A refreshed James Tedesco is taking the silver linings from the disappointment of missing selection for the Pacific Championships as he looks to extend his career deep into his 30s.
The Roosters fullback was a surprise omission from the Kangaroos squad for the tournament, coach Mal Meninga instead turning to Panthers custodian Dylan Edwards.
While disappointed to miss the tournament, Tedesco made the most of a rare break from football and is confident the positives from the rest will become clear throughout 2025.
“[The break] was good, I’ll take it as a positive,” Tedesco said. “I got time to spend with my family, relax and rest up. My body and mind feels really good, I’ve had some great time with my family and I’m just starting my own training now before going back in December so I’m in a good headspace.
“The Origin period is very taxing mentally and physically. You’re backing up after games so it does take a toll on your body. I felt this year I had those weeks off and I was playing some of my best footy, it definitely aligned there [for me].
“Then at the end of the year your body’s quite sore and tired and then you’re playing more rep footy [after the season]. This time of year, how I’m feeling, I haven’t felt this way in a while. I feel really relaxed and my body feels great, it definitely could prolong [my career].”
Tedesco has been one of the game’s elite fullbacks for much of the past decade however at 31 years old, there have been fears his performances will start to drop away.
Edwards’ rise as NSW and Kangaroos No.1 added fuel to the belief in some quarters that Tedesco is approaching retirement.
The Roosters skipper responded with one of the best seasons of his career, coming within a point of claiming the Dally M Medal and leading his club to a preliminary final.
While he knows the end of his career is approaching, Tedesco takes comfort from a group of veterans led by Manly halfback Daly Cherry-Evans who continue to shine deep into their 30s.
“We’re only taking about that because of age, whereas I don’t see that as an issue,” he said. “If things are dropping because of my age, I understand, but after the year I just had at 31, I know what my body’s like, what my mentality is and my work rate.
“I’m not going to dip too much, that’s just how I am. People want to look at age but everyone’s different. You look at some of the older players in the game, Cherry-Evans, Ben Hunt, they’re still going.”
Tedesco is entering the final year of his contract at the Roosters but negotiations are advanced and he’s optimistic a new deal can be locked in over the next couple of months.
The club’s roster for 2025 remains in flux, with coach Trent Robinson open to recruiting Ben Hunt after his recent departure from the Dragons.
Whether the veteran joins the Tricolours or not, a new-look team will line up next season.
The departure of Jared Waerea-Hargreaves, Luke Keary, Joseph-Aukuso Sua’li’i, Joseph Manu and Sitili Tupouniua has left many outsiders to dismiss the Roosters’ chances for 2025.
When you add in long-term injuries to Brandon Smith and Sam Walker, Tedesco can see why people are writing his team off, just don’t try telling him it’s a rebuilding year.
“It’s not a rebuilding year, it’s the start of a new era,” he said. “We are losing a lot of players that have been here for a long time but we’ve still got a lot of representative players and leaders.
“We’ve still got a great leadership group and we’re going to bring some young guys through that have had a bit of experience and have trained with us for a few years. They have played first grade a couple of times and they’re going to get better and better.
“That’s on us, me, Lindsay, Gussy [Crichton], Spencer [Liu], those leaders to bring everyone up to our standard and make sure it’s not a full year of [rebuilding]. I don’t know how many years I’ve got left but I don’t have time to have a rebuilding year. That’s on us to lead them.”