Freak try a moment to savour for Tedesco
IT was NSW’s Mark Coyne moment and James Tedesco predicts it’s the start of something special for the Blues.
Tedesco wrote himself into Blues folklore when he crossed the ANZ Stadium tryline with 32 seconds on the clock to seal one of the all-time great State of Origin games and a 26-20 win for Brad Fittler’s side on Wednesday night.
In 1994, Coyne provided one of the most memorable moments in the game’s history when he finished off a 60m try which went through 10 sets of hands to win at the SCG.
Commentator Ray Warren famously intoned “that’s not a try, that’s a miracle”, but debate will now rage as to whether Coyne or Tedesco own Origin’s best moment.
It’s often forgotten that the Maroons went on to lose the 1994 series and those in Tedesco’s corner will point out that his four-pointer decided the series with the last play.
Tedesco was mobbed in the Blues sheds afterwards and while he was happy to be arguably the most popular man in the state, he said more importantly it hinted that NSW were on the verge of achieving something special over the next few years.
“I’ve seen that try 100 times, so if I’m shown scoring 100 times I’ll be happy,” Tedesco said of comparisons to Coyne’s match-winner.
“I’ve seen that one try get shown a lot as a big Queensland memory and for us to go back-to-back, hopefully it can be a great NSW memory.
“I think it’s the start of something special. We’ve got a young squad, everyone in our team is just a freak and it’s awesome to be a part of.”