Thursday 20 February 2020 16:27, UK
Ahead of Saturday's World Club Challenge, we take a look at some of the Sydney Roosters players to keep an eye on when they face Super League champions St Helens...
The star man in the NRL in 2019, Tedesco picked up the Dally M Medal after being voted as the competition's player of the year for his role in the Roosters' defence of their title.
The 27-year-old had already won the Wally Lewis Medal for player of the series as New South Wales secured a second-straight triumph in State of Origin and earned two more caps for Australia in the end-of-year Tests.
Tedesco's 15 tries during the 2019 NRL season came on the back of him making 22 line-breaks and 147 tackle busts - statistics which saw him lead the competition in both categories.
That underlines the running threat he will pose to St Helens on Saturday evening, not to mention his ranking in the top 20 of the competition for try assists with 13.
With Cooper Cronk bringing the curtain down on his illustrious playing career at the end of the 2019 season, the Roosters moved to bring in one of the brightest prospects in the competition.
Flanagan makes the switch from Cronulla Sharks, where he made his debut towards the end of the 2018, after being granted an early release with a year still left on his contract.
The son of former St George, Western Suburbs and Parramatta hooker Shane Flanagan, the 21-year-old has some big shoes to fill if he is to be the long-term replacement for Cronk.
But Flanagan, who is part of New South Wales' Emerging Blues squad, has shown plenty of signs of being able to fill that void, while his goal-kicking will prove an asset now Latrell Mitchell has departed too.
A cornerstone of the Roosters pack for the last decade, Waerea-Hargreaves has recently agreed a new contract with the club which will see him through to the end of the 2023 season.
The 30-year-old has chalked up 213 appearances for Sydney since joining from Manly Sea Eagles for the start of the 2010 season, and has been part of their three Grand Final triumphs in that time.
Waerea-Hargreaves will be familiar to British fans from his appearances for New Zealand, two of which came in Test victories over Great Britain during last winter's tour.
His tough-tackling, hard-charging approach to the game makes him an imposing presence in the Roosters' pack, setting up a potentially intriguing battle between with the St Helens front rows.
Cordner enjoyed a stellar year in 2019 for both club and state, captaining the Roosters to another NRL Grand Final triumph and skippering New South Wales as the Blues claimed State of Origin glory.
The 27-year-old has spent his entire professional career with the Sydney club and is an established presence in the Australia national team, having been captain of the Kangaroos since 2018.
He has previously broken English hearts too, scoring the only try in Australia's 6-0 win over England in the 2017 Rugby League World Cup final.
Having secured back-to-back NRL and Origin successes last year, Cordner will be eager to make it a second-straight World Club Challenge triumph.
