TheDaBoss
Well-known member
Found this on reddit- https://www.reddit.com/r/nrl/comments/p1facf/a_stats_dive_into_the_fall_of_james_tamou/
In late 2020, the Tigers signed prop James Tamou, who had just captained the Panthers to a minor premiership and a grand final. Wests saw him as a powerful forward to set an example for the young pack at the club.
Here are the 2020-1* splits for Tamou:
 this is by round 21 2021
It’s clear that his power in attack (half as many metres and tackle breaks) and efficiency in defence (over triple the amount of missed tackles) have dropped significantly this year, while playing around 3 minutes less per game.
But it also shows that Tamou did have an impressive 2020 season. Barely any missed tackles would have been a major drawing card for a Tigers side consistently shown up in defence. His yardage was great for an interchange forward, with his metres-per-minute being the best for any prop in 2020. It wasn't a terrible signing at all, and most of the media and this sub was very happy with it. Something in Tamou's game has shifted dramatically this season.
Let’s look at his stats in comparison to other middle forwards for 2021:
From an attacking standpoint, Tamou has been quieter this season than Dylan Napa and Aaron Woods. Yep. To be fair, he hasn't missed nearly as many tackles as them. But he still has almost double the missed tackles as his teammate Alex Twal.
Madge wants to create a professional environment with representative, premiership-winning players. Tamou has been all these things in the past. But it seems that he is just that - a “culture signing” - who has brought nothing on-field during the Tigers’ 2021 campaign. Is it a fitness issue? Is Madge playing him wrong? Was he just playing for a contract last year? Or is the club just cursed to ruin good players?
In late 2020, the Tigers signed prop James Tamou, who had just captained the Panthers to a minor premiership and a grand final. Wests saw him as a powerful forward to set an example for the young pack at the club.
Here are the 2020-1* splits for Tamou:
 this is by round 21 2021
It’s clear that his power in attack (half as many metres and tackle breaks) and efficiency in defence (over triple the amount of missed tackles) have dropped significantly this year, while playing around 3 minutes less per game.
But it also shows that Tamou did have an impressive 2020 season. Barely any missed tackles would have been a major drawing card for a Tigers side consistently shown up in defence. His yardage was great for an interchange forward, with his metres-per-minute being the best for any prop in 2020. It wasn't a terrible signing at all, and most of the media and this sub was very happy with it. Something in Tamou's game has shifted dramatically this season.
Let’s look at his stats in comparison to other middle forwards for 2021:
From an attacking standpoint, Tamou has been quieter this season than Dylan Napa and Aaron Woods. Yep. To be fair, he hasn't missed nearly as many tackles as them. But he still has almost double the missed tackles as his teammate Alex Twal.
Madge wants to create a professional environment with representative, premiership-winning players. Tamou has been all these things in the past. But it seems that he is just that - a “culture signing” - who has brought nothing on-field during the Tigers’ 2021 campaign. Is it a fitness issue? Is Madge playing him wrong? Was he just playing for a contract last year? Or is the club just cursed to ruin good players?
