'Embarrassment is a motivator': Fittler tips Teddy to silence critics

NSW coach Brad Fittler believes captain James Tedesco is set for a career defining performance in Origin II, but warned every Blues player will need to be at their best on Wednesday night at Suncorp Stadium to keep the series alive.

The Blues head into the match needing to create history by bouncing back from a series opening defeat in Adelaide to beat Queensland in Brisbane and then win the decider, with critics certain to call for heads to roll if they fail.

Tedesco scored the match winning try in the 2019 decider and captained NSW to a series win in 2021 but victory at Suncorp Stadium on Wednesday night would rank among his greatest achievements in a Blues jersey.

The Kangaroos captain has been a target of criticism this season and the scrutiny intensified after prop Lindsay Collins outleapt him for Queensland’s final try in the 26-18 loss at Adelaide, but Fittler declared he was ready to silence the knockers.

“He's going to go through this, he's at that time of his career where it's the back end,” Fittler said.

“He's in his thirties but it can also be the best part of your career too, and he looks after himself so well.

“I didn't think he had that bad of a game really. There was a couple of moments obviously he would like to have again but all in all he tries, and he never stops trying.

“I think the moment at the end of the game was most probably embarrassing for him and embarrassment is a pretty good motivator.”

Tedesco said the match in Adelaide still “burned” and had been “weighing heavily” on his mind but his only focus since the NSW team came into camp last Tuesday was ensuring no stone was left unturned in their preparation.

“All I can do is play good footy. If you don't play well, you cop some criticism so it's on me to really get clear on my job tomorrow night and lead the team as a captain,” Tedesco said.

“That started all last week in my preparation for the game, physically and mentally making sure I'm ready to play my best game, and I feel like I've done that.

It’s going to need an 80-minute performance from us and we're going to need to win those moments at the end.”

The selection of Mitchell Moses at halfback and Damien Cook at hooker will benefit Tedesco as he has played a lot of football with the former during their time together at Wests Tigers and the latter in NSW and Australian teams.

Cook and Moses both possess speed and Tedesco is renowned for his support play around the ruck so he can be expected to take advantage of any breaks they make.

“If we can threaten them through the middle, that'd be nice,” Fittler said. “You don't make too many breaks in this game so if we can capitalise on them, that'll be good.

“The times we moved the ball [in Origin I], we didn't look that good. I was pretty disappointed, and whether it was the conditions, or we were a bit tight, or whatever it was, we need them to be on tomorrow.

“It's a huge challenge but I think they’re walking towards it. They're fit, they're fresh and that's something that had to be paramount, I think, to come up here and do it.

“Without a doubt, they're going to need their greatest game. You are not going to fluke it.”

After leading 18-16 when Queensland prop Tom Flegler was sent to the sinbin in the 68th minute, Tedesco said the way NSW lost hurt the most but also fuelled their determination to win Origin II.

“We are probably just a bit more hungry, more intense," he said. "You can probably go into the last game thinking, 'we've done everything', but now if you think you've done everything, do a bit more.

"Whether that's physical or mental or, everything in and in and around training, you just have to tick every box, and more, because there's no second chances.

“We can't just cross our fingers and hope we win, we have to go out and go after it for 80 minutes. We can’t think we've won it in the last 10 minutes. We have to compete for each other until the final whistle."