- Roosters captain fed up with repeated queries
- The team will face Manly in a sudden death final on Saturday
A defiant James Tedesco has hit back at critics over the Sydney Roosters’ title chances, saying he is “sick and tired” of being asked about the club’s injury impact.
The Roosters are set to become the fifth team this century to win the championship after a loss in the opening week of the finals, having been edged out by Penrith on Friday.
The Tricolours will welcome Jared Waerea-Hargreaves back from suspension in Saturday’s semi-final against Manly, but are still missing several key men.
Chief among them are scrum-half Sam Walker and hooker Brandon Smith, while Victor Radley is still battling back from a fractured scapula.
Injuries to the trio against Canberra a fortnight ago caused several critics to write off the Roosters, who have been among the competition favourites all year.
The Roosters also had to answer questions about whether their title window was closing, as well as their 1-19 record against Melbourne and Penrith since 2020.
Asked if the opportunity to send out players like Jared Waerea-Hargreaves, Luke Keary and Joey Manu as winners had been hampered by injuries, Tedesco said: “No.”
Asked what he had to say to people who suggested the Roosters’ title chances had been affected, Tedesco was defiant.
Roosters captain James Tedesco (pictured) is fed up with being asked about the club’s shocking injury figures.
The full-back scored a try in the Chooks’ loss to Penrith in Friday night’s final but insists the defeat is “not the end of the road” for the club in 2024.
“You are not within our four walls,” Tedesco told reporters.
“I’m really sick of hearing about this from you. It’s all you talk about.
‘Every time I do a media report, you talk about it.’
The Roosters captain admitted his side’s defence and goal-line management had been poor in the 30-10 loss to Penrith but was adamant the problems were not terminal.
“It wasn’t an easy weekend, but being in the top four gives us a second chance,” said Tedesco.
“It’s a small setback for us this weekend, but it’s certainly not the end of the road.”
Tedesco’s comments came as Keary rushed to the defence of midfield partner Sandon Smith after his first game of the final following Walker’s injury.
Matt Johns has been among those calling for Joey Manu to move into the half alongside Keary, believing it would allow the rugby star to impose himself more on the game.
“I understand that. There will always be conversations and we have players here who can play in different positions,” Keary said.
‘But inside the building, the confidence in him, we’ve seen what he can do.
“He fits very well into the structure. We have attacked very well this year.”
‘Teddy’ is pivotal to the Roosters’ chances of seeing off departing stars Joey Manu, Jared Waerea-Hargreaves and Luke Keary with a title win, but the Tricolours’ horrendous injury toll has given them a mountain to climb.
‘It gives us the opportunity to play the style we’ve been playing since October last year, with the type of players Sam and I are as midfielders who play with the smaller ball.
“We didn’t have to destroy the whole system and create a different one, which is what we would have had to do with a Manu or another full-back.”
Keary said the loss to Penrith could not be placed on the shoulders of Smith or back-up hooker Connor Watson.
“If you put a team under pressure with mistakes, penalties, six goals conceded, you do that against any NRL team and you’re in trouble,” Keary said.
‘If you do it against Penrith, it will be a death sentence.
“We can talk about different combinations on the pitch, but as a team we have to give a chance to these players who are coming in.”
