Roger Tuivasa-Sheck in action for the Warriors, is now being linked to a breakaway rugby comp. Photo: Jeremy Ward/Photosport
Warriors star and former All Black Roger Tuivasa-Sheck is being linked to a Saudi Arabia-backed rebel rugby competition, according to an Australian media report.
Tuivasa-Sheck "is on the verge'' of becoming the first NRL player to sign for the R360 competition, the Sydney Morning Herald has reported.
The newspaper said he had been in discussions about joining the competition in 2027 on a deal worth around $1 million a year.
Tuivasa-Sheck still had one year to run on his three-year Warriors deal, which was worth about $600,000 annually.
The 32-year-old played for the Warriors for six years before a code switch to rugby was announced in 2021.
He had a two-year foray in that code, which saw him play for the Blues in Super Rugby and gain selection in three matches for the All Blacks, but miss being picked for the 2023 Rugby World Cup.
He returned to the NRL with the Warriors last year.
The Sydney Morning Herald said Warriors chief executive Cameron George was aware of R360's interest in Tuivasa-Sheck's services but would not discuss the matter when contacted.
However, he did warn at a recent meeting of NRL chief executives about the threat that the rebel competition posed to rugby league.
"I'm aware of players that have been interviewed and engaged with. I'm aware of the significant financial opportunities that it could bring, particularly around the branding of the players as individuals,'' the SMH quoted him as saying.
It's understood top players in the rebel league could earn close to $3.4 million a season.
Former England centre Mike Tindall has been reported to be one of the figures behind the breakaway competition, which aims to make the sport more appealing to a global audience.
Another current NRL star Kalyn Ponga, who was born in Australia to New Zealand parents, has also been mentioned as a R360 possible.
There have been reports of uncertainty over Ponga's future at the Newcastle Knights and that he has engaged a New Zealand-based rugby agent to explore his options.
