Last year, influential figures at the Roosters began to worry about their champion captain. Not his form, age or whether the end was nigh, but that he might finish his career with only two premierships — a tally they felt was insufficient for a player who had done everything in rugby league.
Tedesco arrived from Wests Tigers and, alongside Cooper Cronk who came from Melbourne, helped the Roosters to back-to-back premierships in 2018 and 2019. Since then, Tedesco has captained the club for nearly a decade, won the Dally M Medal twice, led NSW to an Origin series win and Australia to a World Cup victory. He has been one of the few constants as millions of dollars' worth of talent and experience have retired or switched clubs or codes.
But with time no longer on their side, the club's powerbrokers felt they needed to act to give Tedesco at least one more shot at glory. Enter Cherry-Evans, who was suddenly available after he could not strike a fresh deal with Manly. Not only does the Queensland and Kangaroos halfback bring big-game experience and the ability to help develop Roosters No.7 Sam Walker, but he was also viewed as the man who could make life easier for Tedesco. Having rising star Walker and a calm head like Cherry-Evans pulling the strings would allow Tedesco to take more of a back seat and play his natural game.