State of Origin: NSW players pledge series win to Boyd Cordner

Forced in to retirement by repeat concussions Boyd Cordner couldn’t lead NSW this year but he spurred the Blues on to a famous series win.

James Tedesco starred as NSW captain after Boyd Cordner’s forced retirement (Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)

This one is for you Boyd Cordner.

NSW hooker Damien Cook has hailed the Blues stunning triumph at Suncorp Stadium as “a big series win for Boyd” and insisted that winning skipper James Tedesco would do his legacy and inspirational leadership proud.

Cordner’s recent retirement was an emotional one for the Blues, who had watched their former skipper lead NSW to back-to-back wins in 2018 and 2019 with courage and pride. There was symmetry in Cordner sitting beside Brad Fittler in the coaches box and riding every moment of the historic 26-nil shutout of the Maroons at Suncorp Stadium.

Cordner, who had been with the Blues all week in camp, wasn’t on the field but his spirit was.

“It was massive to have Boyd in camp. Obviously he has retired but he put his body on the line for this game and this jersey, and everyone had his number stitched on the front of their jersey,” Cook said.

“We were playing for Boyd out there as well. The courage he plays with in this jersey, everyone had to take a little leaf out of his booklet and do that tonight.

“This is a big series win for Boyd especially.”

Cook said the Blues were in good hands with Tedesco as leader and predicted he would continue to take on the Cordner legacy in his own inimitable style.

“Teddy has taken it on outstandingly,” Cook said.

“He has been a great leader in camp and sets a level of professionalism away from training and off the field. On the field he leads from the front and takes the tough carries, supports the ball and does all the little things … a lot of things that we don’t notice as well.

“He never takes a backward step and that is what you want from a leader as well.”

Boyd Cordner announces his retirement from NRL after suffering a number of concussions during his career. Picture: Toby Zerna

Tedesco was the only Blues player to have previously won an Origin game at Suncorp Stadium and he started the game like a man who knew he had to lead his men to a new frontier. He took them to the Promised Land.

By halftime he had made 11 magical runs for 115m, set up a try for Josh Addo-Carr with a trademark cutout pass and made the decisive run that led to another try for Tom Trbojevic.

The Blues had previously lost 12 of their last 14 games at Suncorp Stadium and hadn’t won at Queensland’s spiritual home since 2017.

Tedesco made it his mission to make a mockery of those statistics and inspired his teammates to a famous victory.

He iced a man of the match display with a flick for Addo-Carr to score his second try. By that stage Tedesco and his mates had given the Maroons the flick.

He finished with 206m, the best for either side. He was simply the best.

Blues centre Latrell Mitchell, who was also on song, said he was awe-struck by the standards Tedesco continued to set.

“Teddy is an unbelievable work horse. You see it in the game. You see why his name is James Tedesco,” Mitchell said.

“His work ethic, the way he takes on games and the way he has taken on the leadership has taken him to another level. I have seen it at club level playing with him but to see him bring it out on the biggest stage of rugby league is great to see.”

Originally published as State of Origin: NSW players pledge series win to Boyd Cordner