Trent Robinson responds amid furore over James Tedesco's move with wife
The Sydney Roosters coach has made a startling revelation after backlash towards his captain.
Trent Robinson has revealed it was his decision to allow James Tedesco to take a mid-season break while the Roosters are struggling to save their season, after the captain sat out the NRL side's loss to Melbourne last weekend. Tedesco was a notable absentee as the Roosters went down 30-16 to the Storm on Saturday night, leaving them 14th on the ladder with seven rounds remaining.
Roosters coach Robinson opted to give Tedesco a break following his campaign as NSW captain in State of Origin, but the decision didn't go down well considering the club's precarious place on the ladder. Tedesco and wife Maria spent the break in Byron Bay, posting a number of happy snaps on social media.
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According to veteran journalist Phil Rothfield, Tedesco should have been at the game even if he wasn't playing. “I reckon James Tedesco was entitled to have the weekend off because it was a particularly draining Origin series and they want him back,” Rothfield said on the Big Sports Breakfast on Monday.
“For whatever shot they have at making the finals and they want the old James Tedesco back so he needed a freshen up. However, you look at the TV camera at Belmore Sports Ground on the weekend and Patrick Carrigan flew down from Brisbane to help Kevin Walters coach.
“Daly Cherry-Evans leads at Manly and plays every week. Nathan Cleary, who pulled his hamstring, he flew to Townsville with the Panthers a couple of weeks ago. Was around the sheds.
"Now my view is this, Tedesco is the captain, the leader of that club. Their season was on the line the other day. I absolutely appreciate he was given a game off to rest his frame... but my goodness I cannot understand why he was not there to talk to the players at half-time and full-time as moral support. But I can understand others totally disagree, but it’s an issue that is out there and being discussed.”
Speaking to the media on Monday, Robinson said it was his call to let Tedesco fly to Byron Bay for the weekend. “I told him to go away and come back this week. I wanted him to recover after Origin and come back ready to attack the last seven games,” Robinson said.
“I haven’t seen (Rothfield’s column) so can’t comment on that. But it was my call and he has given all for this team and club.”
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Former NSW coach Laurie Daley said he didn't see a problem with Tedesco's mid-season holiday. “I think if he has been given time off and the club knew he was going, I’m all for it,” Daley said on the Big Sports Breakfast.
“I thought the club would have asked him to play because their season is on the line, but given his experience, the toll that Origin has had on him. I know he’s got a pregnant partner, the toll that would have been put on her as well, it might have been the right decision. Only the Roosters would know.”
Roosters teammate Daniel Tupou is backing Tedesco to be better for the break. "I'm sure we'll get a fresh Teddy," he said on Monday. "Having a week off, which he definitely needed with his commitments and his schedule (will be a boost).
"We're pretty stoked that he gets to get away and refresh the body and the mind. We'll get him back and ready for this weekend for sure."
Nat Butcher said the Roosters captain had earned a refresh after an gruelling 18 months in which he has played 50 games for club, state and country. "We all got a week off (with the round-19 bye) and the way Origin is, Teddy didn't get that time off," Butcher said.
"That rest was probably deserved. We know Teddy is going to be primed and ready to go for the back end of the season."
with AAP
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