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Andrew Webster article today
The text that shows why Tedesco is still the benchmark
The problem with continually being the best is someone’s always coming to get you. In the first match of the NRL season, Ryan Papenhuyzen came for James Tedesco. The Storm fullback popped up everywhere that match against South Sydney, scoring two tries, kicking five goals and running for 174 metres in the 26-18 win at AAMI Park.
The following day, Tedesco texted his NSW coach Brad Fittler.
“I’m rattled,” the Roosters fullback told him.
The message didn’t point to a lack of confidence or even his ego. It pointed to Tedesco’s competitiveness. He took Papenhuyzen’s performance, in a game he wasn’t even playing in, personally.
Three days later, at the SCG, Tedesco ran in a hat-trick of tries as he and halfback Luke Keary shredded a Turbo-less Manly 46-4.
Yes. Rattled. Very rattled.
That sunny Sunday afternoon must feel like an eternity ago for both the Roosters and Manly as they prepare to meet each other in Friday night’s semi-final in Mackay.
There’s an injury crisis and then there’s an injury catastrophe. Concussion forced co-captains Boyd Cordner and Jake Friend into retirement. Keary blew his ACL. So did Lindsay Collins. So did Brett Morris, who also retired. Joseph Suaalii, Joey Manu, Billy Smith, Nat Butcher, Josh Morris — all cut down by injury, too.
Then there are the suspensions. We won’t wade into the debate about the match review committee and judiciary’s supposed bias against the Roosters, but we can tell you this: their players have received 31 charges and missed 22 matches because of suspension.
Yet, like a zombie in a B-grade movie, the Roosters refuse to die.
How many other teams could have that much salary cap sitting in the grandstand and still find themselves three wins away from the premiership? I’ll say one: Melbourne. They’re not here, though, if not for Tedesco. That’s not my theory but Trent Robinson’s.
“None of this is possible, none of it, without Teddy,” Robinson told me earlier this week. “I can talk about coaches, the club, all of that. But his ability to assume the weight of the situation is why we’re still standing. He knows it’s on him, but he doesn’t carry it like other guys. They can hunch, and it [the captaincy] can get heavier and heavier as the season goes. But Teddy has this remarkable ability to shed mental weight and attack the next game. We wouldn’t have done any of this without him.”
Tedesco’s game has evolved as teammates have fallen and the rules have changed. One minute he’s bouncing out of dummy half, pinballing off defenders, the next he’s linking with outside backs and setting up tries. At other times, he’s fearlessly charging into the teeth of opposition defence like a front-rower.
By simply having the ball in his hands more than any other player, Tedesco is leading by example.
“The ultimate leader without using words,” Robinson says. “We’ve lost so much airtime. We had to rearrange our leadership group halfway through the year – because nobody was there. We started with 10 guys and we were down to four.”
During his younger years, few believed Tedesco would become this type of leader. Leaving the Tigers, joining the Roosters, and the responsibility and pressure of being the best player in club, state and national teams, meant there was no longer any room for loose behaviour away from football. Maybe it just comes with getting older.
There’s a belief that mysterious football whisperer Joe Wehbe has some sort of spell over Tedesco, but there’s no disputing he’s had a profound influence.
“I think Joe is a piece of the puzzle,” Robinson offers. “But Teddy has come to understand that you don’t just walk into training, someone tells you what to do, and then you walk out. Apart from Sonny [Bill Williams], Teddy’s the first player I know who understood he’s an individual in a team sport. He prepared himself mentally and physically, brought back the ideal individual athlete back to the team and said, ‘I’m ready to play’.”
Robinson and his coaching staff have been putting together puzzles all season as they work with a diminishing squad.
Among the challenges have been how to use rookie halfback Sam Walker, who has been juggling expectation, pain-killing injections in his shoulder and becoming a target in defence. Instead of throwing in the deep end, Robinson has exercised patience with the 19-year-old.
Just this week, there was another twist of the knife for the Roosters with hooker Sam Verrills failing at the judiciary to have his careless high tackle charge downgraded and Sio Siua Taukeiaho ruled out with a calf injury.
Like many in the NRL, the Roosters are currently buzzing about their NFL fantasy football teams – including the coach, who has four of them.
“My IR [injury reserve] squad isn’t long enough,” Robinson says of his real-life football team. “My IR list needs to be 15 deep. Every week has been preparing a brand-new team for a brand-new challenge. We haven’t had two weeks when they’re the same.”
The one player who he can rely on each week is Tedesco, who seems to be playing quarterback, running back, wide receiver, cornerback, punter, holder, the bloke serving the nachos at the back of the grandstand ...
“People are incredible at leading but how do they carry the weight of the team but play so freely?” the coach asks of his captain and fullback. “I don’t get it.”
It’s a question that doesn’t need answering.
The text that shows why Tedesco is still the benchmark
The problem with continually being the best is someone’s always coming to get you. In the first match of the NRL season, Ryan Papenhuyzen came for James Tedesco. The Storm fullback popped up everywhere that match against South Sydney, scoring two tries, kicking five goals and running for 174 metres in the 26-18 win at AAMI Park.
The following day, Tedesco texted his NSW coach Brad Fittler.
“I’m rattled,” the Roosters fullback told him.
The message didn’t point to a lack of confidence or even his ego. It pointed to Tedesco’s competitiveness. He took Papenhuyzen’s performance, in a game he wasn’t even playing in, personally.
Three days later, at the SCG, Tedesco ran in a hat-trick of tries as he and halfback Luke Keary shredded a Turbo-less Manly 46-4.
Yes. Rattled. Very rattled.
That sunny Sunday afternoon must feel like an eternity ago for both the Roosters and Manly as they prepare to meet each other in Friday night’s semi-final in Mackay.
There’s an injury crisis and then there’s an injury catastrophe. Concussion forced co-captains Boyd Cordner and Jake Friend into retirement. Keary blew his ACL. So did Lindsay Collins. So did Brett Morris, who also retired. Joseph Suaalii, Joey Manu, Billy Smith, Nat Butcher, Josh Morris — all cut down by injury, too.
Then there are the suspensions. We won’t wade into the debate about the match review committee and judiciary’s supposed bias against the Roosters, but we can tell you this: their players have received 31 charges and missed 22 matches because of suspension.
Yet, like a zombie in a B-grade movie, the Roosters refuse to die.
How many other teams could have that much salary cap sitting in the grandstand and still find themselves three wins away from the premiership? I’ll say one: Melbourne. They’re not here, though, if not for Tedesco. That’s not my theory but Trent Robinson’s.
“None of this is possible, none of it, without Teddy,” Robinson told me earlier this week. “I can talk about coaches, the club, all of that. But his ability to assume the weight of the situation is why we’re still standing. He knows it’s on him, but he doesn’t carry it like other guys. They can hunch, and it [the captaincy] can get heavier and heavier as the season goes. But Teddy has this remarkable ability to shed mental weight and attack the next game. We wouldn’t have done any of this without him.”
Tedesco’s game has evolved as teammates have fallen and the rules have changed. One minute he’s bouncing out of dummy half, pinballing off defenders, the next he’s linking with outside backs and setting up tries. At other times, he’s fearlessly charging into the teeth of opposition defence like a front-rower.
By simply having the ball in his hands more than any other player, Tedesco is leading by example.
“The ultimate leader without using words,” Robinson says. “We’ve lost so much airtime. We had to rearrange our leadership group halfway through the year – because nobody was there. We started with 10 guys and we were down to four.”
During his younger years, few believed Tedesco would become this type of leader. Leaving the Tigers, joining the Roosters, and the responsibility and pressure of being the best player in club, state and national teams, meant there was no longer any room for loose behaviour away from football. Maybe it just comes with getting older.
There’s a belief that mysterious football whisperer Joe Wehbe has some sort of spell over Tedesco, but there’s no disputing he’s had a profound influence.
“I think Joe is a piece of the puzzle,” Robinson offers. “But Teddy has come to understand that you don’t just walk into training, someone tells you what to do, and then you walk out. Apart from Sonny [Bill Williams], Teddy’s the first player I know who understood he’s an individual in a team sport. He prepared himself mentally and physically, brought back the ideal individual athlete back to the team and said, ‘I’m ready to play’.”
Robinson and his coaching staff have been putting together puzzles all season as they work with a diminishing squad.
Among the challenges have been how to use rookie halfback Sam Walker, who has been juggling expectation, pain-killing injections in his shoulder and becoming a target in defence. Instead of throwing in the deep end, Robinson has exercised patience with the 19-year-old.
Just this week, there was another twist of the knife for the Roosters with hooker Sam Verrills failing at the judiciary to have his careless high tackle charge downgraded and Sio Siua Taukeiaho ruled out with a calf injury.
Like many in the NRL, the Roosters are currently buzzing about their NFL fantasy football teams – including the coach, who has four of them.
“My IR [injury reserve] squad isn’t long enough,” Robinson says of his real-life football team. “My IR list needs to be 15 deep. Every week has been preparing a brand-new team for a brand-new challenge. We haven’t had two weeks when they’re the same.”
The one player who he can rely on each week is Tedesco, who seems to be playing quarterback, running back, wide receiver, cornerback, punter, holder, the bloke serving the nachos at the back of the grandstand ...
“People are incredible at leading but how do they carry the weight of the team but play so freely?” the coach asks of his captain and fullback. “I don’t get it.”
It’s a question that doesn’t need answering.
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