The Wests Tigers have officially announced the signing of Penrith captain James Tamou.
Tamou will leave the Panthers at the end of the 2020 season, ending a four year stint with the club.
The 31-year-old was off contract at the end of the season and moves to the Tigers to allow Penrith focus on its emerging youth.
Wests Tigers Coach Michael Maguire said he was looking forward to working with Tamou.
“James brings a wealth of experience to our forward pack and is a player who has experienced success at every level of the game,” Maguire said.
“He has shown throughout his career to be a player who constantly improves not only himself but those around him, and I have no doubt he will play a key role in the development of our forward pack moving forward.”
Wests Tigers CEO Justin Pascoe echoed Maguire’s comments and welcomed Tamou to the club.
“On behalf of all at Wests Tigers, I’d like to welcome James to the club and say how pleased we are to secure a player with his experience and talent for the coming two seasons,” Pascoe said.
“James has shown to be one of the leading forwards in our game and has generated extremely strong metres-per-minute this year, which will greatly complement our current squad.
“He is a highly-commendable man both on and off the field and he will certainly have a strong impact at Wests Tigers in driving this club forward to where we all want it to be.”
Tamou is being rested from Penrith’s game against the Cowboys tonight but will lead the club through the Finals, as he looks to secure his second premiership ring. He helped the Cowboys win the NRL title in 2015.
Tamou’s new deal with the Tigers is for two seasons.
OFFICIAL. After four years in Panthers colours, James Tamou will depart the club at the end of the season. An outstanding leader and a true gentleman. Thank you Jimmy. ❤️#pantherpride pic.twitter.com/J6ciJu7mcr
— Penrith Panthers (@PenrithPanthers) September 18, 2020
Troy Dodds
Troy Dodds is the Weekender's Managing Editor and Breaking News Reporter. He has more than 20 years experience as a journalist, working with some of Australia's leading media organisations. In 2023, he was named Editor of the Year at the Mumbrella Publish Awards.