Unfortunate news dropped during the week as it was confirmed that Roger Tuivasa-Sheck has suffered an ACL injury.
It brings to an end an NRL career that spanned over 13 seasons (across 15 years), 242 NRL games and 25 international appearances.
The dual New Zealand international even jumped over to the other Rugby code for 33 Super Rugby games and three caps for the mighty All Blacks.
Given RTS has signed to play for Wakefield Trinity, in England next year, the curtain draws on in an incredible NRL career.
Now is as good a time as any to look back at the NRL career of RTS and ask where does he sit amongst the all time NRL backline greats?
At the risk of burying the lead here, he is right up there!
On the surface, the stats very much support this claim.
242 games, 77 tries, a tick over 185 metres per game on average, 20 games for the Kiwis, five games for Samoa.
He was a big part of the Roosters 2013 premiership-winning team.
Throw in a Dally M medal, an IRL Golden Boot gong, three appearances in the Dally M Team of the Year and a Dally M Captain of the Year award, and RTS is in truly rarefied air.
Incredibly, he made Dally M Teams of the Year twice at fullback, and once on the wing.
It's his versatility that really cements him as one of the NRL's best ever.
His aforementioned wing spot in the Dally M Team of the Year came during his first full NRL season.
It was his first of two brilliant full seasons on the flank for the Roosters.
Many players would have been more than happy playing on the back of a brilliant Roosters backline, but it was Tuivasa-Sheck's move to his favoured fullback role that saw him become one of the game's elite
He broke the all-time record for the most running metres in a single season with 4,717 metres. That averages to a ridiculous 239.5 metres per game. In his first season as an NRL fullback.
Even more incredibly the monster metres record came with the added distraction of knowing he would move across the Tasman in 2016.
Sam Tomkins' early exit from the Warriors led to the club announcing the signing of Tuivasa-Sheck in early April of the 2015 season.
It it tough to explain just how massive this move was at the time.
The Roosters had won the 2013 NRL premiership and made the 2014 preliminary final. RTS was a monster in the opening month for the Roosters at fullback prior to the Warriors announcing his signing.
As an aside, the Roosters would make another preliminary final in 2015, largely thanks to the RTS metre-eating record, his 12 tries, 15 try assists and 16 line-breaks.
For the Warriors to sign such a huge part of the Roosters success during that period was a seismic shift, and a huge gamble for RTS himself.
I'd argue the move only amplified the standing of Tuivasa-Sheck. The move from a team that that banked three straight Minor Premierships to a side that hadn't made Finals during that period, showed incredible confidence.
He quickly became the face of the Warriors and remained so until he took yet another punt on himself in shifting to Rugby Union.
The fact he was the Captain of the Year award in 2020 is made even more amazing by the fact it was the first of two Covid ravaged seasons. The way he held his team together in near impossible circumstances just adds to his legend.
It takes a great degree of selfishness to really top your profession, but I'd argue that it was Roger's unselfishness that made him special.
The Warriors prodigal returned to the code, and the club in 2024. His return was just as marquee a signing as his original signing was.
He had every right to walk on in, demand his number one jersey back and pick right back up where he left off.
Instead he shifted to centre allowing Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad and Taine Tuaupiki to fight it out for the number one jumper first crack in the custodial role.
To absolutely no one's surprise, RTS excelled in the centres, just as he did on the wing and then at fullback.
Other than his rookie season, that saw him place the six games, his average metres per game never dropped below 150 metres per game. This despite shifting positions, as required.
Off the top of my head I struggle to name a player who was so brilliant, in so many roles across the backline. Greg Inglis perhaps? Good company!
He's captained his club and nation, he's brought success to both NRL clubs he presented, on and off the field.
He was on track to take his side to a deep Finals run in 2026. He equalled his best try scoring season ever last year and recorded the third best run metres per game of his career.
His ACL injury is massive blow to a very real title charge in 2026. He's arguably still at his peak at 32 year's of age.
The more I type, the more I am convinced RTS has very, very few peers at this level.
Wakefield won a multiple team tug of war for his services and if you could bet on the Man of Steel this far in advance, even considering his ACL injury, I'd be laying down some cash on RTS.
Simply put, there are very few in the overall class of Roger Tuivasa-Sheck.
To be so good, across so many positions, for so long, despite the quality of players around him, means RTS is one of the modern day greats!
Strange. On the one hand, I remember him starting at the Roosters – just like it was yesterday. n the other hand, he seems to have been around for ever.
Either way, I can’t remember seeing him, (or reading a report of him), having a bad game.
He has always been a class act.