![\"Christian](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/1791527655_289_635402f1698dc5687fb8f98be5c093fe76cbc56f.png\")
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October 9, 2026 \u2014 2:33pm<\/p>\n
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Remove items from your saved list<\/a> to add more.<\/p>\n No gift articles left<\/p>\n You’ve used all of your gift articles. 3 more will become available on the 1st of every month.<\/p>\n Close<\/p>\n AAA<\/p>\n James Tedesco didn\u2019t consider following some of his Roosters premiership-winning teammates into either retirement or different opportunities, and hopes to sit down with the club at the end of the World Cup to discuss playing on one final season in 2028.<\/p>\n Tedesco turns 34 in the new year, but remains at the top of his game. He was awarded the Clive Churchill Medal for his performance in the Roosters\u2019 grand final win over Newcastle, and even earned lavish praise from some of his younger Australian teammates<\/a>, including fellow No.1 Reece Walsh.<\/p>\n The Roosters farewelled six players<\/a> at the club\u2019s Jack Gibson Medal during the week, which featured a surprise cameo by Manly premiership-winning coach Des Hasler, who spoke glowingly about England-bound Daly Cherry-Evans.<\/p>\n Spencer Leniu (Parramatta), Angus Crichton and Mark Nawaqanitawase (rugby), Connor Watson (St George Illawarra) and Daniel Tupou (retirement) have all exited Bondi, but Tedesco is backing the club\u2019s collection of young stars to keep the premiership success going.<\/p>\n The Roosters have a lot of faith in homegrown fullback Rex Bassingthwaighte, who is likely to spend the next part of his career on the wing to help with the transition to first grade, a tactic the club has previously used with legendary No.1s Anthony Minichiello and Roger Tuivasa-Sheck.<\/p>\n There is also speculation about Englishman and Dolphins centre Herbie Farnworth signing with the club in 2028 to play fullback, even though the player in question insisted as late as last week his preference was to get a deal done with Redcliffe.<\/p>\n As for his own plans, Tedesco told this masthead he would give it serious thought once his World Cup commitments were finished.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s no rush, I don\u2019t think I\u2019ll be chased by other teams for a contract \u2014 and I wouldn\u2019t really go anywhere else,\u201d Tedesco said.<\/p>\n \u201cIdeally, if I can play 2027 and 2028, after that, I\u2019d be pretty content. I\u2019m getting on, but I\u2019m still getting opportunities to wear jerseys like this [the Kangaroos], which is cool.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s cool to be the older guy and having the younger guys coming through. I do feel old. How old is Reece? I felt old when Jack Bostock sent me a message in 2019, and he was only 15.\u201d<\/p>\n The Roosters\u2019 player drain has already raised questions about the club\u2019s ability to go back-to-back. The biggest loss will be genuine X-factor Nawaqanitawase, whose aerial threat may prove impossible to replace.<\/p>\n \u201cBut we\u2019ve gone through this before with guys leaving and new guys coming in,\u201d Tedesco said.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve got so much confidence in these young guys we have at the club and the academy we\u2019ve got set up. The future is really bright.<\/p>\n \u201cA lot of things go into the success. It\u2019s \u2018Robbo\u2019 [coach Trent Robinson], the board, the players; this year a big thing was the closeness of the team.<\/p>\n \u201cWe had a great balance of leaders and young guys \u2013 you can\u2019t just have superstars, you need the young guys to come in and perform, and they did it all year. Yes, we have a few leaving, but I\u2019ve got so much confidence in the guys who will replace them.\u201d<\/p>\n Kangaroos incumbent Walsh said about Tedesco on Thursday: \u201cI wish I could be half the player Teddy is … it\u2019s hard to compete with \u2018Clive\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n When told about the praise he received from Walsh, Tedesco said: \u201cThis is the first time I\u2019ve really met Reece and spoken to him. I thought the same thing about him last year watching him pretty much win the grand final for Brisbane, and what he was able to do [at] the back end of that year.<\/p>\n![\"James](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/d62da0c2a3626547d59d631a4fad7f8f7dd166ed.jpeg\")
James Tedesco celebrates the Roosters\u2019 premiership win with coach Trent Robinson.Getty Images<\/p>\n![\"James](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/a9ce44ea98c4b82bf80863117b5ffb0eaf2e4bd0.jpeg\")
James Tedesco will be at the Roosters next year but Mark Nawaqanitawase won\u2019t be.Getty Images<\/p>\n
![\"Many](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/1791527657_680_e470030acf31d02383cb85520e6e27fc364bca57.jpeg\")
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