James Tedesco has turned on a masterclass performance in the Sydney Roosters’ 36-18 win over Gold Coast to keep the Tricolours’ NRL finals hopes flickering.
The skipper received criticism for taking a break and visiting Byron Bay with his family last week after a gruelling State of Origin series and a season of scrutiny due to his club team’s poor form.
The holiday, suggested by his coach Trent Robinson, seemed to be just the tonic he needed.
Tedesco was everywhere at Cbus Super Stadium on Saturday in an opening half for the ages as prop Jared Waerea-Hargreaves and his fellow forwards tore through the Titans.
The win took the Roosters to 22 points and just two points outside the top-eight with six rounds remaining.
If they can replicate this kind of form they will remain in the finals hunt.
Robinson said some of the commentary around Tedesco was “really disappointing”.
“It was my call. That was it. He came back and he played the way he plays. He was a bit fresher and he was the biggest difference in the game today,” Robinson said.
“It was just great to see him playing that way and he dominated the game.”
The Roosters had not scored 30 points in any match previously this year but they led 30-0 at the break.
Tedesco started off with a slick piece of ball-playing to hold a pass up to send Egan Butcher over.
Minutes later Tedesco slipped a ball to send Butcher careering through a hole.
The skipper backed up on the inside to race away and score.
And the NSW captain wasn’t done.
Later in the half he burst onto a Luke Keary inside ball to send Nat Butcher over to make it 30-0.
It was Harlem Globetrotters-style by the Roosters who were dominant through the middle and creative right across the park.
Prop Lindsay Collins bullocked his way over and winger Joseph Suaalii leapt high to snaffle a bomb in a five-try extravaganza in the first half.
Tedesco put his body on the line to defuse a Kieran Foran grubberkick with desperation on the cusp of halftime to showcase his mindset.
The carnage abated in the second half but Tedesco’s commitment didn’t.
He came from the clouds to crunch Titans centre Brian Kelly and save a try.
The Titans, stuck on 20 competition points, had lost their previous three games by less than four points in controversial circumstances.
After playing so well for a month and not getting the rewards on the NRL ladder, they appeared drained.
They got what they deserved in the first half but rallied in the second with three late tries.
“It was good for us to keep working hard right through to the end but we just weren’t there at the start physically,” Titans coach Jim Lenihan said.
“We just have to dust ourselves off and keep working.”
Lenihan replaced halfback Tanah Boyd with 20 minutes remaining and called on electric utility Jayden Campbell off the bench in a sign of a positional move he may yet make permanent.
Roosters forward Nat Butcher was put on report for a hip-drop tackle on Titans winger Phil Sami.
