Roger Tuivasa-Sheck marks 150 games as Nrl season builds around Warriors
Roger Tuivasa-Sheck will run out at Go Media Stadium today to face the Canberra Raiders and, with that kickoff, reach 150 appearances for the Warriors. That personal milestone arrives as the Warriors chase a repeat of their Round 1 performance and as the Canberra side gathers itself after a tense golden-point finish in its opener.
Roger Tuivasa-Sheck and the 150th appearance milestone
Roger Tuivasa-Sheck’s 150th game is the hinge for this weekend’s talk. He brought up his first hundred games during the Covid interruption and later left league to pursue rugby, where he wore the All Blacks, Blues and Auckland hoops jerseys. He returned to the Warriors and has worked through position changes, trying midfield before settling back on the wing.
Tuivasa-Sheck’s career before this milestone included 84 games for the Roosters, individual awards as Winger and Fullback of the Year, and a Dally M Medal as the Nrl Player of the Year. He has also been recognized as a captain at the club and has won the club’s player award multiple times.
Warriors after Round 1 in the Nrl: momentum and matchups
The Warriors arrive at this match off a commanding opening when they delivered a 24-point thrashing of a fancied Roosters side. Chanel Harris-Tavita played on the same left edge as Tuivasa-Sheck last week and combined with him for a try double that underlined the Warriors’ attacking shape.
Roger Tuivasa-Sheck’s teammates have noticed the passage of time and his standing in the dressing room. Harris-Tavita said the squad jokes about his seniority and called him a legend, adding that rubbing shoulders with him this week is special. That local leadership will be measured again against a Raiders pack who have troubled the Warriors in recent meetings.
Ricky Stuart’s Canberra Raiders and the selection disruptions
Canberra come to Auckland carrying selection headaches that reshape their middle third. The Raiders’ recent golden-point drama saw Ethan Sanders sink a match-winning field goal, but they also face a deeper injury list: Matty Nicholson has been ruled out for up to five months with a shoulder injury after reinjuring it in NSW Cup action, and Josh Papali’i will miss the trip with concussion.
Ricky Stuart has adjusted his lineup in response. He has named Morgan Smithies to step in and has pushed Noah Martin and Hudson Young into the starting second-row spots. Stuart framed the situation as an opportunity, saying it is a good challenge for his younger players to show seniority and to “turn the dial up” in the face of losing a veteran enforcer.
The matchup also carries recent history: Canberra have won the last three meetings between the clubs, and the Raiders nearly lost an ostensibly winnable game to Manly before Sanders’s composure in golden point. That recent edge by Canberra will test the Warriors’ forwards and the leadership of Tuivasa-Sheck on the wing and in moments of pressure.
When Tuivasa-Sheck steps onto Go Media Stadium for his 150th appearance, the scoreboard and the season narrative will already be in motion. For now, the confirmed next development is the kickoff of this Warriors v Raiders fixture, where a personal milestone and two clubs’ opening statements meet on the field.
