The Roosters flew both father and son over to Sydney, where they were put up in a five-star hotel in Coogee - a long way from Ōtara.

“We had breakfast by the beach every day for the three or four days we were there. I remember thinking: ‘Man this is what I want to be able to do for my family, this is how they deserve to live’.”

By the end of October 2011, Roger made the “massive decision” to sign with the Roosters.

It’s hard for any kid to move away from home. It’s harder still when it means leaving a very close-knit family - and your lifetime coach.

At 18, Roger was suddenly all alone in a big city, in a foreign country, and a member of the NRL’s most high-profile club. He didn’t have dad around, there were no familiar school fields and on his first day at training, he walked into the gym alone. He was starstruck.

Established NRL players Braith Anasta, Mitchell Pearce and Todd Carney were there, getting through some pre-season work.

“I must’ve looked like a deer in headlights,” Roger says.

It was so different from the comfort of his father’s home gym, from where he knew where every blade of grass sat and where the weights were rust-free.

A legend of the game, Australia and NSW fullback Anthony Minichiello, spotted him wandering aimlessly and took Roger under his wing.

Roosters legend Antony Minichiello took RTS under his wing when he joined the club in 2011. Roosters legend Antony Minichiello took RTS under his wing when he joined the club in 2011.

“I was so lucky when I got to the Roosters to have a guy like Anthony at the club, and as my mentor,” he says.

“He made it so easy for me. I was just a very, very shy kid from south Auckland when I got there, knowing nobody in Sydney and he was already a superstar and well-known around town.

“He let me just be his shadow for a few years there and was always willing to help me work on my game and answer questions. Zero ego.”

Whatever the superstar fullback was telling Roger, it worked.

He starred for the tri-colours’ under 20s side in 2012, scoring nine tries in 12 games. In round 21 of that season, he made his NRL debut. Fittingly, in his father’s favoured position of right wing.

The Roosters lost that one 36-16 to the Titans, but they had unearthed a future superstar.

“He was electric, right from the jump you could tell 'jeez this kid's got talent', that being said I played long enough to know talent doesn't always get you there,” Minichiello says.

Plenty of league players fall just as quickly as they rise, and too many become ‘what could have been’ stories, mostly due to lack of commitment, Minichiello says.

But the veteran could see Roger was different.

“He was really respectful and humble when he came into grade. Just a good kid and you could tell that right away.”

Anthony Minichiello was involved in the 2013 decision to give RTS a shot at fullback. Anthony Minichiello was involved in the 2013 decision to give RTS a shot at fullback.

“Obviously we knew the speed, power and footwork were there from the get go, you could see that clear as day. But the best thing about Roger was he asked questions and constantly wanted to learn. That’s something I now know his old man drilled into him.”

The Roosters knew they had something special, and ahead of the 2013 season, coach Trent Robinson met with Minichiello to float an idea by him - one that would change the course of both his and his eventual successor’s playing careers.

The coach and captain sat and talked over a flat white about the plan for the season, as they did every year.

But this time, Robinson mentioned something Minichiello hadn’t seen done before.

The plan was for Minichiello to play in his customary fullback role, until the Roosters crossed the 40m line. Then in “good ball areas”, Roger would shift to the back and the veteran would slide to the wing.

It was a move that other senior players might have raised an eyebrow at, letting the young kid take the reins when it mattered most. But Minichiello says he was on board right away, knowing what a weapon Roger - and that step - could be.

“It worked out great. And I even crossed for a few more tries,” he says.

“That footwork comes from years and years of drilling with his old man in the backyard, he’s right up there with the best ever, honestly.

“The thing with Roger’s step is he doesn’t lose any speed. So it’s not a step to the left or right and then have to start again, there is so much power throughout the motion, combined with the fact he can do it off both feet, which sees him break so many tackles.”

Roger Tuivasa-Sheck would win the NRL premiership along with Sonny Bill Williams. Roger Tuivasa-Sheck would win the NRL premiership along with Sonny Bill Williams.

The 2013 positioning master stroke, coupled with the return of Sonny Bill Williams, saw the Roosters charge on to the NRL grand final, and win Roger his first premiership. He was just 20 years old.

He spent two more years in Bondi, carving a name for himself as one of the most electrifying players in the game, before signing on to return home and re-join the Warriors, in 2016.