Tamou out for game 2

Onemangang

Onemangang

Todd Anderson
NSW prop James Tamou has been stood down from State of Origin II after being arrested for drink driving. It is understood Tamou will be suspended for two games – Friday night’s clash against St George Illawarra and the second Origin clash in Brisbane.
NSW coach Laurie Daley said he was in no rush to announce a replacement.
 
So he should...He needs to realize that breaking the law has consequences...His actions were reckless and dangerous

As for Origin Tamou didn't do much in game 1 anyway...No Big loss

I think Tim Grant should be selected...
 
That's a pretty soft suspension. He blew a much more drunk reading than Jake Friend a few years ago and both get two games. The monetary side of the suspension isn't much more than Russell Packer's peeing on the field fine!

Considering he could easily have killed somebody and doesn't even seem to have a driving licence, he should count himself real lucky.

I've lost a family member to a drunk driver, so may be biased.
 
He blew 4 times over limit, and had his licence suspended as it is. He is lucky he only got two weeks.

As for Origin, I don't think he's been that good thing year anyway and a player like Tim Grant or Aaron Woods should replace him with ease.
 
jamesgould said:
That's a pretty soft suspension. He blew a much more drunk reading than Jake Friend a few years ago and both get two games. The monetary side of the suspension isn't much more than Russell Packer's peeing on the field fine!

Considering he could easily have killed somebody and doesn't even seem to have a driving licence, he should count himself real lucky.

I've lost a family member to a drunk driver, so may be biased.
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Not playing origin really means his fine is $50k

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Alicia said:
He blew 4 times over limit, and had his licence suspended as it is. He is lucky he only got two weeks.

As for Origin, I don't think he's been that good thing year anyway and a player like Tim Grant or Aaron Woods should replace him with ease.
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He has been very solid for the Cowboys this year. Only prop this year averaging more metres is Fafita. Did have a very quite origin 1 though.
 
North Queensland Cowboys pushed for James Tamou to be banned for drink driving









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James Tamou training with the NSW Blues ahead of their game one win. Source: The Daily Telegraph



IN a bold and increasingly rare move, North Queensland Cowboys officials put club culture ahead of their dwindling finals hopes and told the NRL they wanted James Tamou to be stood down.


It is understood Tamou's two-game suspension, which includes Origin II, was the initiative of Cowboys officials not the NRL despite statements yesterday suggesting it was a joint decision.The Cowboys demanded their star face major consequences for his drink driving charges while the NRL added a $20,000 fine to his punishment.It is the harshest sentence handed out to an NRL player caught drink driving since the Brisbane Broncos sacked Neville Costigan in 2007.Tamou was charged with high-range drink-driving, registering 0.197 blood alcohol level, and unlicensed driving when he was pulled over by police in Townsville on Monday morning.The majority of NRL players charged for drink driving have only been fined.However, very few registered such a high blood alcohol reading.


Former Blues star Matt Johns said Tamou's decision to drink less than 24 hours after the Cowboys' loss to the Canterbury Bulldogs could justifiably be used as proof that coach Neil Henry had lost the playing group."The Cowboys are in a situation at the moment and they must be absolutely livid,'' Johns said on Triple M radio."Neil Henry's career is teetering on the edge, he could be sacked tomorrow."All of a sudden they have another loss and Jimmy Tamou goes out and is caught four times over the limit."The board at the Cowboys will be saying obviously the coach cannot control these guys.''It is the second alcohol-related incident that Tamou has been stood down for during his three seasons at the Cowboys."James returned a very high reading and was driving unlicensed, two offences that can never be condoned,'' Cowboys chief executive Peter Jourdain said."We believe the two-game punishment is appropriate. He is missing a crucial game for his club and the honour of again representing the Blues in what could be an historic Origin clash.''Tamou's omission from the Cowboys' away clash against St George Illawarra this Friday is a major blow for the team ahead of a must-win game.If the Cowboys lose this clash, their finals hopes will be dashed.Henry's men would have to win eight of their last 10 games to reach the 28-point cut-off for eighth place.

Queensland supporters should temper their expectations of a Maroons victory in game two following the dumping of Blues prop Tamou, as the Cowboys giant was their worst performed forward for NSW in Origin I registering just 53 metres.

It is understood his replacement will be either Wests Tigers prop Aaron Woods or Newcastle Knights veteran Willie Mason.



http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sp...or-drink-driving/story-fni3g8pa-1226662750208

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Maroons can learn from NSW Blues' example regarding James Tamou







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James Tamou will miss Origin II after being charged with drink-driving. Picture: Mark Evans Source:The Daily Telegraph



QUEENSLAND players have a rap sheet stretching from the Caxton Hotel to Suncorp Stadium.


Yet, it seems, Maroons players seem to continue playing State of Origin games no matter what offence has been committed off the field.For NSW, it is a different story.Blues prop James Tamou was yesterday rubbed out of State of Origin II - and told he was $50,000 poorer - after being arrested for drink-driving in Townsville.The towering front-rower is due to face court early next month, but that wasn't soon enough for the suits at league headquarters.NRL chief executive David Smith - in conjunction with Integrity Unit boss and NRL chief operating officer Jim Doyle - suspended Tamou for two games.He will miss Origin II and North Queensland's match against St George Illawarra at WIN Stadium, Wollongong, tomorrow night.Tamou was also fined $20,000 by the NRL and will miss the $30,000 match fee for playing State of Origin.Queenslanders Darius Boyd, Greg Inglis, Johnathan Thurston, Ben T'eo, David Shillington, Sam Thaiday and Nate Myles have all found strife off the playing field.Only Myles was suspended for an Origin game for his infamous "caught short" incident at Terrigal.


One well-placed NSW source said: "We always seem to be the ones being pinged. They seem to just keep-on, keeping-on."North Queensland Cowboys CEO Peter Jourdain yesterday supported Tamou's punishment."These penalties have been reached after consultation between the club and the NRL Integrity Unit, which was established to ensure matters like this are treated appropriately across the game," Jourdain said."What has happened in this instance is clearly unacceptable to us and the NRL. James returned a very high reading and was driving unlicensed - two offences that can never be condoned. We believe the two-game punishment is appropriate."He is missing a crucial game for his club and the honour of again representing the Blues in what could be a historic Origin clash. The NRL has decided to also impose a $20,000 fine on top of missing his Origin match fee."James has shown enormous remorse for his actions and we don't expect him to re-offend."NSW coach Laurie Daley is now searching for a new prop.

Wests Tigers' Aaron Woods, Penrith's Tim Grant, Canterbury's Aiden Tolman and Newcastle's Willie Mason are the leading candidates."Its too early to say exactly who will come into the team," Daley said. "I won't rush a decision. I'm still getting my head around it all."Tamou, also the Kangaroos prop, was charged by police after recording a blood-alcohol reading of 0.197 when pulled over at 3.30am Monday in the Townsville suburb of North Ward."This is a high-level, high-risk, high-penalty situation," Smith said."Drink-driving puts lives at risk. Our players are well educated regarding alcohol management and there is no excuse for such behaviour."Our Integrity Unit has reviewed the situation, we have consulted with the Cowboys and we have sent a clear message of what is expected of our players."The underachieving Cowboys can ill-afford to lose a class player like Tamou. Scott Bolton has been promoted to the starting pack as Tamou's replacement against the Dragons.



http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sp...ding-james-tamou/story-fni3fqyo-1226662776173




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NSW Blues forward Tamou feels brunt of NRL CEO Dave Smith's anger







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Blues prop James Tamou is brought down during Origin I. Source: Getty Images



DAVE Smith personally demanded that Cowboys prop James Tamou be fined $20,000 for serious driving offences - in addition to his Origin II ban.


North Queensland officials and Tamou were left disappointed and confused about the extraordinary penalty, having originally been led to believe the Blues forward would only receive a two-match suspension for serious driving offences.

The Daily Telegraph can reveal the NRL's newly-formed Integrity Unit arrived at the two-match suspension after consultation with Cowboys boss Peter Jourdain yesterday morning.The punishment was initially deemed sufficient, because it effectively entailed a $30,000 fine - the new standard match payment for playing a State of Origin match.Cowboys officials duly informed Tamou and his management around 11:30am, at which point all parties accepted the penalty as reasonable given police apprehended him nearly four-times over the limit while driving home unlicensed from Townsville CBD early Monday.But the goal posts shifted around an hour later, when the Cowboys received word that Smith felt the sanction was too light.Effectively over-ruling his own Integrity Unit, the CEO demanded Tamou be hit with a $20,000 fine - taking the overall financial penalty to a whopping $50,000.

North Queensland's dissatisfaction with the change of heart was evident from their statement, which only expressed clear support for the two-match ban."We believe the two-match suspension is appropriate," Jourdain said."The NRL has also decided to impose a $20,000 fine on top of missing his Origin match fee."Tamou's manager Sam Ayoub confirmed his client was content to accept the NRL's original penalty."James is very remorseful about his actions and accepts that what he did was very serious," Ayoub said last night."He fully accepted and agreed with the two-match suspension when told about that this morning."

Ayoub declined to comment about his client's response about being informed of the $20,000 fine a short time later.Smith's intervention makes it clear that he carries the final say over whatever verdict or penalty the Integrity Unit delivers."It seems like nothing has really changed, except for the fact the clubs no longer control what penalties their employees receive," one club CEO said."The NRL boss can still come in over the top and impose his personal view, regardless of what the Integrity Unit thinks."An NRL spokesman could not understand why the Cowboys thought the two-match ban was the final punishment, but would not confirm nor deny Smith's personal desire to impose the fine."We were consulting with a number of parties until the matter was completely finalised," the spokesman said.



http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sp...ave-smiths-anger/story-fni3g8pa-1226662770564
 
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jamesgould said:
He could just as easily have got injured in his next game for the Cowboys and not played Origin, so not really.
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Got the 1 match suspension so his next game would of been Origin 2. So unless for a freak accident it really is a $50k fine. 2 game suspension plus the $50k really is a big fine by the NRL imo. Tamou still has the courts to face so by no means has he got off lightly imo.
 
It would hardly be a freak accident, players get injured all the time.

Boozing it up deluxe doesn't help when it comes to getting injuries either, just quietly.

You can't get fined for money that you've never earned. He's definitely lost the opportunity to earn it, but that's all.
 
jamesgould said:
It would hardly be a freak accident, players get injured all the time.

Boozing it up deluxe doesn't help when it comes to getting injuries either, just quietly.

You can't get fined for money that you've never earned. He's definitely lost the opportunity to earn it, but that's all.
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For starters do you seriously think that if he got the one match suspension that he would be training hard if at all for the cowboys all week and then even in the NSW camp they wouldn't be pushing themselves that hard unless its a ''train-off'. Hence why it would then be a freak accident. Either way he has been hit very heavily by the NRL and still has the courts to come. In now way has he got off lightly.
 
I'm talking about getting injured playing for the Cowboys prior to Origin 2, not while training.

He got off lightly in more ways than one, luckily he didn't kill an innocent member of the public and have to live with that for the rest of his life. Or kill himself.
 
cowboyman said:
For starters do you seriously think that if he got the one match suspension that he would be training hard if at all for the cowboys all week and then even in the NSW camp they wouldn't be pushing themselves that hard unless its a ''train-off'. Hence why it would then be a freak accident. Either way he has been hit very heavily by the NRL and still has the courts to come. In now way has he got off lightly.
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You really are deluding yourself if you think Tamou hasn't got off extremely lightly!
 
jamesgould said:
I'm talking about getting injured playing for the Cowboys prior to Origin 2, not while training.

He got off lightly in more ways than one, luckily he didn't kill an innocent member of the public and have to live with that for the rest of his life. Or kill himself.
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He won't be playing for the Cowboys before Origin though, that's what I'm saying. Yes he could of but he didn't. I'm not defending him by any means what he did was very stupid indeed but he is effectively out of pocket to the amount of $50k and misses 2 games ontop. That's before the courts even get to him. The NRL fined Tamou over triple the amount that the courts can fine him and that's not taking into account the extra $30k that he would of got for playing Origin. So I fail to see how he has got off lightly, www.qld.gov.au/transport/safety/road-safety/drink-driving/penalties/. He has been heavily punished by the NRL and the Cowboys. Hopefully it wakes him up and he doesn't do it again.

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Onemangang said:
You really are deluding yourself if you think Tamou hasn't got off extremely lightly!
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I suggest you open my link in my last post. The maximum monetary fine that the courts can charge him is $6,600, the NRL fined him $20k straight up and took away his opportunity to earn another $30k in Origin. It was his first ever indiscretion that put the game into disrepute. So I'll ask again, how has he got off lightly?

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Driving that drunk with a car full of people automatically justifies that kind of fine and suspension, especially because it's someone who has an obligation to do the right thing and represent the NRL and the club positively. A 6k fine for someone who's getting paid probably 10 times the amount as the average person would just be meaningless. It's not like he just got hammered in a private function or whatever, he broke the law and put many lives at risk. Plus he was crap in first game, so no real loss for the Blues.
 
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I think your playing down the severity of the situation, but this is all only my opinion, how has he got off lightly? I would argue that James should have been deregistered by the NRL for the remainder of the season including the World Cup.

I opened your link as you suggested and wasnt surprised to see that there is a also a maximum jail term of 9 to 18 months.
 
Cowboys coach Neil Henry slams fine issued to James Tamou over driving offences











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North Queensland prop James Tamou was sidelined for two matches and also hit with a fine for dual driving offences.
Source: The Courier-Mail



COWBOYS coach Neil Henry yesterday took aim at NRL boss David Smith for ordering James Tamou also be hit with a $20,000 fine for dual driving offences.


On the eve of his side's clash against the Dragons tonight at WIN Stadium, Henry lashed the process that saw Smith personally demand the NRL's integrity unit impose a financial sanction against the Cowboys enforcer.In consultation with the NRL and the club's senior-player group, Cowboys hierarchy initially agreed to sideline Tamou for two matches, including Origin II at Suncorp Stadium on Wednesday week.Smith then called for Tamou to be slapped with a fine, which effectively amounts to $50,000 given the NSW prop will miss out on a $30,000 match fee for sitting out Game Two.Two players in NRL history have suffered similar penalties. In 2004, Blues centre Mark Gasnier was fined $50,000 for leaving a lewd voice message on a woman's phone, while former Broncos prop Joel Clinton was hit with an identical fine in 2009 for bringing a woman back to Brisbane's team hotel.Henry can accept not having Tamou on deck for tonight's crucial showdown with the Dragons, but he hit out at Smith's decision to fine the Cowboys bookend."We were instrumental in talking to the integrity unit and I suppose they have come over the top and hit him with another $20,000," Henry said."That is disappointing from our perspective and my perspective as coach.

"We came to an agreement and they (the NRL) were in agreement as well. We thought it was a bit much in the end after we agreed to something ... we were instrumental in putting forward that ban."Tamou will still attend WIN Stadium to watch his side's showdown with the 12th-placed Dragons.Equal last with Parramatta, North Queensland are facing a sixth consecutive loss and Henry admits Tamou's indiscretion is a drama the Cowboys can do without."It's been a disruptive week, we all know why," said Henry, who is fighting to save his job."But we have moved on the best we can. The boys were very enthusiastic and it's desperate times for the club, we need a win at WIN Stadium."James is obviously quite remorseful, but he wanted to be with the boys and be part of the build-up to the game."Johnathan Thurston returns from a groin injury tonight to advance his Origin II hopes, but Henry admits the Maroons pivot is not yet 100 per cent fit.

"He got through the whole session (yesterday)," he said."He is certainly better than he was last week."I can't put a percentage on it but he's not quite right. He's improved after Origin."



http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sp...driving-offences/story-fni3g8pa-1226663453260
 
Junior11 said:
Driving that drunk with a car full of people automatically justifies that kind of fine and suspension, especially because it's someone who has an obligation to do the right thing and represent the NRL and the club positively. A 6k fine for someone who's getting paid probably 10 times the amount as the average person would just be meaningless. It's not like he just got hammered in a private function or whatever, he broke the law and put many lives at risk. Plus he was crap in first game, so no real loss for the Blues.
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That's b*llsh*t mate, we are in a country where everyone gets treated equally no matter how much money the offender has. Ever heard of the word 'precedent'. The next time an average joe gets done for what Tamou did and by some chance the business/company where he works gets brought up do you expect that person to be stood down for 2 weeks, get a $20k straight up fine and lose the chance to earn another $30k and all this before he confronts the courts?
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Onemangang said:
I think your playing down the severity of the situation, but this is all only my opinion, how has he got off lightly? I would argue that James should have been deregistered by the NRL for the remainder of the season including the World Cup.

I opened your link as you suggested and wasnt surprised to see that there is a also a maximum jail term of 9 to 18 months.
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I don't think I am, I know he has done something extremely stupid and is very lucky no one is hurt. But you can only fine someone for what has happened not what could of happened. That is what you are basing your judgement on. Yea sure if he hurt someone then the calls for de-registration are certainly not out of place. But he didn't so the NRL would have no legs to stand on for going that far. Yep of course he could see time behind the bars but the NRL can't hand down that can they. So they instead fined him over 3 times the amount that the courts can. That right there suggests he has been heavily fined when they can and did fine him that amount more then the judicial system in the country.
 
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cowboyman said:
That's b*llsh*t mate, we are in a country where everyone gets treated equally no matter how much money the offender has.
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Is that true? I know in NZ judges will take into account the individual's circumstances before handing down penalties. I wouldn't have thought there would be much point handing down a maximum charge when it's going to bankrupt someone, or a small charge when it will be small change for a richie.
 
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