Sydney Roosters playmaker Luke Keary says skipper James Tedesco’s scintillating recent display is a positive sign of what to expect in his looming showdown with Brisbane fullback Reece Walsh.
The battle of the two electric fullbacks is eagerly anticipated ahead of Thursday night's NRL clash at the Gabba.
Tedesco turned on a masterclass in the 36-18 win over Gold Coast on Saturday when he scored a runaway try, set up two others and saved tries with his desperation.
"He was fresh ... and bounced around and played his game. He seemed pretty free to run around and do what he wanted," Keary said.
"That is what we want out of him at the back end of the season. Hopefully he can keep producing that for us."
Tedesco has copped criticism for his club and State of Origin form this year and also been the brunt of what coach Trent Robinson said was "very disappointing" commentary for taking a break in Byron Bay and not attending the round-20 loss to Melbourne. That break had been suggested by Robinson himself.
Keary said the skipper had handled difficult days with class.
The Roosters, on 22 competition points and two points outside the top eight, have been underwhelming for most of the year and Tedesco has not reached the heights that have placed him in the top handful of players in the world for the past five seasons.
"There is a fair bit of scrutiny in Sydney and Teddy has had a long and consistent career," Keary said.
"He hasn’t really gone through any of those dips in form. He has copped a little bit this year but you wouldn’t know.
"He comes in every day the same. Whether he is going good or bad he stills works the same, still talks to us the same and leads the same. He has just been the same old Teddy and I think he has been really good for us for most of the year to be honest."
Keary conceded the Roosters had "a big job on our hands" to nullify the influence of Walsh who is enjoying a stellar season with the second-placed Broncos.
"With those really good fullbacks, sometimes you can’t really stop them. You’ve just got to try and limit them and we’ll be doing the best we can with Reece," he said.
Keary was speaking to media in Ipswich, the city of his birth and where he lived as a youth and said it was "good to be back".
The Ipswich Jets have a partnership with the Roosters, who launched their new Deadly Choices jersey which has an image of club legend Arthur Beetson on it with the artwork designed by Beetson’s niece Bianca.
Deadly Choices is an initiative of the Institute for Urban Indigenous Health’s (IUIH) and promotes healthy lifestyle choices in Indigenous communities.
"It is a great initiative and Artie is a big part of our club. We feel privileged to be here today," Keary said.
