Nick Tsagaris Mcdonalds | The NRL has changed, and nobody is changin g faster than James Tedesco
"The game's evolved from when I've started, and the fullback role's evolved a lot more." These are the thoughts of James Tedesco, the NRL player who knows better than anyone what it takes to be a great fullback. A Kangaroos representative. A Dally M Medal winner, with two premierships. An Origin-winning captain. And now the man tasked with taking a busted up Roosters side as far as it can g o into September.
So what's changed? • Having snuck past the Titans on the wee kend, his team now takes on the Sea Ea gles, powered by their own super-charge d number one Tom Trbojevic.
• And if Tedesco can help the Roosters pu ll off a victory, it might be his transforma tion's biggest triumph yet.
• The infamous rule changes brought in b y NRL powerbrokers over the past two y ears have made rugby league more ope n and scorelines more lopsided. The Sto rm is set to smash the record for most p oints in a season, and blowouts have be en common.
And the changes have come about quickly, according to Tedesco. But while that was playing out, and for some ti me before, coaches and cutting-edge players h ad already been tossing away outdated assum ptions.
Traditionally, the halves, hooker and fullback were the most important positi ons in rugby lea gue. But these days recruiters and paymasters love nothing more than a good number one, an d for good reason. The sides that finished in th e top eight have perhaps the best eight fullbac ks in the NRL.
"When I first started my career, it was a lot of supports, trying to finish off tries," he told ABC Sport this week.
"I feel like my role and my involvements increase every year, that means just trying to get my hands on the ball as much as possible." Tedesco made his name as a scintillating, powerful runner at the Tigers, who could spot a gap in and around the ruck better than anybody. But he's now one of a brigade of fullbacks who are most damaging when inside the 20 and attacking the line as a floating wildcard out wide. In 2019, Clint Gutherson and Tedesco were the only fullbacks among the competition's top 20 for line break assists. This season fullbacks make up six of the top nine, including backline facilitators Latrell Mitchell, Nicho Hynes and Trbojevic.
In that time, the Roosters number one has doubled his output to more than one per game, the majority as part of backline moves inside the attacking 20.
The main explanation for Tedesco's rise is volume. The Roosters fullback is being given more opportunity to be involved in backline moves attacking the line. He has touched the ball inside the attacking 20 in 2021 more times than in any other season. But his involvements are up right across the field.
Roosters overhaul At the same time as fullbacks have become important facilitators, Tedesco's side has been met with a raft of injuries and suspensions to key ball players.
The best Tedesco The question remains though whether Ted esco would be operating as much as a ball player if the Roosters still had Radley, Ke ary, another established half and a proven hooker on the field. Despite his growing influence on the Roos ters' play, Tedesco's tallies of tries and lin ebreaks are down on recent years and h e's dropped under 10 metres per kick retur n for the first time in five seasons.
THANK YOU