Has a fine, well established beard does Tamou. Reminds me of me with smaller arms.
That has got as much to do with the relative financial positions of the NRL and SL over the last 15 or so years as anything else. More recent players of Fairleigh and Britt’s standing would likely have been just as successful over here at the end of their careers, but they just weren’t coming over as it wasn’t financially worthwhile. That seems to have been changing slightly over the last couple of years thanks to the marquee rule.
I think you also have to accept that with any signing, overseas or domestic, there’s an element of risk. Sometimes you sign a good player and it just doesn’t work out. I don’t think that’s a reason to stop signing good players, though, and Tamou is definitely one of those.
The other thing to consider is what the alternatives are. I don’t see anyone knocking about in SL who is going to be anything like a suitable replacement.
Tamou isn't the player he was at North Queensland. I still think props are at their best in there early 30's but there are exceptions where the NRL has broken down their bodies.
I would put money on Tamou being an Anthony Lafranchi quality signing. Pretty solid but likely to fade near the end. As long as we don't break the bank on him it should be a reasonable signing.
The plan surely needs to be we need an experienced quality prop like Tamou and a good young prop to fill the void when he starts to fade out. Laffranchi and Thompson worked out pretty well, with Thompson taking over in 2014.
I could agree with you but then we would both be wrong.
Disagree. Laffranchi was dreadfully average and took up a wedge of cap space. I do agree it’s highly likely Tamou isn’t the player people recall. Unfortunately the commercial strength of the UK game is in the toilet so every NRL signing is a risk these days; Saints come up with rocks or diamonds in recent years.
What I remember of both Laffranchi and Flannery was that they were solid 7/10 players that never really had bad games...they just never had outstanding memorable games either. I suppose it's what do we need for the team and what are our expectations are too. Also taking into account how much £££ of the cap we invest in them too.
It does look as though he is consistent on making metres which is ideal to replace Thompson's go forward. At the height of Tamou's career apparently he was known as a bit of an enforcer, being quite mobile he did long minutes and maybe that was one of the reasons he was made Captain.
Penrith have had a bit of a clear out for 2020 and have offloaded 3 other older experienced players, according to reports Cleary wants a much younger team for the clubs future.
For Tamou he has had a nerve injury in his neck similar to Walmsley so I would hope our club would check that out, in saying that he has more or less played 24 games per season for the last 10 years.
Around that time we lost our way on the field. The new stadium was all consuming and we ended up with a journeyman type team. I believe it was to our detrement getting to those grand finals at that time. It was a bang average few years and we forgot how to win cups.
He's an out and out prop who constantly performs. We are not putting a lightweight former 2nd rower there so comparisons to Lafranchi are off the mark
Worth a read for anyone wanting to know more about our potential new signing.
https://www.sportingnews.com/au/leag...n1m7n28bgzu3q6
Forwards win games. The backs decide by how much.
Why do we need him? What about Jammer or Watts forget this guy on a pension top up with no loyalty. We need to have a clear out and sign some decent players we are stale. Amor, ashworth, taia list goes on they are done and Louie.
So you state that Amor, Ashworth and Louie are done but question why we need Tamou.
You want us to sign some “decent” players but don’t like the idea of a NRL regular who has represented Australia and NSW numerous times.
You accuse Tamou of being on a pension top up but want us to sign James Graham who is 2 years older?
You claim we are “stale,” just 6 months after cruising to the title?
Nice to see this lockdown hasn’t changed you Col. You’re still spouting absolute nonsense.
NEVER WRITE OFF THE SAINTS
No the facts..... we signed nobody so the players have no competition. Add Grace to that too. It's a pension top up just like Inglis at wire. Graham would give 100% and increase revenue. Facts.
Not taking the bait Giraffe. Yes it's been nice the lockdown good weather, plenty BBQ and the NRL on next week
Got to respectfully disagree there Col. As much as I love Jammer, I really do think he is a long way past his best.
Tamou for me is coming towards the back end of his career but he is a few years younger & still churning up the metres. I think we would get 2 good seasons out of him & I think it would be a good move.
If it didn't work out if we signed him, then I'll hold my hands up. We need a quality replacement for Thompson, a big prop with a big engine. I'd much rather get a late 20s English prop or one of the 2 young lads at Wigan, or Liam Watts. None of that will happen so I think Tamou is a good, viable option for Saints at this stage
Big off season for us this and probably the worst possible time to do it. I'm sure the Coronavirus issue will make it even harder to get signings from the NRL and the ongoing rumblings of a cap reduction could complicate things even more. It just shows how not signing anyone last season was just a mistake. It left the squad stale as has been mentioned and it's left a big rebuilding job to do, which has then been made worse by Thompson's decision to leave.
We're going to have to replace Taia, Amor, Louie, Thompson and Peyroux unless any of them sign new deals aren't we? That's a big list, plus Roby is either going to retire this season or next depending on how he's feeling. Could be left having to change every forward in our squad bar big Al and Matty Lees in one off season. I'm sure some of those mentioned will/have signed new deals but that's a big ask they've left themselves with whether it's this season or next.
If the cap reduction is voted in, the likes of Warrington will have committed to the £2.1m plus marquee on top, so we really need to get going if there's a chance of that getting voted in. I suspect Eammon is one of the more prudent owners, so is perhaps putting feelers out at this stage whilst we wait for confirmation of where the sport is financially and how much revenue and cash has been lost. Warrington are also rumoured to be signing a second rower to replace BMM, so it doesn't seem like they are waiting around to be tied down to £1.8m. The old Wigan way of guaranteeing themselves an exemption for existing contracts.
I would re sign Dom and Louie on peanuts that's it