Source :- THE AGE NEWS
There will be tremendous pressure on Sydney Roosters’ skipper James Tedesco to play every NRL game for a second straight season because of the limited back-up fullback options at the club.
The Roosters are spoiled for choice in nearly every position, especially when you consider the arrival of representative key positional players Daly Cherry-Evans and Reece Robson.
Who will replace Roosters captain James Tedesco if he gets injured in 2026?Credit: Getty Images
Should Tedesco, 33, go down, which he has not in several seasons – including last year when he easily won the Dally M Medal – the club will be forced to turn to an unlikely trio: Cody Ramsey, who has not featured in the NRL for more than three years, potentially Wallabies-bound Mark Nawaqanitawase, or teen rugby sensation Rex Bassingthwaighte.
Bassingthwaighte will wear the No.1 jersey for the Roosters in Saturday’s trial against the Wests Tigers, and while he is being groomed as Tedesco’s long-term successor, he remains up to 18 months away from being a regular first-grader.
Tedesco was grateful he had avoided injury, but also had faith in Ramsey, the St George Illawarra winger who was struck down by ulcerative colitis, and confined to a hospital bed for seven months.
“Cody has been outstanding, we’ve swapped in and out of training plenty of times, and he’s done an awesome job,” Tedesco said.
Former Dragon Cody Ramsey is one possible replacement for Tedesco this year.Credit: NRL Photos
“To hear his story, and what he’s been through, and to now come back and play footy, it’s pretty special. He’s definitely stood out at training.
“Not only is he fast, but he’s tough, and gets in and has a go.
“He could even be that specialist back we put on the bench where if something does happen.”
Bassingthwaighte will start against the Tigers, with Tedesco and Ramsey to return for next weekend’s main trial against Parramatta.
Cherry-Evans and Robson are also expected to feature in the final hitout against the Eels. Even though he turns 37 next week, Cherry-Evans had led the way at training, and was even putting his hand up for extras, said Tedesco.
Leading the way: Tedesco says recruit Daly Cherry-Evans has been outstanding in the pre-season.Credit: Peter Rae
Hugo Savala is another who will cover several positions for the Roosters, with the playmaker slotting in at lock and centre over the summer.
Meanwhile, in other Saturday trial news, the Tigers will start Heamasi Makasini, an under-18s Australian rugby teammate of Bassingthwaighte, in the centres, even though he is pushing hard for the starting left wing spot for the club’s season opener next month.
Las Vegas-bound Newcastle and Canterbury will give game time to the bulk of their big guns, including Knights recruit Dylan Brown, while Matt Burton and Lachie Galvin will start for the Dogs.
Manly will feature in the first trial on Saturday in Napier, New Zealand, against the Warriors, with youngster Onitoni Large and Joey Walsh the Sea Eagles starting halves.
And Ashton Ward and Jonah Glover get first crack in the halves for South Sydney in the Charity Shield against St George Illawarra.
Dragons’ centre Val Holmes (hamstring) will not feature against Souths, but is tipped to be fit for round one in Vegas against Canterbury.
Lomax set to miss Storm-Eels clash after new development in court case
Zac Lomax’s hopes of debuting for Melbourne against former club Parramatta in round one have been thwarted – unless the feuding parties resolve the impasse outside of court – after his case was delayed until after the start of the season.
Lomax and Parramatta remain locked in a Supreme Court dispute, with the matter now scheduled for a five-day hearing from March 2-6. That means there won’t be an outcome until after the Storm’s season opener against the Eels on March 5 at AAMI Park.
Parramatta commenced legal proceedings to prevent Lomax from joining the Storm, given his release from a four-year contract was contingent on the Blue and Golds providing written consent. The Blues winger was granted a release to join breakaway rebel competition R360, but has been left in limbo after its inaugural season was put back until 2028.
Parramatta are seeking a player of comparable value in exchange for permission to allow Lomax to play at a rival club, with the Storm struggling to come up with a suitable swap.
Storm chair Matt Tripp and Eels counterpart Matthew Beach met in Sydney on Tuesday in a bid to end the stalemate. Despite Melbourne increasing their previous compensation offer of $300,000, the parties couldn’t come to an agreement.
Unless one side backs down, Lomax will be sitting out the start of the 2026 season.
In a bind: Former Eels star Zac Lomax (centre) and Parramatta are heading to court.Credit: Getty Images
Sources with knowledge of the situation speaking on condition of anonymity said an out-of court resolution was highly unlikely given the parties remain so far apart on what constitutes an acceptable outcome.
Jonah Pezet will make his Eels debut against his former club in round one.
Bellamy names Papenhuyzen’s fullback successor
Melbourne coach Craig Bellamy will give homegrown youngster Sua Fa’alogo first crack at the vacant Melbourne No.1 jumper this season.
Bellamy, who last week committed to another two years at the Storm, will field several new faces in his squad this season following the departures of fullback Ryan Papenhuyzen, prop Nelson Asofa-Solomona, half Jonah Pezet and the concussion-related unavailability of second-rower Eliesa Katoa.
Storm young gun Sua Fa’alogo will be Melbourne’s fullback to start the 2026 NRL season. Credit: NRL Photos
Fa’alogo, who has played 22 NRL matches since debuting in 2023, has been identified by the Storm as the one to fill Papenhuyzen’s vacancy ahead of another Melbourne junior, Hugo Peel.
“Sua will get first shot,” Bellamy said on Thursday. “To his credit, he hasn’t been one of our fittest players in the past, but this year he’s come back very fit.
“He realises that to play that position, you need to be really fit and have endurance. We all know he has pace but he’s improved his endurance.”
Bellamy admits he didn’t expect to have two Victorians competing for the key fullback role.
Storm coach Craig Bellamy in December.Credit: Sam Mooy
“Probably not in the past but I think Billy Slater being our most famous fullback and still living here, he does a bit of work for us, so I think his concentration on the fullbacks has really helped Sua and Hugo,” Bellamy said.
Ahead of his 24th season in charge of Storm, Bellamy said he was not ready for retirement after committing until the end of 2028. In previous years he had only made commitments for one season at a time.
“I’ve been thinking about it for a while and I thought I had a bit more time in me,” Bellamy said. “My wife, probably 12 months ago, wasn’t that keen on my going on, but she’s basically given me her support. I’ve committed to those two more years so that will be the plan.”
The 604-game coach led the Storm to last year’s grand final loss to Brisbane. He remains bullish about his side for this season despite some key player exits.
Bellamy admits he is thinking about retirement, even looking forward to it, but he’s not ready to say goodbye to full-time coaching any time soon and is excited about the potential of his young Storm side.
“We are all getting older and looking forward to retirement – maybe not looking forward to it, but we know it is close,” Bellamy said.
“It’s just working out what the right time was, or is. That is the hard part. I’m still enjoying what I’m doing here. It wasn’t an easy decision, but it’s a decision I’m going to embrace.”
Bellamy backed Cameron Smith to be a great aquisition for the Broncos after they signed the Storm, Queensland and Kangaroos legend as an assistant coach for this season.
“We’ve torn his membership up straight away,” Bellamy said with a laugh. “He actually rang me up and explained why he had taken on the job. He doesn’t have ties or contracts or anything [with Storm] so he can do what he likes with his life and he’ll be of great benefit to the Broncos. It was smart of the Broncos to get him there.
“We would have loved to see him here, but he lives in Queensland now and certainly, there are no hard feelings at all.”
