Roosters skipper James Tedesco can\u2019t see too many changes to his game from when he won the Dally M Medal six years ago, but his coach has gone all in on the fullback after a stunning season that will likely end in another top gong.<\/p>\n
Tedesco\u2019s 2019 season was the stuff of legend as he won the Dally, the Wally Lewis Medal, the Brad Fittler Medal as well as the NRL premiership and the State of Origin series where he scored the winning tries in both the grand final and the game 3 decider.<\/p>\n
He scored 18 tries that year \u2013 including one in each of his side\u2019s three finals matches \u2013 with the rep star finishing three votes clear of future Immortal Cameron Smith to claim the sport\u2019s top individual prize.<\/p>\n
Tedesco was a running machine and a terrific support player, with those traits usually dropping off when you turn 32. <\/p>\n
But they\u2019ve remained steady, with the champion fullback adding new strings to his bow with an extra 11 try assists this year compared with 2019, while he\u2019s had 16 more line-break assists while always being there to support a break.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s been playing amazing footy year on year for the Roosters and at all levels. He\u2019s the best ruck fullback in the game,\u201d Trent Robinson declared after Tedesco set up four tries and produced a fabulous flick pass in last week\u2019s win over Souths. <\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s changed the way that fullbacks attack the ruck and the way they address the line, and then he also plays the traditional fullback (role) that everyone else is playing, which is the combination plays, and he\u2019s nailing them.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s really hard to find someone with the balance between a system-type player and then an instinctive, intuitive, freedom type player at the same time.<\/p>\n
\u201cUsually the intuitive player doesn\u2019t want to work and says \u2018don\u2019t touch me, let me do my thing\u2019, whereas Ted does all the work and works harder than anybody else, runs the system, believes in it and then has the ability to move to the intuition and freedom on the back of it.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s an incredible balance to do both.\u201d<\/p>\n
People were starting to write Tedesco off after he lost the NSW and Australia fullback spots to Dylan Edwards, but there are now calls for him to win back his jersey for the upcoming Ashes tour.<\/p>\n
A deep run in the finals from outside the top four would add fuel to the fire, but the man himself insists he\u2019s still the same player he was back in 2019 when he torched the rest of the competition. <\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t think my game has changed too much. A lot of people are talking about it, but I don\u2019t feel like it\u2019s changed too much,\u201d he said ahead of Saturday\u2019s elimination final against the Sharks.<\/p>\n
\u201cOver my whole career I feel like I\u2019ve stayed pretty consistent. There are some awards and accolades that come over the years (but I feel like I\u2019m playing the same).<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople probably think \u2018he\u2019s getting older and not playing rep footy so he\u2019s going to fall off a bit\u2019, but my preparation is still the same as it was 10 years ago and I\u2019m really diligent with that every week.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think my biggest asset is staying on the field and staying healthy. I\u2019ve learnt to look after my body physically and mentally so I\u2019m being fresh going into every game and the body feels right.\u201d<\/p>\n