Tamou to put aside Gallen’s good turn

JAMES Tamou is primed to ruin Paul Gallen’s premiership dream three years after the Sharks enforcer secretly orchestrated the Cowboys prop’s shock State of Origin inclusion.

The Cowboys hardman yesterday detailed the impromptu meeting with Gallen that convinced him to renounce his Kiwi ties and saw him labelled “Turncoat Tamou”.

North Queensland are banking on Tamou and frontrow partner Matt Scott to neutralise Gallen and eliminate the Sharks in tomorrow night’s sudden-death final in Townsville.

But in 2012, Gallen put aside any club differences, using a Cowboys-Sharks match in Townsville to open Tamou’s eyes to the prospect of becoming his Test and Origin teammate.

Furious New Zealand bosses accused Tamou of being “brainwashed” after the Palmerston North product made his shock Test debut for Australia in that year’s Anzac Test.

As he prepares to again square off aga against Gallen, Tamou lifted ed the lid on thehe Cronulla forward’sral central role in his defection. etce

Their meeting took place at Cowboys ys Leagues Club, b, just hours a after fter Gallen had inspired the Sharks to a 20-14 victory at Dairy Farmers Stadium.

“Gal paved the way for me to play Origin,” Tamou told News Corp.

“We had played the Sharks a few years ago in Townsville and we went back to the leagues club for our usual postmatch presentation.

“Surprisingly, I saw Gal there and he walked up to me.”

At the time, Tamou was a fortnight away from being blooded by the Kiwis, a scenario that would have made him ineligible for NSW and Australia.

“Gal said, ‘Mate, I’ve just got off the phone to (then NSW coach) Ricky Stuart’,” Tamou added.

“Gal told me Ricky thought I was a good player who did all the tough things. Gal then said, ‘I want to play Origin with you’ and that blew me away.

“He said it can happen you’re keen to be a Blue.

“I didn’t know how it would work out, but he put me in touch with Ricky Stuart.

“The next day, I got a call from Ricky and he said it’s a possibility I can qualify for NSW if I’m committed to it.”

But tomorrow night, Origin ties will be put on hold as Tamou looks to keep his title ambitions alive by denying Gallen a premiership ring.

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