Teddy to center

[Kiwi Rooster]

Is it time? It's hard to come to terms with but going forward is it time we move Teddy into the centers? He's slowing up and his ball playing isn't what it used to be. Manu running riot last weekend and Teddy's form this year has me coming to the conclusion it's time for a change. Going forward I would like this backline for this year...

1. Manu
2. Tupou
3. Billy Smith
4. Tedesco (c)
5. Pauga
6. Keary
7. S. Smith (Walker when fit)

Next year...

1. Manu
2. Tupou
3. Billy Smith
4. Tedesco (c)
5. Young
6. Keary
7. Walker

[JAF]

No, no, no!

[eddie]

The idea has some merit......................but for the time being we'd have to consider Teddy our best fullback.

[Headless Chook]

Teddy looks tired to me. He will be back to his best next season after he gets a nice break which he should get becasue I think we will struggle to get into the 8

[Bates]

I'm staying out of this one.

[Carlos Parra]

Hard to disagree.

[roosterchook]

I do feel that Robbo should give Teddy a couple of weeks off as we have an in form fb in Manu so it wouldn’t be a problem and Teddy would get a much needed rest without impacting the team.

[OMR]

I’d still have Sualli on the wing this year. Teddy and Manu can both roam and swap as FB and centre in attack , Teddy to stay arthur back organising defense .

[Rooster_6]

No, Teddy is only 30. I'd be more willing to write this off as a down year for him rather than a genuine deterioration.

And even if his ball playing isn't what it used to be (which I don't necessarily think is true) it's still a a lot better than where Manu's ball playing is at the moment. A lot of the time Manu's run metres are insane because he just doesn't pass... that's not necessarily a good thing.

[Bates]

Is it time? It's hard to come to terms with but going forward is it time we move Teddy into the centers? He's slowing up and his ball playing isn't what it used to be. Manu running riot last weekend and Teddy's form this year has me coming to the conclusion it's time for a change. Going forward I would like this backline for this year...

1. Manu
2. Tupou
3. Billy Smith
4. Tedesco (c)
5. Pauga
6. Keary
7. S. Smith (Walker when fit)

Next year...

1. Manu
2. Tupou
3. Billy Smith
4. Tedesco (c)
5. Young
6. Keary
7. Walker

Would you offload him and spend that $1.1 mill a year elsewhere or would you be happy paying a centre serious overs? Manu is reported to be on $720k a year which is about right for a quality strike centre.

[NorfolkStreetKid]

I reckon Teddy is not 100%.
When's the last time he had a spell through injury?
He got smashed a couple of times last night..... just bounces back up.
Maybe his heart is too big for his body.
I have long thought he would be good at 5/8, ala Lockyer, Ponga, Munster.
He's quick of the mark, canplay eyes up, and a footy player.
He certainly would be better at centre than Suaalii has been.

[Bates]

Does Teddy have chronic fatigue or burnout? His cover defence in last nights game was not up to it's usual standard. He was often too late to defuse any threat. His timing and effectiveness when running a sweep play is no longer a threat to the opposition. This was his trade mark play!

Dunno what's going on with Teddy.

[fletch]

Not enough is said about the second bout of stem cell therapy Teddy had to have late last year on that degenerative knee condition which basically wiped out his entire offseason he didn't even commence running and conditioning for the 2023 season until February.

We won't know till next year when hopefully Teddy has had a long rest and proper preseason but there is also the very real possibility that knee has robbed him of his ability to bounce off and explode through contact, without that explosive power to break through tackles Teddy is just no longer the same player and he certainly isn't worth the $1 million plus salary.

[Sydney Sports Ground]

Manu got showed up vs Bradman Best last week,think East's fans forget that...that could've been the game,Teddy saved 2 try's last night?

[Cockadoodledoo]

Teddy looks tired to me. He will be back to his best next season after he gets a nice break which he should get becasue I think we will struggle to get into the 8

Unfortunately I think it's wishful thinking. Teddy has lost the acceleration he use to have and this has reduced his ability to bust through those small gaps that he use to break through. To think that in another year's time he would get it back is extremely unlikely. He has to evolve to deal with the effects of ageing, otherwise his performances will continue to decline. Personally I think he should retire from rep footy at the end of the season and focus completely on the Roosters. I felt sorry for him this series but it is clear that he is just standing in the way of someone younger, ie; Dylan Edwards.