State of Origin 2021: James Tedesco proves he’s No.1
Remarkably, there were some who thought James Tedesco should be shunted for Tom Trbojevic before the State of Origin series began.
Remarkably, there were some who thought James Tedesco should be shunted for Tom Trbojevic before the State of Origin series began.
It was madness, but even the zaniest ideas gain traction in the current climate, where the more left-field the suggestion, the more clicks are generated.
On Sunday night Tedesco put the lunatics in their place. The NSW captain was the only bloke in the Blues team to have won an Origin game at Suncorp Stadium and he sprinkled his gold dust across the side as they embarrassed Queensland on home turf.
The Maroons were kept scoreless and rendered impotent. No-one was more responsible for the devastation than the bloke in the blue No.1 jersey.
Tedesco finished the game running for more than 200 metres. He broke five tackles and had two try assists and two line break assists. He handed Josh Addo-Carr two tries on a platter. Quite simply, he was too good.
Queensland couldn’t come to grips with his strength and elusiveness. It was Tedesco who started the rot in the 12th minute when he threw a delightful cut-out pass to give Addo-Carr a saloon passage to the line.
He handed Addo-Carr a second try in the second half with a flick pass as he danced out of dummy half, changed direction and bamboozled Xavier Coates. Tedesco ran riot on a night when the Blues silenced Suncorp Stadium.
Tedesco didn’t get the chance to lift the Origin shield on Sunday night but provided he avoids injury in the next fortnight in clubland, he will have the honour of lifting it in just over a fortnight as Origin reaches its conclusion.
He has joined elite company, having been thrust into the role of captain following the career-ending concussion suffered by former teammate Boyd Cordner. He can join even more rarefied air if the Blues win game three.
NSW have only completed three clean sweeps in their history. It is on cusp of making it four.
“He was awesome – just on the ball and busy,” NSW coach Brad Fittler said of his captain.
“No-one else plays like Teddy at the moment. He plays like no other fullback has ever played before, making his own path and his own way.
“I like watching it. To be able to do it under pressure in big games, making big plays — that is why he is our captain.”
The gulf between the two sides was encapsulated by the performance of their respective fullbacks. Valentine Holmes ended up playing at the back after Kalyn Ponga was ruled out before the side was picked and Reece Walsh succumbed the day before the game.
Holmes tried hard but it has become clear over the opening two games that he is a winger not a fullback at Origin level.
Tedesco’s passes found teammates in open space. Holmes’ performance was summed up by a pass that landed in the hands of Latrell Mitchell and gave the NSW centre a length-of-the-field try.
“Intercept tries like that aren’t great but it was still only 12-0 after that,” Queensland captain Daly Cherry-Evans said.
The Maroons were still in it at that point. They didn’t stay in it for much longer.
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