Tamou says WTs need to look into mirror

Wests Tigers skipper James Tamou has revealed his players have done a lot of brutal and honest soul searching in the wake of their chaotic and disappointing end to last season.

The Tigers finished 13th in 2021 extending their NRL record finals drought to 10 straight seasons as conjecture swirled around coach Michael Maguire and star player Luke Brooks’ futures.

Tamou admitted the big losses and the uncertainty off the field made it a very difficult period for everyone at the club.

“It was a tough end to last year and some of it was tough to watch,” Tamou told Foxsports.com.au.

“But if you look for a silver lining I think we have actually come out of it better. We understand the commitment to each other that is needed whether it is through training or game day.

“We had a young group and the players have grown with another year of experience. We debuted a few young boys last year and they got better with those losses as weird as it sounds because you learn from them.

“I think that has given us inspiration for our pre-season so we can go into 2022 with a bit more of a commitment to each other.”

Maguire copped the lion’s share of the heat for the Tigers’ miserable 2021 campaign to the point he faced the axe before being spared by the board with Tim Sheens brought in.

Tamou has been a vocal supporter of Maguire and believes the onus is on the players to follow the lead of a coach who has achieved the pinnacle of grand final wins in both hemispheres.

“Madge has been Madge, he hasn’t changed too much in how he goes about things,” Tamou said of Maguire.

“We have had to go away as players and take a look in the mirror.

“It is a tough job being a coach. When the team is going good it is the players and when the team is going bad it is the coach. But the coach isn’t the one out there.

“I think that is another big thing we can take away since the off-season is us boys having to take a look in the mirror and understand what’s needed for this team to succeed.

“I know I have done a lot of thinking on what I can do better for the team to see as much improvement as possible.

“Madge has been to the top. He has got the blueprint as to what is needed.

“We have just got to be better in ourselves. We need to show more commitment and to uphold the standards over the course of the season.”

Another driving force behind Tamou and the Tigers’ 2022 campaign is their long-suffering fanbase, who were subjected to some unacceptable blowout losses last season.

“It is massive,” Tamou said of repaying the fans for their loyalty during some lean years.

“I think coming into the side last year we took that all on board that the team hasn’t experienced finals in a long period of time.

“To get into the top eight where they deserve to be and where the fans deserve and know we can be.

“I was watching the finals series and I was just watching it and burning, which is a good thing because you use it as motivation.

“I know some boys are feeling that way as well and not only for ourselves but for the fans as well.

“For that 80 minutes a week they come to the stadiums and bring their jersey and cheer us along and we want to pay them back for that.

“The fans are everything and they are a big reason why we want to take this team to where it deserves to be.”

Another member of the club that cops plenty of criticism is much maligned halfback Brooks and Tamou implored his team to take the heat away form their No.7.

“With Brooksy it is nothing that he is doing wrong I can’t say that enough,” Tamou said.

“We need to help him out on the field.

“I wanted that to be well documented at the end of last year that we have got to be better as a whole rather than just Brooksy.

“Any help Brooksy can get and Jackson Hastings will be a big help there. And we had Jacob Liddle rise up last year.

“We know what a great player Brooks is, but he needs some help to get back to his best.”

Hastings and fellow Wigan signing Oliver Gildart will provide the type of firepower to take the pressure off Brooks and allow him to play to his strengths in 2022.

Tamou noted the almost immediate effect the pair have had since arriving at Concord.

“Hastings and Gildart have made a direct impact on the team,” Tamou said.

“Oliver has made a bit of a name for himself doing well over there and the same thing with Hastings.

“Hastings was a child prodigy coming through and he has kind of had a rough road, but he has learnt from that.

“He has spoken openly about it that he has had trouble with where his head needs to be. He went overseas and did really well over there winning the Man of Steel and took his team to a Grand Final.

“He has got the accolades and now it is up to him to prove it on the big stage now in the NRL.

“He has come in with a lot of things on his mind at a new club, but I think it is good for his sake that he has narrowed it down and just got stuck into the work for what is needed for the team.”

Adam Doueihi’s injury is a big blow for the Tigers who will be without him until mid-season after he was arguably their best player last year.

However in a silver lining it gives Hastings the chance to impress in the halves where he is at his best, but Tamou revealed he has also been tried in another role.

“I think he will start the season at No.6,” Tamou said of Hastings.

“At stages he has found himself in the middle. That is where the game has gone where you need that ball playing forward in the middle to link with the halves.

“But he has played his whole life in the halves and he is a big body too so he can hold himself well.

“Obviously opponents like to throw their big second-rowers at the halves, but he can take care of himself in that regard.

“Adam is obviously a big loss for the start of the season. But he is working hard to get back. We will need them all on the field at some stage. They are too important to us not to have them on the field.”

Meanwhile Tamou is entering the final year of his contract and is yet to decide whether he will play on or retire after the season.

Tamou will be 34 in December and has played 286 NRL games for the Cowboys, Panthers and Tigers since his debut in 2009 as well as 14 Origins for the Blues and 12 Tests for the Kangaroos.

He is set to pass the 300 game mark this season if he can stay injury free and Tamou admits he hasn’t ruled out playing on in 2023.

“I’m getting through pre-season well which is a good sign because pre-season is the toughest part,” Tamou said.

“But I guess we will reassess later in the year. If I had to decide right now I would say yes I will play on.

“But the season holds a lot of turns and ups and downs that you can’t predict so we will see how it goes.

“Obviously it goes on form and I still have to play well to get a new contract. But my first thought is just to play well for the Tigers and go from there.”

https://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nrl-premiership/nrl-2022-james-tamou-wests-tigers-michael-maguire-luke-brooks-jackson-hastings-oliver-gildart-adam-doueihi/news-story/2c2c168fecc764902a95ed3234dc6764