Captain Roger Tuivasa-Sheck has told NZ Warriors teammates he isn't quitting the club to join Super Rugby's Blues.
Reports surfaced Wednesday that the club's skipper wasn't prepared to spend another year away from family, if the Warriors were forced to play the 2021 season out of Australia, as COVID-19 continues to cause havoc.
Several Australian outlets reported Tuivasa-Sheck, a high school rugby prodigy, had contacted the Blues to garner their interest, as he weighs up his options beyond this season.
The 27-year-old has a year to run on the contract he inked three years ago, when the Warriors fought off several suitors - including the Blues - for his signature.
But teammate Tohu Harris has revealed Tuivasa-Sheck addressed the players, rubbishing media claims that he was swapping codes.
"Roger addressed it with the group to not believe everything you read in the papers," Harris says. "He’s fully focused on this year, but his family are still back in Auckland and I feel for him.
"It’s been really hard for him to be away from his family, but he’s still focusing day by day and bringing energy to the group.
"He wants everyone to be focusing on this week against the Panthers."
Harris hasn't escaped the headlines either, as he too is linked with a move from Mt Smart Stadium.
The former Melbourne Storm forward is reportedly seeking a release from his contract, with several NRL clubs circling the talented ball-player.
Harris insists he hasn't even contemplated his future beyond this season and echoes Tuivasa-Sheck's stance on not believing everything you read.
"We seem to be running into something coming out every single week, so we’re dealing with the different things as they come.
"People are hearing rumours about different things and rumours about us being in Australia again next year, and trying to put two and two together.
"We can’t put too much time into different theories or things like that, and we’ve got to make sure we’re focusing on what we can control and that’s how we perform over here.
"We’ve had a lot of different things pop up over the last month or so, and I think we’ve done a really good job as a playing group in getting past them and putting good performances on the field.
"I honestly don’t know where this has come from - I’m just focusing on this week."
On Friday night, the Warriors face a daunting challenge against table-topping Penrith Panthers, who hammered them 26-0 earlier in the season.
Penrith have eight consecutive wins, although they hit a Warriors side with back-to-back wins for the first time this season, albeit against struggling Wests Tigers and inconsistent Manly Sea Eagles.
"They’re a quality side and that shows with their position on the ladder," Harris says of the Panthers.
"They’ve got a strong bench, strong forward pack and some pretty exciting backs, so it’s an exciting challenge for us.
"That’s how we’re seeing it. The team is excited to go out there and test the form team in the competition."
While a win would be a huge upset, the Warriors could find themselves on the verge of playoff contention by the end of the weekend.
Currently 13th with 10 points from 13 games, victory would propel the Warriors to within a win of the top eight.
Join us for live updates of the Warriors v Panthers NRL clash from 8pm Friday
