Greg Alexander's huge call amid Origin debate around James Tedesco and Dylan Edwards
The New South Wales captain is under pressure at the start of the 2024 season.
Penrith great Greg Alexander has weighed-in on the current debate over the Blues fullback in 2024 with James Tedesco no certainty to hold onto the position he has held since 2016. Since Michael Maguire was appointed as the New South Wales coach, following Brad Fittler's departure, Blues fans have called for a shake-up to the team after the Maroons have gone back-to-back under Billy Slater.
And Maguire has admitted he won't be selecting on reputation this year after signalling to the players every jersey is up for grabs. And following the heartbreaking defeats, Tedesco has come under pressure with his form dipping for club, state and country.
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Tedesco has played 22 games for the Blues, captained the team 12 times, and will go down as one of the best ever fullbacks to play the game. However, a number of players are pushing to take the No.1 position from the captain.
Penrith's Dylan Edwards has been close behind Tedesco, while Clint Gutherson, Latrell Mitchell and even Ryan Papenhuyzen could all push for the position with a strong start to the season. And while many are expecting to see a new No.1 in 2024 for the Blues, Penrith great Alexander believes Tedesco will hold onto his jersey.
Alexander, who stood down as the Blues chief assistant after the 2023 series, believes Tedesco will prove his greatness and find himself lining up in the sky blue jersey once again. “I don’t think he does (miss out on selection),” Alexander said on SEN 1170 Breakfast.
“Although I think (his) form through the first part of the year will be critical and might have a determination on whether James misses out. But I don’t think James Tedesco, come Origin I, will be NSW’s fullback and captain.”
Michael Maguire sends warning to Blues hopefuls
Maguire made it clear last week when speaking to the media that no player has ownership on their jersey and the start of the season will be pivotal in deciding who plays for the Blues in 2024. When asked on Tedesco's position, Maguire admitted he was looking forward to making the tough call come Origin time.
"I respect all those boys that have been in the past, but I'm telling everyone to look forward, we've got to move forward," the NSW coach said. "I know that he’s had a very good pre-season, and no doubt like any champion player, he’s still a champion player.
"I’m looking forward to seeing Teddy play some really good footy. At the moment I’m not going to make any statements around the team, I said that when I first arrived. I want to let the players go and play and then from there we’ll work out which way we want to go.” Tedesco has played 21 straight games for the Blues and 31-year-old signalled his intention of winning back the loyalty of the fans leading into the 2024 season.
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