League: Tuivasa-Sheck the new playmaker

Roger Tuivasa-Sheck. Photo / Getty Images.

It's hard to know how he could do much more, but Roger Tuivasa-Sheck is ready to add another element to his play during the upcoming England series.

The Kiwis fullback already has a formidable kit bag of skills, with a huge sidestep, dazzling pace and acceleration, good anticipation and solid defence.

But he is set to add more play making skills to that repertoire, as the Kiwis look to cover their lack of experience in the halves.

Tui Lolohea and Peta Hiku are the likely combination in the halves; Hiku has played a handful of tests, mostly at fullback or out wide while Lolohea has yet to wear the Kiwis jersey (though he has played in the halves for Tonga.

That has already led to talk that Tuivasa-Sheck will be closer to the action on attack, taking more of an organizing and playmaking role than ever before, when the Kiwis have the ball.

It's a big ask for the 22-year-old - especially on foreign fields but Tuivasa-Sheck relishes the challenge.

"Its good for Peta Hiku and Tui [Lolohea] to get a run there and show what they have," said Tuivasa-Sheck. "[But] if Issac [Luke] and I have to step up then we will do it."

This time last year, Tuivasa-Sheck was sitting on the sidelines, with Roosters coach Trent Robinson pulling him out of the 2014 Four Nations to enable an entire off season learning fullback.

It was a highly criticized move at the time - and Hiku staked his own claim for the No1 jersey will a series of impressive displays while Tuivasa-Sheck was training with long time Roosters custodian Anthony Minichielllo.

But credit to Robninson, and the man himself, it paid off in a big way. The former Otahuhu Colleage stand out set some records that may never be broken - including running for almost NRL 6000 metres this year, and topping 200m in a game 14 times, smashing Jarryd Hayne established mark.

"Roger has improved as fast as anyone I have seen in that fullback role, "said Robinson. "He's already up there with the best fullbacks in our sport."

"I had to mature myself at the fullback role and I feel like I have done that," said Tuivasa-Sheck. "I'm hungry for more games now."

Tuivasa-Sheck also relishes the prospect of coming up against Steve MacNamara, the England coach who is also one of the Roosters' assistants to Robinson.

""I'm excited to see Steve [MacNamara ]and play against his team," said Tuivasa-Sheck. "With Sam Moa, Issac Liu, Shaun Kenny-Dowall..we have that flair he knows what is expected he just needs stop us. He already knows how the Kiwis play."

Tuivasa-Sheck spent all last week in Mexico relaxing in Cancun along with Roosters teammates and only arrived into camp on Saturday afternoon. But despite a week off, he looked extremely sharp at the Kiwis' first training last Sunday, especially with his ability to appear out of nowhere to run off the shoulder of a teammate.