State of Origin: Blues fullback James Tedesco sets the tone

James Tedesco runs like he’s fleeing the cops down a darkened Melbourne laneway.

NSW fullback James Tedesco slides over for the opening try of the night against Queensland at the MCG. Picture: Michael Klein

James Tedesco runs like he’s fleeing the cops down a darkened Melbourne laneway. He pinballs off defenders, runs himself off his feet, trips over, gets back up, steps to the right, jinks to the left, stalls, accelerates, makes 221 metres and conjures one of the great State of Origin performances by a gentleman in a No 1 jumper.

“Awesome,” he says after his man-of-the-match performance in NSW’s 22-12 victory.

“We hung in there and it worked out in the end. I just tried to stay composed and not think about it too much before the game. It was a great performance by everyone. I’m just stoked to get that win.”

The Blues’ debutants are powerhouses but it’s Tedesco who lights up the joint in front of 87,122 spectators. Nathan Cleary keeps taking on the line, poking his nose through, getting physical. His kicks are finding the middle of his boot; he holds his own in defence. It’s one thing to be calm throughout the build-up to your Origin debut but there’s the risk of losing the plot when the parry-and-thrust begins. Cleary nails it. He plays as if he has been here before.

Damien Cook is doing what he’s done all year for South Sydney. He’s sneaking out of dummy half and linking with Tedesco in a scintillating one-two combination that turns Origin I on its head. It’s the 22nd minute when Cook puts his head down and goes. He beats one, two, three defenders. He pushes a one-handed ball to James Maloney, who finds a flying Tedesco, who zips through for the try. Cook is playing as if he’s been here before, too.

“No guarantees,” has been Blues coach Brad Fittler’s word on his 11 rookies, but Jack de Belin is colossal up the guts. Cook and Tedesco are not so much playing a match as composing one.

The MCG has a film of dew on the surface, making defenders slip and slide, but Cook has his skates on. Latrell Mitchell is a handful every time he gets a t ouch. Nearly as much of a handful as Josh Addo-Carr. There’s a scuffle at halftime between Mitchell and the Maroons’ Will Chambers. Mitchell shouts at him: “What the f … are you doing? You idiot.”

The Blues are down 12-8 in the second half when the 20-year-old Mitchell powers over with three defenders in his face. Veteran five-eighth Maloney has a massive shiner above his left eye and if the Blues lose, he may be the first one out the door. He misses the sideline conversion and it’s 12-all with half an hour to go. A minute later, though, he’s put on a decent cross-field kick on a dime before Trbojevic pinches it from Valentine Holmes to put the Blues back in front. In the space of three minutes, Mitchell and Trbojevic have scored tries on debut at 20 and 21 years of age respectively. Again Cook has been instrumental; the previous play, he and Tedesco, having an absolute blinder, have laid the rapid platform.

Tedesco is so invested in his duties that when he has one sock up and one sock down, he leaves them that way. His involvement is constant and his impact is profound.

Cleary has said that it’s his job as halfback to make the rest of the Blues’ players look good. He’s doing exactly that. The pace has been frenetic. Fatigue begins to settle in with 20 minutes remaining. Just the time for the speedsters to make the difference.

Cleary is nailed by Inglis in a monstrous tackle but he jumps straight back to his feet. Cook pushes Gavin Cooper over the sideline in the 69th minute and a couple of minutes later, Addo-Carr scoots over for the matchwinner. The bloke to have made the decisive break? Tedesco. Massive plays at the most important moments. It’s been a phenomenal demonstration of speed and skill in front of the fourth largest crowd in Origin history.

“Outstanding,” Maloney says of Tedesco. “He’s so good in this arena. He’s just electrifying.”