last couple of years I have not been at my best. My first year I had that feeling of trying to fit in, and at the beginning of my second year I kind of stepped it up by trying to be better and taking a few players with me.
"This year is like a personal year trying to really get with a few of the leaders in the team. I really want to lead and try to be the best I can be. We need a few more boys to buy in. It is something I really want to help them with as this year I really want to get well in."
The Warriors spent four days in the Western Bay last week in a mix of fun team bonding with the Papamoa Surf Lifesaving Club in the gentle waves off the beach that was mixed with intense gym sessions at University of Waikato Adams Centre for High Performance at Blake Park and full-contact training sessions in the hot sun.
They stayed together in mixed dormitories at Pacific Park Christian Holiday Camp, having to muck in together and share the workload.
A key reason to travel out of Auckland for the camp was to try to find ways to reverse the Warriors' poor away record in Australia and in other parts of New Zealand away from Mt Smart Stadium in Auckland.
"I spoke about before we took off to camp to try and get into some good routines away from home. Just trying to practice the small things. We are not in the same environment, we are in a different place, in different beds, eating different food.
"We just need to find good habits as it is part of our game. We travel away and have a lot of away games so this is kind of the feeling [at Papamoa] I get from being away."
Hayze Perham lifting weights at the University of Waikato Adams Centre for High Performance at Blake Park. Photo / www.warriors.kiwi
The Warriors squad training here last week was a mix of the top-tier players and reserve-graders, with special young talents like Rotorua's Hayze Perham, 18, given plenty of time running the cutter at training from standoff.
Tuivasa-Sheck was impressed by the attitude and skills shown by the younger players at the camp.
"Hayze and a lot of the younger boys keep the buzz going in the club. A lot of the older players here have been through the year after year losses so having fresh new mindsets coming through brings energy to the club and that's what we need."
Trial match Vodafone Warriors v Melbourne Storm Rotorua International Stadium, Saturday, February 17, 3pm Tickets: Ticketmaster, $20 adults, $7.50 children, $45 family.
