[ad_1]
Rugby league legend Gorden Tallis believes rookie North Queensland coach Todd Payten erred in calling out his highest-paid player after a Round 1 loss to Penrith.
Payten singled out his star lock-forward Jason Taumalolo after the Cowboys lost their season opener 24-0 at Panthers Stadium.
Taumalolo, who regularly clocks up 200 running metres per game, ran for a measly 55 metres and made 21 tackles with reduced minutes on the park.
Watch The 2021 NRL Telstra Premiership Live & On-Demand with No Ad-Breaks During Play. New to Kayo? Try 14-Days Free Now >
Payten, though, was particularly unhappy with one defensive effort, in which he says Taumalolo failed to move from marker to stop a Penrith try.
“If we let Jason do that then the young forwards that we have in our club think that’s the way you defend,” Payten told media.
“It is not a decision around Jason. It is a decision around how we want to defend as a unit, particularly in the middle of the park.”
Tallis was unimpressed with Payten’s tactic to call out his best player after only one game of the season.
“The Cowboys missed 33 tackles, Jason Taumalolo missed on,” Tallis told Triple M radio on Sunday.
“I don’t really think it was a poor performance. To pick on your big guy so early in the season, they normally take a month or so, they take about a month to get their fitness.
“You don’t pick on them in Round 1. I know he was trying to get the message to everybody, but I reckon you do it behind closed doors, and if it happens in six weeks’ time and you pull them off (the field) then you’ve got some stats behind you.
“When he plays like that, he has been the club’s best player, he’s been their heart and soul for the last three years, I don’t think you pick a fight with him this early.”
READ MORE: NRL star responds to $200k rumour
Senior journalist Paul Kent, though, thought Payten was well within his rights and had good reason to single out his star forward.
“I disagree with all of that. I don’t think you can wait six weeks Gorden,” Kent said.
“First off, by going after Taumalolo he’s saying to everybody at the club ‘you’re all being held to account here, there’s no favourites depending on your pay packet, your representative list, you’re all the same and you’re going to be treated the same’.
“If he’s making mistakes like letting in that try where he failed to push across, that’s the standard Todd Payten is trying to drive at the club.
“By getting out early I think he’s actually doing Taumalolo quite a favour because when Taumalolo signed that 10-year deal, given he’s a big body, and given work is going to be required and there’s been games where he’s picked the Cowboys up and carried them, he can’t do that week after week for 10 years. His body will burn out.
“Todd Payten is using him as the example to try and spur the younger kids on.”
[ad_2]
Source link
