"The game's evolved from when I've started, and the fullback role's evolved a lot more." These are the thoughts of James Tedesco, the NRL player who knows better than anyone what it takes to be a great fullback. A Kangaroos representative. A Dally M Medal winner, with two premierships. An Origin-winning captain. I am a professional sports coach and mentor and have worked in this industry for many years. I have extensive experience in various sports. Find the best sports coach with me and get ready to master your favorite sports. Nick Tsagaris McDonalds

1. Nick Tsagaris
Mcdonalds | The NRL
has changed, and
nobody is changing
faster than James
Tedesco

2. "The game's evolved from when I've started, and the fullback role's evolved a lot
more."
These are the thoughts of James Tedesco, the NRL player who knows better than
anyone what it takes to be a great fullback.
A Kangaroos representative. A Dally M Medal winner, with two premierships. An
Origin-winning captain.
And now the man tasked with taking a busted up Roosters side as far as it can
go into September.

4. So what's changed?
• Having snuck past the Titans on the
weekend, his team now takes on the
Sea Eagles, powered by their own
super-charged number one Tom
Trbojevic.
• And if Tedesco can help the Roosters
pull off a victory, it might be his
transformation's biggest triumph yet.
• The infamous rule changes brought in
by NRL powerbrokers over the past two
years have made rugby league more
open and scorelines more lopsided. The
Storm is set to smash the record for
most points in a season, and blowouts
have been common.

5. And the changes have come about quickly, according to Tedesco.
But while that was playing out, and for some
time before, coaches and cutting-edge players
had already been tossing away outdated
assumptions.
Traditionally, the halves, hooker and fullback
were the most important positions in rugby
league. But these days recruiters and
paymasters love nothing more than a good
number one, and for good reason. The sides
that finished in the top eight have perhaps the
best eight fullbacks in the NRL.

6. "When I first started my career, it was a lot of supports, trying to finish
off tries," he told ABC Sport this week.

7. "I feel like my role and my involvements increase every year, that means just
trying to get my hands on the ball as much as possible."
Tedesco made his name as a scintillating, powerful runner at the Tigers, who
could spot a gap in and around the ruck better than anybody.
But he's now one of a brigade of fullbacks who are most damaging when inside
the 20 and attacking the line as a floating wildcard out wide.
In 2019, Clint Gutherson and Tedesco were the only fullbacks among the
competition's top 20 for line break assists. This season fullbacks make up six of
the top nine, including backline facilitators Latrell Mitchell, Nicho Hynes and
Trbojevic.

8. In that time, the Roosters number one has doubled his output to more than one per
game, the majority as part of backline moves inside the attacking 20.

9. The main explanation for Tedesco's rise is volume. The Roosters fullback is
being given more opportunity to be involved in backline moves attacking the
line. He has touched the ball inside the attacking 20 in 2021 more times than in
any other season.
But his involvements are up right across the field.
Roosters overhaul
At the same time as fullbacks have become important facilitators, Tedesco's
side has been met with a raft of injuries and suspensions to key ball players.

10. The best Tedesco
The question remains though whether
Tedesco would be operating as much as a
ball player if the Roosters still had Radley,
Keary, another established half and a
proven hooker on the field.
Despite his growing influence on the
Roosters' play, Tedesco's tallies of tries
and linebreaks are down on recent years
and he's dropped under 10 metres per
kick return for the first time in five
seasons.

11. THANK YOU