James Tedesco in telling Jared Waerea-Hargreaves remark after fallout from latest NRL suspension
The Roosters forward copped it from his captain after the suspension.
Roosters captain James Tedesco has admitted Jared Waerea-Hargreaves is aware he let his teammates down on the weekend after copping another suspension. Waerea-Hargreaves was once again at the centre of attention after his hit on Sam Verrills saw him hit with Grade 2 careless high tackle charge, and because of his rap sheet he's facing a minimum of two games out.
Waerea-Hargreaves was returning from a four-game suspension for the Roosters, but will now be sidelined once again. Waerea-Hargreaves will likely accept the ban so he can play the first week of NRL finals.
And while the Roosters will be glad to have Waerea-Hargreaves back for the finals, captain Tedesco has admitted his actions have once again let his teammates down. Tedesco said while he is aware the forward's aggression has made him one of the best in the game, another suspension is going to 'hurt' the veteran.
“Jared is disappointed in himself and he knows he let us down,” Tedesco said. “But that’s how he plays. The NRL has cracked down majorly on it this year, so you can’t really come into contact with any part of the head.
“I’m glad Sammy was OK because we were all very close with Sammy (when he was at the Roosters), so there was no intention in it. That’s just how Jared has played the game for a number of years. I know he’s hurting and he wants to be out there playing because he’s only got a couple of games left with us.
“It’s going to hurt for him to be watching, but I know that fire will be burning once he comes back.” Tedesco feels Waerea-Hargreaves wasn't reckless with his tackle, but the technique wasn't quite right. Regardless, the Bunker is making a statement on any head contact and the Roosters forward will now miss two games.
“It wasn’t a silly one like we’ve seen from Jared before, it was him just trying to make a good tackle, but it unfortunately got Sammy in the head,” Tedesco added. “It’s hard because we all want Jared out there. Everyone wants to see Jared play except for the opposition team.”
James Tedesco praises the Roosters' depth
Even without Waerea-Hargreaves the Roosters have plenty of depth in their forward pack. Lindsay Collins, Spencer Leniu and Terrell May will feature in his absence and Tedesco admitted the go-forward in 2024 has been excellent.
"Our middles have been unreal this year,” Tedesco said. “Lindsay, Spencer and ‘T’ (May) have been unbelievably consistent throughout the year, and then you’ve got guys like Naufahu Whyte, Sitili Tupouniua and Nat Butcher who have all been unreal for us."
The Roosters jumped into second position on the weekend after the Panthers lost to the Raiders. While the Roosters sit on 36 points, alongside the Sharks and Panthers, they have the best for and against in the competition. With two games left against the Raiders and Rabbitohs, the Roosters will be looking to secure a home clash in the first round of NRL finals.
NRL state of play with two rounds remaining:
Storm - 42 points (+213 for-and-against)
Roosters - 36 points (+269)
Sharks - 36 points (+204)
Panthers - 36 points (+158)
Bulldogs - 34 points (+146)
Cowboys - 32 points (+43)
Sea Eagles - 31 points (+121)
Dragons - 28 points (-120)
Broncos - 26 points (+2)
Dolphins - 26 points (-27)
Knights - 26 points (-70)
Raiders - 26 points (-131)
