Tamou leaves Tigers call in safe hands

[cochise]

I have been pretty vocal here with my concerns and reticence about buying Tamou. Now it seems the signing is imminent and if at the $$$ reported, I am coming around. Big human, good human (based on first hand knowledge by people I know and trust).

Happy to have him aboard and prepared to be open minded.

Everything I hear about him is that he is strong person and the exact leader we need.

 

[cochise]

Don't know why we would want a guy who averages 20 games a season won a Premiership with Origin experience doesn't get dominated in tackles and can dominate in tackling, a leader not a follower and rates a 10 out of 5 in wrongness of head..

In his prime yes, but he’ll be 32 when he gets here, doesn’t really want to be here, only leaving Penrith because he has to. Here for all the wrong reasons. He’ll probably put in for the first half dozen performances and then he’ll be on cruise control looking out for his body come retirement.

His performance this year has been the strongest in his past 5 years, it is the clubs job to sell him on why he should come here. If he comes here with the attitude of not wanting to be here, that is our fault not his.

 

[Russell]

Terrible signing but par for the course. Ivan Cleary is no fool and is probably having a chuckle.

I think you are terribly wrong - time will prove the Club and Madge correct. Standby.

 

[Cheshire]

I'll be very happy to be proven wrong if he turns out to be a success but I won't hold my breath.

 

[hobbo1]

Just don't get the hate for Tamou ..not as if we are going to pay Tamaulolo or Haas $$$$'s for him

He’s a plodder at the end of his lifecycle

At the cows he had Scott and Taumalolo making him look good

At the Pamfers he’s got Fisher- Harris , Yeo and Kikau making him look good

We need Boppers in there prime ... not adding to there super funds !

If he was any good Ivan would’ve kept him ...period !

 

[Furious1]

Don't know why we would want a guy who averages 20 games a season won a Premiership with Origin experience doesn't get dominated in tackles and can dominate in tackling, a leader not a follower and rates a 10 out of 5 in wrongness of head..

In his prime yes, but he’ll be 32 when he gets here, doesn’t really want to be here, only leaving Penrith because he has to. Here for all the wrong reasons. He’ll probably put in for the first half dozen performances and then he’ll be on cruise control looking out for his body come retirement.

32 for a frontrower is still prime. Tamou is a professional, make no mistake and he isn't breaking the bank to come here. We will get at minimum our moneys worth and i think personally a whole lot more.

 

[weststigerman]

The key thing about Tamou and his age is up until now he's been relatively injury free, and consistently played more than 20 games each year. If he had an injury history his age would be a lot more concerning.

 

[cochise]

Just don't get the hate for Tamou ..not as if we are going to pay Tamaulolo or Haas $$$$'s for him

He’s a plodder at the end of his lifecycle

At the cows he had Scott and Taumalolo making him look good

At the Pamfers he’s got Fisher- Harris , Yeo and Kikau making him look good

We need Boppers in there prime ... not adding to there super funds !

If he was any good Ivan would’ve kept him ...period !

This is not another Packer, if he comes it will be on a very team friendly contract.

 

[Tigerbuck63]

In the meantime.
Dug up an old article from 2015 of all times.

WHEN the mother of James Tamou’s children recently flew to Canberra without a return ticket, the Kangaroos prop knew it was time to have a conversation with his Cowboys coach.

“The last time was a bit scary because she only bought a one-way ticket to Canberra and I thought jeez, I hope she comes back,” Tamou said.

Tamou has spoken publicly about his potential move to the Canberra Raiders for the first time, explaining to League Central the sensitive family issues that made him informally ask the Cowboys if a release was possible.

His manager Sam Ayoub has had informal negotiations with the Raiders to see if the rep star can join them next season.

Tamou hates the thought of being considered a back flipper and labelled as a typical Gen Y product who doesn’t know the meaning of a handshake.

A 195cm, 114kg behemoth, Tamou has such a gentle demeanour that when he told Cowboys coach Paul Green about his family’s struggles in Townsville there were no requests or demands just suggestions he may need to leave.

When rumours first circulated in March that Tamou wanted out, he ­denied them emphatically.

The response from Cowboys fans at the time was apathy.

Until this month, Tamou’s form had been inconsistent and some questioned if he would ever return to his tackle-shredding best which propelled him to a maiden Blues jersey in 2012.

That year, Tamou busted 86 tackles in 24 games and averaged 159 metres.

Last season, Tamou managed just 25 tackle busts from 21 games.

He had a poor opening three games this season, including two bad missed tackles that led to tries in the Cowboys loss to the Broncos.

As his form waned few people knew his future in the game was in question late last year following spinal surgery that shaved bone off his vertebrae to help a nerve problem.

It also shed eight kilograms of muscle from his body as he struggled to even lift a weight bar. Since that loss to Brisbane, the Cowboys have won five games in a row and Tamou was man of the match in their victory over Newcastle last weekend.

He will start for the Kangaroos in Friday night’s Anzac Test at Suncorp Stadium with his partner Brittney McGlone due to give birth to their second child any day.

Off contract at the end of 2016, Tamou is unsure which jersey he will wear next year.

The Cowboys are sympathetic to Tamou’s family issues but they have built their 2016 roster with Tamou’s salary, around $500,000 per year, included. If the Cowboys tell Tamou they can’t release him he is prepared to do what it takes to make the ­situation work.

“I would love to stay in Townsville and I think when I retire I will live in Townsville,” he said.

“Everything with this is for family reasons mate.

“It is unfortunate the whole situation. My partner is from Canberra and her family is there.

“Having two kids is very hard and she is missing home.

“She has been home three times this year already.

“Being a mum can be a bit ­frightening. She wants that support around her.

“I have just taken a back seat with it all at the moment and tried to­ ­concentrate on footy.”

As fans and media questioned his future as an NRL player, few knew just how shattered his body was­ ­following spinal surgery.

He couldn’t lift weights and even now his body is far removed from the hulking frame it was pre-operation.

Not only could his body not handle the weight, the idea of putting a metal bar across his neck to do squats was frightening.

“Getting the bar across the back of my neck still hurts.

“Everything in the weight room made me nervous; especially putting the bar on the back of my neck … it was actually scary “My bench still isn’t great. I am doing 140 max and that’s not great compared to the guys in the team. “In pre-season all I was doing was rubber band tubing. I was doing no weights.

“I had to start from the bare minimum I had to start all over again. Everything was rubber bands.

“That’s what broke me down … my Cowboys teammates had finished a pre-season and were fit and strong and here I was coming back from ­surgery the opposite.”

On Friday night, the Kangaroos need Tamou at his best.

The Kiwis have won back to back Tests. Australia are still without key backline stars in the Morris brothers and Jarryd Hayne.

Tamou said he was treating this Test as if it would be his last.

“This could be my last game for Australia. You never know when your last game could be,”

“Just to be here is unreal.”

I met JTamou at Quakers Hill years and years ago - my son was playing for QH and JTamou was there visiting watching his nephew play. I got to talk to him and I think his mum was there too. Very nice people and asked him if my son can take a photo with him, he obliged and didn't even think twice, likes to talk to a lot of people.

While a few weeks later after that Gallen was visiting QH, geez you'd think he was VIP - so aloof and didn't hang around, he had body guards too I think... I just LOLed.

Nice story mate, not surprised of the Gallen comparison

well Gallen was so up himself... my boys were excited to see him but after they saw how he acted they were like "wow he is acting like he's precious" so they started running plays again and didn't even bother coming around to see him... most that are interested were the ladies lol

Are you sure they were ladies he is not the most good looking rooster i mean shark.

Well you only know what someone is like when you meet them in person, never really liked Gallen and less so now retired has an opinion on everything and can't stand he when he states what the Tigers should be doing.

 

[Nelson]

Just don't get the hate for Tamou ..not as if we are going to pay Tamaulolo or Haas $$$$'s for him

He’s a plodder at the end of his lifecycle

At the cows he had Scott and Taumalolo making him look good

At the Pamfers he’s got Fisher- Harris , Yeo and Kikau making him look good

We need Boppers in there prime ... not adding to there super funds !

If he was any good Ivan would’ve kept him ...period !

Because Ivan is such a good judge of recruitment and would never make a dud call on a front rower...

 

[Tigerbuck63]

Just don't get the hate for Tamou ..not as if we are going to pay Tamaulolo or Haas $$$$'s for him

He’s a plodder at the end of his lifecycle

At the cows he had Scott and Taumalolo making him look good

At the Pamfers he’s got Fisher- Harris , Yeo and Kikau making him look good

We need Boppers in there prime ... not adding to there super funds !

If he was any good Ivan would’ve kept him ...period !

Is there anyone that is not a plodder in your eyes?
Please don't mention cleary's retention policy and a judgement on players considering what he did with the Tigers roster.

 

[JC99]

Just don't get the hate for Tamou ..not as if we are going to pay Tamaulolo or Haas $$$$'s for him

He’s a plodder at the end of his lifecycle

At the cows he had Scott and Taumalolo making him look good

At the Pamfers he’s got Fisher- Harris , Yeo and Kikau making him look good

We need Boppers in there prime ... not adding to there super funds !

If he was any good Ivan would’ve kept him ...period !

Ivan offered him a one year deal according to reports. He knocked Penrith back he wanted two years.

 

[JC99]

We’d be silly to think he’ll put up the same numbers as he is with Penrith now but he’ll still be a solid option and best of all he won’t be expensive. Cheap enough that if we have bette props in 2022 he can play reserves.

 

[hobbo1]

Just don't get the hate for Tamou ..not as if we are going to pay Tamaulolo or Haas $$$$'s for him

He’s a plodder at the end of his lifecycle

At the cows he had Scott and Taumalolo making him look good

At the Pamfers he’s got Fisher- Harris , Yeo and Kikau making him look good

We need Boppers in there prime ... not adding to there super funds !

If he was any good Ivan would’ve kept him ...period !

Ivan offered him a one year deal according to reports. He knocked Penrith back he wanted two years.

Of course he did ..he wants to add to his retirement fund ...
Bumps into Madge ..retirement fund problem solved !

 

[Tigerbuck63]

I have been pretty vocal here with my concerns and reticence about buying Tamou. Now it seems the signing is imminent and if at the $$$ reported, I am coming around. Big human, good human (based on first hand knowledge by people I know and trust).

Happy to have him aboard and prepared to be open minded.

Agree completely current Captain of the No 1 Team in 2020 so has leadership credential.
Only on a 2 year deal which lines up with Madge's possible 1 year extension and not on huge $.
We have a young forward pack we instill some knowledge.
Tackle efficiency 2020 - 95.6%

Good Signing better than what we have had prior with Packer less $ and smaller contract term.

Rather support anyone new coming to the club than knocking them prior and seeing what they value add, if not well make your comments known then you plodders.

 

[JC99]

Just don't get the hate for Tamou ..not as if we are going to pay Tamaulolo or Haas $$$$'s for him

He’s a plodder at the end of his lifecycle

At the cows he had Scott and Taumalolo making him look good

At the Pamfers he’s got Fisher- Harris , Yeo and Kikau making him look good

We need Boppers in there prime ... not adding to there super funds !

If he was any good Ivan would’ve kept him ...period !

Ivan offered him a one year deal according to reports. He knocked Penrith back he wanted two years.

Of course he did ..he wants to add to his retirement fund ...
Bumps into Madge ..retirement fund problem solved !

He’s not on that much. He’ll be solid on the field and a very good leader, if he doesn’t perform he can be dropped into reserves without it being a major issue.

 

[cochise]

Just don't get the hate for Tamou ..not as if we are going to pay Tamaulolo or Haas $$$$'s for him

He’s a plodder at the end of his lifecycle

At the cows he had Scott and Taumalolo making him look good

At the Pamfers he’s got Fisher- Harris , Yeo and Kikau making him look good

We need Boppers in there prime ... not adding to there super funds !

If he was any good Ivan would’ve kept him ...period !

Ivan offered him a one year deal according to reports. He knocked Penrith back he wanted two years.

Of course he did ..he wants to add to his retirement fund ...
Bumps into Madge ..retirement fund problem solved !

That is ok as long as we aren't overpaying him and we aren't.

 

[TrueTiger]

Im looking at this from a different perspective,firstly Tamou is a quality purchase who will benefit this team immensely through leadership and experience...
Secondly his price is very reasonable for what he offers...
Now here comes the crunch,I have no problem with the club trying to move on Russ Packer,however I know Ivan overpaid and gave him a long contract,but in having said that he was very good for us before his injuries and rehab took up more time than playing...Packerlino looked very impressive for us AT THE START....
We all know how derogatory people have been to Russ since his comeback and if he does stay next year I hope he has a great year for us...

My question to all is..If Tamou plays fantastic for us at the start and gets a severe injury,will everybody start criticising him as well ..I feel Russ offers a lot to the young players on the training paddock and he still can be useful to us as Madge has spoken highly of him many times...
Im hoping Tamou and Packer can at least form a hard firm platform for our younger guys to learn from and they become strong hard NRL standard players for years to come...

 

[jadtiger]

I have been pretty vocal here with my concerns and reticence about buying Tamou. Now it seems the signing is imminent and if at the $$$ reported, I am coming around. Big human, good human (based on first hand knowledge by people I know and trust).

Happy to have him aboard and prepared to be open minded.

I've come around too. Initially I thought we'd be signing him for several years on big money, but 2 years at $350k/year is a good deal for us.

Completely agree with this 350k for 2 years is fine

 

[Aceshigh]

Sounds like Hobbo would boo santa claus to me , there is always doubters , infact i think there were a few concerned about Harry Grant before he pulled on our jumper