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This was published 8 months ago

Has James Tedesco done enough to escape the sack again?

By Adrian Proszenko

Having been initially overlooked for Dylan Edwards, James Tedesco is unsure whether he will be punted again if the Penrith fullback is fit for State of Origin II.

Tedesco, called back into the NSW side when Edwards suffered a quad injury, did so without the ‘C’ next to his name. The Roosters superstar still managed to produce a captain’s knock for a side reduced to 12 men for 72 minutes, scoring a try and running for 207 metres.

The availability of Edwards remains unclear, making the fullback call again one of the most contentious for Blues coach Michael Maguire.

“I accepted it, that Dyl was going to play [originally],” Tedesco said after his side’s 38-10 loss at Accor Stadium.

“Dyl’s been playing awesome, he definitely deserves a chance in the Origin arena.

“I was happy for him. But sometimes the footy world can be pretty crazy.

It was a long night for James Tedesco at Accor Stadium.

It was a long night for James Tedesco at Accor Stadium.Credit: Getty

“It’s really disheartening for him not to get a chance, but it gave me an opportunity to come to the camp and I was sort of lucky I’ve played with most of these guys before and I’ve been in camp a lot of them before.

“It was pretty easy to come into camp and get along with them.

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“We fought hard, but it was bloody hard work.”

Should Tedesco retain his spot, he will become NSW’s third most capped player, equalling Paul Gallen with 24 games.

“That is pretty cool,” he said.

“To play just one Origin game is special, but to play the amount I have in the fullback jersey when there’s plenty of superstars in NSW playing fullback.

“I’m pretty proud of that but it doesn’t mean much when you must lose, you just want to win.

“That’s what it’s all about.”

Does Tedesco feel he has done enough to add to the tally?

The Blues after conceding an early try.

The Blues after conceding an early try.Credit: Getty

“Yeah, hopefully,” he said. “Let’s see what happens when we go back to clubland, try to put my best foot forward.

“I don’t know how long Dyl will be out for or what can happen, so that’s all I can focus on.”

While Jake Trbojevic wore the captain’s armband, Tedesco said he still tried to lend his experience to a team blooding six debutants.

“I always still try to lead by example, obviously I’m probably the most experienced here as well,” he said.

“I just try and help out as much as I can and still be a leader on the field.

“I’m just trying to be myself.”

Tedesco never gave any thought to representative retirement, despite being overlooked for the first time since his Origin debut in 2016.

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“No, who knows what could happen,” he said.

“I always just try and put my best foot forward for the Roosters and I haven’t really thought about it.

“Maybe [it was going to be my last appearance], you never know.

“Even before Origin there were injuries, people were unavailable, so you never know.

“Whenever I can get a chance to represent NSW, it’s a privilege for me.

“I just want to make the most of it, who knows when it’s your last.”

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Original URL: https://www.smh.com.au/sport/nrl/has-james-tedesco-done-enough-to-escape-the-sack-again-20240606-p5jjq4.html