James Tedesco facts for kids
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Personal information
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| Full name | James Tedesco | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | January 8, 1993 Ryde, New South Wales, Australia |
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| Height | 184 cm (6 ft 0 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 95 kg (14 st 13 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Playing information
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| Position | Fullback | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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As of 29 July 2025
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James Tedesco (born 8 January 1993), often called "Teddy", is a professional rugby league player. He is the captain and plays as a fullback for the Sydney Roosters in the NRL. He has also been the captain for the Australian national team and the New South Wales team. Many people think Tedesco is one of the best fullbacks in rugby league history.
Before joining the Roosters, he played for the Wests Tigers. Tedesco was the fullback for the Roosters when they won the 2018 NRL Grand Final and 2019 NRL Grand Final. He also helped them win the 2019 World Club Challenge and 2020 World Club Challenge. Tedesco first played internationally for the Italian team from 2013 to 2017. He then joined the Australian team in 2018 and captained them to win the 2022 Rugby League World Cup. He played for New South Wales in the State of Origin series from 2016 to 2024. He was their captain from 2020 to 2023. He has also played for the Prime Minister's XIII and New South Wales City.
Contents
About James Tedesco
James Tedesco was born in Ryde, New South Wales, Australia. His father has Italian family roots. James grew up on a large property in Menangle, which even had its own football field. He started playing junior football with the Camden Rams. His father shared that James often just barely made it onto junior teams. But once he was on a team, he usually became one of the best players.
Tedesco went to St Gregory's College, Campbelltown. When he was in Year 7, Chris Lawrence was in Year 12. Lawrence had already started playing for the Wests Tigers, the same team Tedesco would later join.
James Tedesco's Rugby League Journey
Starting His Career
Tedesco began his career playing on the wing for the Western Suburbs Magpies. This was in the Harold Matthews Cup competition. In 2010, he was chosen for the Australian Schoolboys team. He said this helped him believe in his own skills.
In 2011, Tedesco started in the S. G. Ball Cup. He then moved up to the Wests Tigers NYC team. In only his third game, he scored 4 tries, which was a club record. He was named the team's player of the year.
First Steps in the NRL (2012-2014)
Other clubs wanted Tedesco, but the Wests Tigers signed him until 2014. He was named to play fullback in a trial match. However, his coach, Tim Sheens, thought it was too early for him to play fullback in the regular season.
Tedesco played well in pre-season games and started the first game of the 2012 season. But he got a serious knee injury (ACL tear) in the 30th minute. This meant he couldn't play for the rest of the season. His teammate Benji Marshall said it was sad to see him cry because he was such a talented young player.
Tedesco returned to play in 2013. He played on the wing for a few weeks. In April, he was chosen for the NSW City team. He was the least experienced player ever to play in that match. Tedesco played most of the 2013 season at fullback. He scored 8 tries in 19 games. He even played for months with a cracked bone in his leg.
At the end of 2013, Tedesco played for Italy in the 2013 Rugby League World Cup. He played at right centre and scored a try in his first international game.
In 2014, Tedesco first signed with the Canberra Raiders, but then changed his mind and decided to stay with the Tigers. Later that year, he broke his kneecap during a game against the Raiders. This injury ended his season. He scored 6 tries in 8 games that year.
Becoming a Star (2015-2017)
In 2015, Tedesco played in every game. He was one of the best players in the league for breaking tackles and scoring tries. He was named in the NRL website's Team of the Year.
He started the 2016 season by scoring 2 tries in the first game and 3 tries in the second game. He got a shoulder injury in May, which stopped him from playing for the City Origin team. He was also expected to play for New South Wales in the State of Origin, but his injury kept him out of the first two games. He finally made his debut in Game 3. He ran for 258 metres, more than any other player in the game. People said he showed he would be the NSW fullback for many years.
Later in 2016, Tedesco broke his jaw, ending his season. He still scored 14 tries in 17 games for the Tigers. He was named the fullback in the Dally M team of the year.
In 2017, there was a lot of talk about where Tedesco and other Tigers players would go, as their contracts were ending. On 3 May, Tedesco announced he would join the Sydney Roosters in 2018. He played fullback in all 3 State of Origin matches that year. He scored a try in Game 1, but NSW lost the series.
Tedesco finished his last year with the Wests Tigers playing 21 matches and scoring 5 tries. He was voted Player of the Year by other players. He also played for the Prime Minister's XIII team, scoring 3 tries. He then played for Italy in the 2017 Rugby League World Cup. During the World Cup, there was a misunderstanding with a teammate, but Tedesco said it was resolved. He played in all 3 matches for Italy and scored 2 tries.
Roosters Success and National Captaincy (2018-2022)
Tedesco joined the Sydney Roosters in 2018. In his first game against his old club, the Wests Tigers, fans booed him. He scored his first try for the Roosters in Round 2. In May, he played for NSW again and was named Man of the Match. He later won the Brad Fittler Medal as NSW's best player for the 2018 series.
The Roosters won the minor premiership in 2018. On 30 September, Tedesco played fullback as Sydney won the 2018 NRL Grand Final. He also won the Jack Gibson Medal as the Roosters' best player. He then made his debut for the Australian Kangaroos national team.
In 2019, Tedesco played in all 3 State of Origin games for New South Wales. He won the Wally Lewis Medal as the best player in the series. He scored two tries in the final game, including the winning try in the last minute. On 2 October, Tedesco won the 2019 Dally M Medal as the NRL's best player. The Roosters finished second and won their second straight premiership, with Tedesco scoring the winning try in the 2019 NRL Grand Final. He also played for Australia in the Oceania Cup.
In 2020, Tedesco helped the Roosters win the World Club Challenge. He scored several hat-tricks during the season. The Roosters lost in the semi-finals, ending their chance for a third straight premiership. Tedesco won the Jack Gibson Medal for the third year in a row, which was a first for any player. He played for New South Wales in the 2020 State of Origin series and captained them in two games. He signed a new contract to stay with the Roosters until 2024.
In 2021, Tedesco scored a hat-trick in the first game of the season. He also captained the Roosters for the first time. He played in all three State of Origin games. He had many great performances, leading his team to wins. He won the Dally M Captain of the Year award. The Roosters made it to the second week of the finals.
In 2022, Tedesco scored another hat-trick. He played in all three State of Origin games for New South Wales, but they lost the series. He played 24 games for the Roosters, scoring 13 tries. He won the Rugby League Players Association Players' Champion award for the third time. In October, he was named in the Australian squad for the 2021 Rugby League World Cup. Tedesco helped Australia win their 12th World Cup, and he was named Man of the Match in the final.
Recent Seasons (2023-2025)
In 2023, Tedesco was named captain of New South Wales for the 2023 State of Origin series. He played in all three games, but NSW lost the series. He faced some pressure but still played well, helping NSW win the final game. He played 21 matches for the Roosters, who made the finals.
In 2024, Tedesco scored two tries in a big win against South Sydney. He later suffered his 10th career concussion. In May, he was not initially picked for the 2024 State of Origin series, ending a long streak of playing for NSW. However, he was called into the team for Game 1 due to another player's injury. He played 25 matches for the Roosters, scoring 17 tries, and played in all three of their finals games.
In 2025, Tedesco scored two tries for the Sydney Roosters in a win against St. George Illawarra in Round 8.
Awards and Achievements
Individual Awards
- Dally M Medal: 2019 (Best player in the NRL)
- Dally M Fullback of the Year: 2016, 2019, 2022, 2024 (Best fullback in the NRL)
- Dally M Captain of the Year: 2021 (Best captain in the NRL)
- Wally Lewis Medal: 2019 (Best player in the State of Origin series)
- Brad Fittler Medal: 2018, 2019, 2022 (NSW's best player)
Team Achievements
- NRL Premiership (with Roosters): 2018, 2019
- NRL Minor Premiership (with Roosters): 2018
- World Club Challenge (with Roosters): 2019, 2020
- State of Origin Series (with New South Wales): 2018, 2019, 2021, 2024
- Rugby League World Cup (with Australia): 2021
Career Statistics
| Year | Team | Games | Tries | Goals | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 |  Wests Tigers |
1 | |||
| 2013 | 19 | 8 | 32 | ||
| 2014 | 8 | 6 | 24 | ||
| 2015 | 24 | 17 | 68 | ||
| 2016 | 17 | 14 | 56 | ||
| 2017 | 21 | 5 | 20 | ||
| 2018 |  Sydney Roosters |
25 | 9 | 36 | |
| 2019 | 24 | 18 | 72 | ||
| 2020 | 19 | 11 | 44 | ||
| 2021 | 22 | 9 | 5 | 46 | |
| 2022 | 24 | 13 | 52 | ||
| 2023 | 22 | 11 | 44 | ||
| 2024 | 25 | 17 | 68 | ||
| 2025 | 4 | ||||
| Totals | 255 | 138 | 5 | 562 |
Representative Statistics
| Year | Team | Games | Tries | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 |  NSW Blues |
1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2017 | 3 | 1 | 4 | |
| 2018 | 3 | 2 | 8 | |
| 2019 | 3 | 2 | 8 | |
| 2020 | 3 | 2 | 8 | |
| 2021 | 3 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2022 | 3 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2023 | 3 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2024 | 1 | 1 | 4 | |
| Totals | 23 | 8 | 32 |
| Year | Team | Games | Tries | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 |  Italy |
6 | 1 | 4 |
| 2017 | 2 | 8 | ||
| 2018 |  Australia |
13 | 2 | 8 |
| 2019 | 1 | 4 | ||
| 2022 | 5 | 20 | ||
| 2023 | 1 | 4 | ||
| Totals | 19 | 12 | 48 |
Personal Life
James Tedesco studied to become a PE Teacher. He completed his degree in 2016 at the Australian Catholic University in Strathfield.
