Initially overlooked for Dylan Edwards, James Tedesco is uncertain if he will be dropped again if the Penrith fullback is fit for State of Origin II.
Tedesco was brought back into the NSW team when Edwards suffered a quad injury, though he played without the captain’s ‘C’ next to his name. Despite this, the Roosters star delivered a standout performance for a team that played with 12 men for 72 minutes, scoring a try and covering 207 meters. The availability of Edwards remains uncertain, making the fullback decision a contentious one for Blues coach Michael Maguire.
“I accepted that Dyl was going to play [originally],” Tedesco said after his team’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’s disheartening for him not to get a chance, but it gave me an opportunity. I was sort of lucky I’ve played with most of these guys before and I’ve been in camp with a lot of them before. It was pretty easy to come into camp and get along with them. We fought hard, but it was bloody hard work.”
If Tedesco retains his spot, he will become NSW’s third most capped player, equaling 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 lose, you just want to win. That’s what it’s all about.”
When asked if he feels he has done enough to stay in the team, Tedesco responded, “Yeah, hopefully. 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.”
Despite Jake Trbojevic wearing the captain’s armband, Tedesco said he still tried to lend his experience to a team with six debutants. “I always still try to lead by example. 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 considered retiring from representative play, despite being overlooked for the first time since his Origin debut in 2016. “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.”
