Matty Johns: Latrell Mitchell v James Tedesco a showstopper in NRL’s greatest derby
It’s a rivalry that goes back decades but with these two stars on the field, we may be on the brink of seeing the greatest battle yet, writes Matty Johns.
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This game has come at a great time, Latrell and Teddy are running hot.
Brother Joey sent James Tedesco a text message after the Rooster’s round one belting of Manly.
A reference to Tedesco’s shot at goal, which shows we’ve finally found something he’s not great at.
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Joey’s text went something along the lines of, “Jeez, hitting them sweet!”
I say “something along the lines of”, because brother Andrew loves to pour more than a pinch of salt and pepper on his longwinded stories.
Tedesco replied, “Yes, hahaha…”
Joey then compliments James, “You’ve gone to another level…your ball playing was very good, must’ve been watching Thursday night’s game?”
This was in reference to the Storm-Souths match which saw Ryan Papenhuyzen tear Souths apart and Latrell Mitchell beat two or three Storm defenders every time he touched the ball. Tedesco, “Yes, I was.”
That’s the thing about great players, they always hear footsteps coming at them from behind, and they go harder.
For Tedesco those footsteps are still a way off, but still too close to be comfortable, and so he somehow finds a way to get better.
Teddy has always been primarily a great runner, but this season it’s his ball playing and decision making at speed which has elevated.
And it’s the range of his ball playing.
In round one against Manly he tormented the Sea-Eagles’ defence at first receiver, every time they built momentum James got the ball in his hands.
The most impressive aspect was how he played short sides.
Ball playing up a short side is an exact science and requires a fair degree of subtle nuance, he did it beautifully.
Against the Tigers last Sunday, Tedesco did a lot of everything.
A bit of first receiver, some second receiver, he looped around on block shapes, he sat just off Luke Keary’s inside shoulder, at times he appeared late on Luke’s outside, he provided direction, all the little subtle aspects of fullback play which Billy Slater was famous for.
Tedesco’s football intelligence has improved dramatically in his time at the Roosters.
He and Luke Keary shredded the Tigers’ left side defence time and time again.
Brett Morris must be thinking, ‘James Tedesco where have you been all my life?’
Damien Cook said in an interview this week, that Latrell Mitchell gives Souths the same kind of belief Greg Inglis and Sam Burgess did.
Wow, that says it all.
I could finish the column right there, but I’m contracted to fill more space.
Think about where Latrell was this time last year and look at him now.
The tumultuous exit from the Roosters had Latrell in a bad head space and all the criticism of his fitness, and move to fullback, added another few layers on top.
He started the season slow but a month in you could see he was getting warm and, then just as he was about to explode, BANG, the hamstring did first.
You wonder what Souths may have achieved in those last few weeks if Latrell had been on the park.
This season, from his first touch in the Charity Shield onward, he’s been superb.
I haven’t seen many like Latrell Mitchell, a player who can beat you in such contrasting ways.
Speed of an outside back, size and power of a back-row forward, hands like a halfback.
The Melbourne Storm aren’t schoolyard bullies who prey upon the weak. Each game, they identify the opposition’s best and most important player and go after him.
I’ve seen many top-line Origin players be totally nullified by Melbourne, and seen their teams sink around them.
In round one, from the first kick chase, it was obvious Latrell was Melbourne’s target.
They couldn’t nullify him.
In a game where his side was dominated for long periods, Latrell couldn’t be suppressed.
He continually punched through with speed and footwork, ran over defenders with power and created opportunities with sleight of hand.
Behind a pack that continually rolled upfield, Ryan Papenhuyzen was the man of the match, but Latrell was very close behind.
Last Sunday against Manly, he was behind no-one.
Mitchell vs Tedesco is just one facet of what is rugby league’s greatest derby.
The Rabbits’ big attacking weapon is their left side with Cody Walker and Latrell operating in combination with their edge players.
Co-incidentally, the Roosters love to attack down the right, with Keary and Tedesco creating for their outside men.
So with both edges directly opposing each other, it’s fair to say they’re all in for a busy night.
The Rabbits have lost some thrust through the middle of the field as a by-product of building their sets around setting up their left side.
They need to find a balance, with Cameron Murray returning to his strength of running and ate footwork, as opposed to passing.
The faster the play-the-balls, the more the influence of Damien Cook.
No Roosters or Bunnies fan will ever forget the last time these clubs met - Souths 60 Roosters 8.
It shows how a lightning fast tempo plays to all of Souths’ strengths.
But don’t expect anything remotely like that. The Roosters had hit the wall late last year, after two or three seasons being a benchmark team, and when that kind of fatigue gets into your bones, you are always at the mercy of an opponents’ intent.
Originally published as Matty Johns: Latrell Mitchell v James Tedesco a showstopper in NRL’s greatest derby
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