The Emergence of Roger Tuivasa-Sheck

There's a new superstar in the National Rugby League (NRL) who Andrew Johns has said will become New Zealand's greatest ever player after just one season at fullback.

What an incredible 2015 NRL season has Roger Tuivasa-Sheck had.

He played in every game for the Sydney Roosters, won the 2015 Dally M fullback of the year award and broke the all time NRL record for run metres in a season.

The record was shattered. The former mark was 4590 metres which ironically had been set by Anthony Minichiello, the predecessor to Tuivasa-Sheck, and averaged 191 metres a game.

This latest record is 5496 metres, a 906 metre improvement which meant Tuivasa-Sheck averaged 229 metres a game.

Come finals time he provided magical moments like this, in an effort to take the Roosters from the top of the table towards their second premiership win in three years.

Unfortunately, they were knocked out in the grand final qualifier against the Brisbane Broncos; and what's more unfortunate for the Sydney Roosters is they are now without the services of Tuivasa-Sheck.

The 22-year-old's four year tenure with the Bondi club ends not through the Roosters discarding him, the reality is there was no room left in the salary cap for a player who suddenly deserves a superstar salary.

Tuivasa-Sheck joins the New Zealand Warriors on a three year deal reportedly averaging more than $850 000 a season.

That's well above the mean NRL first grader salary of $220 000, a figure much closer to what Tuivasa-Sheck would have previously been banking.

After such a stunning season which he almost earned every accolade possible, Roosters coach Trent Robinson believes we haven't seen the best of Tuivasa-Sheck yet.

"This will sound funny but I think Roger can get better than where he is at the moment," Robinson said.

"But that running record, the way he brings the ball back, it's changed the way that we attack out of the backfield."

The next chapter of Tuivasa-Sheck's career begins in New Zealand, where he grew up, and already claims are being made his arrival could immediately make the Warriors a title contender.

What's more is rugby league immortal Andrew Johns has boldly predicted Tuivasa-Sheck will become New Zealand's best ever rugby league player.

Considering New Zealand rugby league officially started in 1909, there are decades of greats he must surpass.

Arguably the top four Kiwi players of all time in no particular order would be Benji Marshall, Stacey Jones, Ruben Wiki and Mark Graham.

Statistically Tuivasa-Sheck has a tremendous chance to outshine his fellow countrymen.

All the players are retired, except for Benji Marshall who is at the back end of his career, and Tuivasa-Sheck has potentially got another 10 years to add to these statistics he has achieved in just over three seasons.

He's already won a grand final; another would take him beyond Marshall and Wiki making Tuivasa-Sheck the outright leader on this list.

As his career digresses it's likely he'll top these New Zealand greats for tries scored with efforts like these.

The one trademark to Tuivasa-Sheck's game all kids will be trying to emulate in the playground is his left foot step.

It's fundamental to his success and this is the prime example of how destructive it gets.

The step is that powerful, only a player like Brad Fittler through all of NRL history could be argued to have possessed a similar weapon.

When he was a child, Tuivasa-Sheck grew up in South Auckland and would only be training with his Dad, Johnny.

The fullback's friends would be somewhere else playing touch football, while his father would have been setting up witches hats in the backyard for Tuivasa-Sheck primarily to develop lethal stepping skills.

"Roger was jealous of the boys," Robinson said.

"Not so much now."

At the time Tuivasa-Sheck was also a fan and no doubt jealous of a prominent Parramatta Eels fullback.

"I just loved Jarryd Hayne," Tuivasa-Sheck said.

"When I was a kid at school, and it was all about rugby union, we had our State of Origin battles."

"I went for NSW because of Jarryd Hayne."

The abilities of both Hayne and Tuivasa-Sheck are somewhat similar because of how the young Kiwi looked up to Hayne.

Hayne in the last 12 months has gone on to complete an unprecedented switch from the NRL to the San Francisco 49ers in America's National Football League (NFL).

From the frenzy it caused in Australia and in the United States, NRL players are getting more consideration from talent scouts to determine if there are other players capable of the switch.

Former NFL star Collins Scotts analysed the best talent the NRL has to offer and came up with two recommendations for a code switch.

Michael Jennings and Roger Tuivasa-Sheck.

There have not been any indications Tuivasa-Sheck is considering a switch to the NFL, likely because he's just secured a three year top dollar contract.

Although if rugby league was to tragically lose Tuivasa-Sheck to another sporting code the man himself has said it might be to the NRL's rivals, rugby union.

"I think it is every boy's (dream) to be an All Black and it is definitely mine," Tuivasa-Sheck said.

"Hopefully, one day the dream happens."

During contract talks this season he received the opportunity to step closer to his All Black dream.

"We had a rugby union offer."

"It was in New Zealand. I sort of told (his manager) that I feel like I am still growing in league.

"I feel like I am still to peak."

Hopefully for NRL and Tuivasa-Sheck fans he carves out a long and successful rugby league career.

Image credit: OP Sporting Moments