Not having to shoulder the physical and mental burdens of State of Origin has also been a blessing for Tedesco, who was brilliant against the Cowboys on Sunday, outstanding in a gritty game against the Knights last weekend and one of the standouts in a beaten side against the Raiders.
The first thing Perth Bears coach Mal Meninga should do is pick up the phone to his World Cup-winning captain and persuade him to sign with the NRL’s new franchise. Tedesco is off contract at the end of next season, and the kind of player you need for an NRL start-up.
Roosters coach Trent Robinson and chairman Nick Politis would be loath to lose Tedesco, but there would be nothing stopping him playing a few years in Perth then returning to the Chooks in an ambassadorial role.
Tom Trbojevic, good friends with Tedesco from their representative days together, summed up what made the Roosters star such an effective player. “He’s always on the ball, he breaks a lot of tackles, pushes up well and uses his outside people,” Trbojevic said.
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Tedesco will freshen up with the bye this weekend, then return for games against the Tigers, Dragons and Sharks – three matches the Roosters will be expected to win.
When you look for potential contenders from teams sitting on top of the ladder, few stand out.
Canterbury are leading the competition, but their success has been built on their team rather than on the back of one individual in outstanding form. The Raiders fall into the same category, while Storm players – including last year’s winner Jahrome Hughes – often pinch points off each other.
Ryan Papenhuyzen may have kicked the winning field goal in golden point against Souths, but his first half last Saturday was also one of his worst in recent memory.
Hughes was expected to romp in last year, but guests inside the Winx Room at Royal Randwick were treated to a barnstorming finish from Tedesco, who rattled home to fall short by one vote.
This year, it’s a one-horse race. In fact, let’s just call it off now.
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Michael Chammas and Andrew “Joey” Johns dissect the upcoming NRL round, plus the latest footy news, results and analysis. Sign up for the Sin Bin newsletter.
