James Tamou has played his entire career under Matt Scott, and now that he’s made a move to Sydney, it’ll be his time to lead the young Panthers’ engine room.
The 27-year-old premiership winner will join a fairly young and inexperienced Penrith outfit, which gives him the perfect opportunity for to step up and quite literally lead from the front.
‘Aussie Jim’ has expressed his eagerness in joining the western-Sydney based club, claiming that he can win another premiership with them after the 2015 success of the Cowboys.
It’s a claim that definitely has it’s merits, with the Panthers fielding a stronger looking team with each and every year, blooding exciting rookies like Te Maire Martin and Nathan Cleary, signing experienced campaigners such as Trent Merrin and Pita Hiku and fielding juniors including Matt Moylan, Dallin Watene-Zelezniak and Bryce Cartwright.
It’s an exciting time for the unlucky club, and the addition of Tamou could get the sleeping giants of the NRL to finally awaken and live up to their true potential.
The Panthers’ front row stocks, while sprinkled with some quality, lack a leader. They lack someone who can help turn the tide of a game and fire up his troops when the going gets tough, which is something Tamou has shown glimpses of in the past.
The veteran prop is also a great mentor for the young Reagan Campbell-Gillard, Leilani Latu and James Fischer-Harris, who are all still gaining their feet in the NRL. Senior figures in young and inexperienced squads are so important for not only the immediate success but future successes of the club, and Tamou has the perfect opportunity to not only mature as a player but as a person as well.
With the inclusion of Tamou in their 2017 squad, the Panthers will boast one of the strongest looking forward packs in the competition, and could prove to be a threat to the rest of the NRL. With Cartwright, RCG, JFH, Latu and Merrin by his side, James Tamou will be the perfect player for the Panthers to build around for the future.
What do you think of the signing of Tamou? Do you think the Panthers have what it takes to become a powerhouse?
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