Dual-code large Sonny Bill Williams has backed Roger Tuivasa-Sheck to marque a palmy modulation to rugby union, saying the determination is simply a "shot successful the arm" for the codification successful Australia.
Tuivasa-Sheck made his codification power up of docket this week amid concerns astir the trans-Tasman question bubble, ending a wildly palmy NRL vocation which saw him marque 195 appearances and people 58 tries for some the Sydney Roosters and NZ Warriors betwixt 2012 and 2021.
Williams, who was teammates with Tuivasa-Sheck connected the Roosters' 2013 premiership-winning side, backed his countryman to yet ace the All Blacks.
"I deliberation he'll play helping successful the aboriginal stages of his transition," helium said connected Nine's NRL coverage.
"For me, it's not a lawsuit of volition helium marque it to the All Blacks oregon volition helium thrive successful the crippled of 15, it's a question of however agelong it'll take.
"We've got to retrieve that helium grew up arsenic a rugby subordinate and league boys poached him from the crippled of rugby and brought him across, truthful helium shouldn't person excessively overmuch problems transitioning back.
"The biggest happening for rugby-loving radical successful Australia is it's the changeable successful the limb that Australian rugby national needs close now."
Williams said helium admired Tuivasa-Sheck's humility contempt his tremendous occurrence which has seen him emergence to the apical of rugby league.
"For me, what helium represents, evidently we spot his feats connected the tract and it's astonishing helium tin bash things that nary different subordinate tin do, but what I emotion astir him is conscionable him arsenic a man, the person," helium said.
"He is humble and he's kept that hard-working attack each passim his career. When you adhd that prime to the freakish God-given endowment that helium has, you get what you get.
"What Roger besides represents is helium is simply a lad from South Auckland, a predominantly low-income area, and he's made it. He's thrived connected the biggest signifier truthful a batch of young guys who travel from that akin inheritance spot him arsenic an inspiration."
Tuivasa-Sheck's aboriginal exit came aft he had confirmed earlier successful the twelvemonth that 2021 would beryllium his last play successful the 13-man code, arsenic helium eyes a spot successful the All Blacks squad for the 2023 Rugby World Cup successful France.
"I'm truly grateful that the nine has supported maine done this process and we've travel to an agreement. It was a truly pugnacious decision," Tuivasa-Sheck said.
"I was trying to get my household to travel implicit present into Australia truthful we could fastener down present and spell astir our business.
"It was a pugnacious determination to permission the radical and permission this club. It was pugnacious holding it each back. Having the boys seeing maine and I'm beauteous definite they're disappointed … it was pugnacious to clasp backmost the tears that's for sure."
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