It is only June, but we should call off the Dally M race already and just hand rugby league’s top gong to James Tedesco.
Voting for the NRL player of the year award went behind closed doors after round 12, with Warriors playmaker Luke Metcalf leading the pack on 31 points, followed by Cronulla’s Will Kennedy on 29 and Roosters skipper Tedesco on 28 points.
Wests Tigers prop Terrell May (27), and Dolphins playmaker Isaiya Katoa and Broncos prop Payne Haas, both on 23, rounded out the leading group.
If you look at performances since then, you can almost put a line through Kennedy, whose form the past month has dipped. Cronulla have dropped two of their past three games, Kennedy remains without a deal, and some will argue he could yet lose his No.1 jersey to Nicho Hynes.
May burst out of the blocks but, while his form has remained consistent, he has also struggled to poll points in a Tigers side that has now lost five straight games.
Metcalf was outstanding against the Sharks, when he would have polled a full six points, but was hampered by a corked quad in the weekend loss to Penrith. The leg issue remains a worry moving forward, starting with Saturday’s trip to Suncorp Stadium where a revitalised Broncos await.
Sydney Roosters skipper James Tedesco is in career-best formCredit: Steven Siewert/SMH
Tedesco, meanwhile, is enjoying one of his best seasons in years. For all the talk about the young talent at Bondi, their 32-year-old leader is the one setting the standards for them.
He is breaking tackles, scoring tries and seems to have finally found the perfect balance of when to call for the ball and when to have faith in those around him.
Not having to shoulder the physical and mental burdens of State of Origin has also been a blessing for Tedesco, who was brilliant against the Cowboys on Sunday, outstanding in a gritty game against the Knights last weekend and one of the standouts in a beaten side against the Raiders.
The first thing Perth Bears coach Mal Meninga should do is pick up the phone to his World Cup-winning captain and persuade him to sign with the NRL’s new franchise. Tedesco is off contract at the end of next season, and the kind of player you need for an NRL start-up.
Roosters coach Trent Robinson and chairman Nick Politis would be loath to lose Tedesco, but there would be nothing stopping him playing a few years in Perth then returning to the Chooks in an ambassadorial role.
Tom Trbojevic, good friends with Tedesco from their representative days together, summed up what made the Roosters star such an effective player. “He’s always on the ball, he breaks a lot of tackles, pushes up well and uses his outside people,” Trbojevic said.
Tedesco will freshen up with the bye this weekend, then return for games against the Tigers, Dragons and Sharks – three matches the Roosters will be expected to win.
When you look for potential contenders from teams sitting on top of the ladder, few stand out.
Canterbury are leading the competition, but their success has been built on their team rather than on the back of one individual in outstanding form. The Raiders fall into the same category, while Storm players – including last year’s winner Jahrome Hughes – often pinch points off each other.
Ryan Papenhuyzen may have kicked the winning field goal in golden point against Souths, but his first half last Saturday was also one of his worst in recent memory.
Hughes was expected to romp in last year, but guests inside the Winx Room at Royal Randwick were treated to a barnstorming finish from Tedesco, who rattled home to fall short by one vote.
This year, it’s a one-horse race. In fact, let’s just call it off now.
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