James Tedesco's message to Reece Walsh and Dylan Edwards amid Kangaroos fullback debate
The Kangaroos incumbent isn't going down without a fight.
Incumbent Kangaroos fullback James Tedesco wants to prove he is still the right man to wear the No.1 jersey for Australia as debate continues over whether Dylan Edwards or Reece Walsh should replace him. Kangaroos coach Mal Meninga recently admitted he is weighing-up whether Australia will have a new captain and fullback for the international clashes against Tonga and New Zealand at the end of the year.
Tedesco's form has been brilliant in 2024 for the Roosters, despite a dip last year in the representative arena. Tedesco played State of Origin Game 1, but his display wasn't strong enough to retain his Blues jersey in Game 2 with Edwards stepping in and producing two outstanding performances.
Edwards took his game to another level and helped the Blues win Game 2 and 3 in a historic series victory. Along with winning three-straight premierships with the Panthers, Edwards appears a popular choice to replace the 31-year-old fullback for Australia.
Walsh is also a possibility for the role of Kangaroos fullback with the Maroons No.1 arguably the most exciting young talent in the game. Tedesco may appear behind the duo in the pecking order in 2024, but the fullback is also in the running for the Dally M medal after a stellar season for the Roosters.
And Tedesco admitted he wouldn't hesitate to once again lead the Kangaroos as captain. And Tedesco is hoping he can show Meninga during the NRL finals series he is still the premier fullback in the competition.
"Yeah definitely," Tedesco told Nine News. "I've been really happy with how I've been playing this year and again, it's up to Mal what he decides there.
"I'll never say no to representing Australia, it's the highest honour in the game and it's been a big privilege for me to captain the past two years. We'll see what happens, but if I can put my best foot forward in this finals series, hopefully I'll get another call."
Dylan Edwards and Reece Walsh fighting injury concerns
While Tedesco may be behind both Edwards and Walsh when it comes to representative honours in 2024, the duo are facing injury concerns heading into the off season. Edwards has missed a number of games for the Panthers since State of Origin Game 3 due to a knee injury. The Panthers fullback is expected to play the NRL finals, but there is doubt on whether the fullback will line-up for the Kangaroos after a long season.
Walsh is also a major doubt for any representative footy with his season already over. The Broncos were left humiliated having missed out on NRL finals footy having finished 12th. And Walsh missed the final three games for the club having fractured his hand.
Meninga has hinted there could be a number of fresh faces in the Kangaroos squad as he looks to refresh the team after a humiliating loss to New Zealand in the Pacific Championship final last year. And Walsh could be at the forefront of that rebuild. However, it appears unlikely the 21-year-old superstar will play footy now his NRL season is over. This means Tedesco could be selected for the Kangaroos position, regardless of the form of his rivals.
Tom Trbojevic is another option at fullback for Meninga with the Manly No.1 lighting up the competition in recent weeks. However, Trbojevic injured his shoulder and missed round 27 for Manly in their loss to the Sharks. Trbojevic could also opt to rest post-season to get him right for 2025. Meninga has also thrown Trbojevic's name around for a centre position.
RELATED:
NRL boss makes call on sanctioning Wayne Bennett over comments
Problem with Reece Walsh's $6m contract as Broncos insider speaks out
Meninga recently said on Fox Sports that he is weighing-up a number of positions in the team heading into a busy international schedule. “You look at the Australian team… we’re full of leaders in the club situation," he said.
"We’ve got leaders from every club playing for our country and a lot of leaders play for other countries. There’s a huge amount to pick from and if Teddy’s not in the team we’ve got to pick a new captain and I think (if we pick) the new captain we’ve got to look to the future. We’ve got the World Cup here in 2026, we’ve got the English coming down next year.”
