Signings, Suggestions & Rumours Discussion

Sorry I am going to join the push-back on your revisionist baloney. All your comments about Tedesco are myopic. It's long.

Firstly Tedesco was at Tigers 6 seasons, not 5 minutes. The year he debuted (2012) was the year after we made the finals twice in a row and should have won the comp again. In his debut he played with Benji, Gareth Ellis, Chris Lawrence, Farah, Woods, KG, Adam Blair, Heighington etc. That's the calibre of the team he debuted into and he'd been earmarked for that spot his whole juniors.

2013 Tedesco gets the call up for NSW City, the least experienced player to ever be named (only having played 4 FG matches to this point). This is again not something that happens to mediocre-level players. Recognised game-wide talent whilst playing for Wests Tigers.

After being injured for the bulk of 2 of his first 3 seasons, he had undeniable elite form scoring 17 tries in 21 appearances 2015, followed by 14 tries from 17 appearances 2016. At this stage you are in the Moses/Brooks era.

2015 Tedesco makes the NRL Team of the Year on the bench and wins RLPA's Player's Player award. Repeats 2016 as NRL's fullback of the year, despite having his season ended early with a broken jaw. Picked as 2017's RLPA Player's Champion.

He gets picked for Game 3 Origin 2016 and all of 2017. Is NSW fullback every season uninterrupted until 2025.

These are not things that happen to a player on a middling or normal trajectory.

Especially when these 2016-2017 are losing seasons - Tigers finishing 9th in 2016 and 14th in 2017. You don't get continually picked for Origin and NRL Team of the Year, from a non-finals team, unless you are a special and widely-regarded talent. It's clear about how well established he is - Roosters pony up a million to sign him, despite vowing to never deal with his manager.

Statistically:
2015: 24 matches, 17 tries, 12 try assists, 24 line breaks, 167 tackle breaks (1st in NRL)
2016: 17 matches, 14 tries, 12 try assists, 15 line breaks, 106 tackle breaks (9th in NRL)
2017: 21 matches, 5 tries, 8 try assists, 13 line breaks, 172 tackle breaks (1st in NRL) --> Last season Tigers
2018: 25 matches, 9 tries, 15 try assists, 15 line breaks, 158 tackle breaks (1st in NRL)
2019: 24 matches, 18 tries, 13 try assists, 23 line breaks, 166 tackle breaks (1st in NRL)

That equates to (per match):
2015: 0.71 tries, 0.50 TAs, 1.00 LBs, 6.95 TBs
2016: 0.82 tries, 0.71 TAs, 0.88 LBs, 6.24 TBs
2017: 0.24 tries, 0.38 TAs, 0.62 LBs, 8.19 TBs
2018: 0.36 tries, 0.60 TAs, 0.60 LBs, 6.32 TBs
2019: 0.75 tries, 0.54 TAs, 0.96 LBs, 6.92 TBs

So nowhere in the empirical data does Tedesco have some mad peak or jump between leaving Tigers and joining Roosters. And that's one of the main points about Tedesco's whole career, that his form is so steady and he remains an attacking threat even as he ages. His attacking stats are club-agnostic.

In fact you can fairly argue that 2016 was his best attacking year, when you see those numbers and consider that Tigers didn't have a finals-level side.

You can also clearly argue that despite 2018-2019 being Premiership-winning years for the Roosters, Tedesco is NOT statistically better than he was at Tigers. In fact his 2018 numbers are down a little despite winning the comp.

The only difference for Tedesco's trajectory at Roosters is he joins a top-tier side with established hard-heads and young strike power across the park.

The reason I get so particular about this topic is all my non-Tigers friends said the same stuff when he left in 2017, that he "got better at the Roosters". This is a narrative only of people who forget his play in 2015-2017 or, in the case of non-Tigers people, didn't actually watch him every week. I made the point of remembering that his output between the two clubs was consistent, not just evident in his statistics, but his rep honours and awards. So many people mis-remember that Tedesco didn't start winning NRL awards or playing Origin until he joined the Roosters.

What people are actually remembering is the calibre of roster that Tedesco had around him. To be posting elite-level attacking stats in non-finals teams is remarkable. And it's not all tries aka "selfish hog" as you put it. He has a clear and consistent level of try assists at both clubs.

So when Tedesco joined Roosters in 2018, it was a different calibre of team. Opposition defences were less certain where the attack would land. In Tedesco's first Roosters GF the backline was Tedesco, Tupou, Latrell, Joey Manu, Blake Ferguson, Keary and Cronk. The pack was JWH, Friend, Taukeiaho, Cordner, Mitch Aubusson, Radley. Bench Liu, Dylan Napa, Tetevano, Ryan Matterson. Absolutely elite-level backline.

2019 GF it's almost exactly the same side, amazing consistency and injury run, except Ferguson had joined Parramatta, replaced by Brett Morris. Angus Crichton and Nat Butcher on the bench; Verrills starting hooker with Friend to the bench.

So 2018-2019 Tedesco didn't have to do as much work as for Tigers and wasn't always triple-teamed when he got the ball. But he also didn't suddenly leap in output, rather the calibre of the team around him improved. And that appears to be what you mis-remember about the end of his Tigers days.
Thanks for the incredibly boring and pointless diatribe, butmy point was that he grew as a ball player after leaving here.
He progressed from a talented ball runner to a ball playing fullback without losing his ball running ability.
That is growth and that was my point.
All the butthurt in the world does not change that.
 
The old line of " The Roosters moulded Tedesco into the player he is" is up there with the greatest myth of "Steve Walters changed the way hookers played" crap
If anything, the Roosters started to become over-reliant on Tedesco, same as Tigers did.

Up to end of 2025 the Roosters have generally been on the downturn since Tedesco joined, as much as you can call it that. 2026 may be an uptick again. Always playing finals but being generally less effective and finishing slowly down the table, to a low of 8th in 2025.

2018-2019 Roosters went 6W 0L in two finals tilts. From 2020 to 2025 they were 3W 8L in all finals matches. I.e. they had the same number of finals wins in 2019 as they did for all of the 6 seasons that followed.
 
Thanks for the incredibly boring and pointless diatribe, butmy point was that he grew as a ball player after leaving here.
He progressed from a talented ball runner to a ball playing fullback without losing his ball running ability.
That is growth and that was my point.
All the butthurt in the world does not change that.

Thats the response of someone who just realised they are wrong but will never admit it 😂
 
Can't agree mate. Tedescos ball playing was very, very good at the Tigers. Any highlights package will show that.
Highlights packages are often misleading.
How many linebreaks did he create for others here as opposed to when at the Roosters? How many try assists? He very clearly improved his ball playing in their system and yes there are a few reasons as to why, but that doesn’t change the facts.
 
Thats the response of someone who just realised they are wrong but will never admit it 😂
I’m not wrong.
Go through his years here for try assists and linebreak assists. Two tangible indicators of ballplaying ability that don’t rely on the memories of old farts with an agenda.
Compare to his years at the Chooks.
It’s ridiculous to claim he didn’t improve there.
 
Such a Benji thing to do. Demote Attard for the past month, play Mason as reserve grade fullback, then pick Attard from nowhere to play first grade. If this happens, it shows Benji cant see past the top 17 each week and has zero planning or thought for the future. He just goes week to week with whatever he feels. Im guessing the entire club is filled with players who are just plain confused.


I truly believe he is using a magic 8 ball left over from the 70's to make important decisions not one of the modern era one's that could actually help him with his coaching and player development


And when you read this you will have a laugh 😂

But your laughing because there is an element of true in it
 
I’m not wrong.
Go through his years here for try assists and linebreak assists. Two tangible indicators of ballplaying ability that don’t rely on the memories of old farts with an agenda.
Compare to his years at the Chooks.
It’s ridiculous to claim he didn’t improve there.

Can you show me where I said he didnt improve? His cutout passes to his winger that came so natural halted somewhat. The way he started his career you would have expected him to become an elite "ball playing" fullback, but that never happened. He was already an elite fullback in general, but the signs at the Tigers indicated he will be an elite ball player. That never happened, so how did the Rooster improve him? IMO, that part of his game was stunted by the Roosters regime. Besides that part of his game, he did improve in general, but that was just natural development, nit Roosters development. You claim he improved becasue of the Roosters, I claim he was always gonna have that improvement in him no matter where he played. Believe it or not, most players, let alone elite ones, improve after a few years experience.
 
Can you show me where I said he didnt improve? His cutout passes to his winger that came so natural halted somewhat. The way he started his career you would have expected him to become an elite "ball playing" fullback, but that never happened. He was already an elite fullback in general, but the signs at the Tigers indicated he will be an elite ball player. That never happened, so how did the Rooster improve him? IMO, that part of his game was stunted by the Roosters regime. Besides that part of his game, he did improve in general, but that was just natural development, nit Roosters development. You claim he improved becasue of the Roosters, I claim he was always gonna have that improvement in him no matter where he played. Believe it or not, most players, let alone elite ones, improve after a few years experience.
I think he learnt plenty there, history will never know if that would have happened here. There’s certainly nothing to suggest it wouldn’t have.
I also think he’s been shackled there a bit.

He doesn’t get out wide so much these days and does his most of his work around the middle…
taking plenty of dirty hit ups.

I think that takes a bit out of him and other areas of his game
 
Can you show me where I said he didnt improve? His cutout passes to his winger that came so natural halted somewhat. The way he started his career you would have expected him to become an elite "ball playing" fullback, but that never happened. He was already an elite fullback in general, but the signs at the Tigers indicated he will be an elite ball player. That never happened, so how did the Rooster improve him? IMO, that part of his game was stunted by the Roosters regime. Besides that part of his game, he did improve in general, but that was just natural development, nit Roosters development. You claim he improved becasue of the Roosters, I claim he was always gonna have that improvement in him no matter where he played. Believe it or not, most players, let alone elite ones, improve after a few years experience.
You stated it’s a myth he improved there and I suggested one area he did - ballplaying. I think defensively he did as well but that’s another argument. You claim he has been stifled there as a ballplayer. He had 4 seasons there where he was in the top 5 for linebreak assists comp wide…number 1 twice. For try assists he is more often than not top 10 comp wide there as opposed to not even top 20 here.
It’s clear as day.
 
You stated it’s a myth he improved there and I suggested one area he did - ballplaying. I think defensively he did as well but that’s another argument. You claim he has been stifled there as a ballplayer. He had 4 seasons there where he was in the top 5 for linebreak assists comp wide…number 1 twice. For try assists he is more often than not top 10 comp wide there as opposed to not even top 20 here.
It’s clear as day.

Its a myth he imporved there as a direct result of the Roosters compared to his output and performances at a weaker club like us
 
If anything, the Roosters started to become over-reliant on Tedesco, same as Tigers did.

Up to end of 2025 the Roosters have generally been on the downturn since Tedesco joined, as much as you can call it that. 2026 may be an uptick again. Always playing finals but being generally less effective and finishing slowly down the table, to a low of 8th in 2025.

2018-2019 Roosters went 6W 0L in two finals tilts. From 2020 to 2025 they were 3W 8L in all finals matches. I.e. they had the same number of finals wins in 2019 as they did for all of the 6 seasons that followed.
Didn't the Rooster have a gun 7 in 2018-2019 ?
 
You stated it’s a myth he improved there and I suggested one area he did - ballplaying. I think defensively he did as well but that’s another argument. You claim he has been stifled there as a ballplayer. He had 4 seasons there where he was in the top 5 for linebreak assists comp wide…number 1 twice. For try assists he is more often than not top 10 comp wide there as opposed to not even top 20 here.
It’s clear as day.
He was top 5 line break assists in 2015, the only year at the tigers he played a full season.
 
He was top 5 line break assists in 2015, the only year at the tigers he played a full season.
That was an outlier. Compare it to the Roosters where he has returned results similar or better on a number of seasons.
I also said he has been more resilient…playing a large section of each season. You could argue that’s because he started ballplaying more than he was and thus received less injuries…..long bow but all indicators are there.
 
What exactly does "shutdown" mean?
Injury I am assuming. Hope it's for a couple of months so Benji can trial some alternatives.
Otherwise Benji sticks with the same old I suspect.
Well mate, considering his arm is hanging on by sticky tape I’d say tit means they are putting him on for shoulder surgery so he is right for the pre season.. would also mean Bula has chose his club, the wests tigers over individual rep honours
 
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