Paul Gallen rips Phil Gould over 'crazy' call: 'Can't do that'

Paul Gallen has taken Phil Gould to task for suggesting James Tamou should get his ban suspended because of his good character and standing in the game.

Tamou has had his two-match ban downgraded to one game on Tuesday night after calling referee Ben Cummins "f**king incompetent" last weekend.

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The Wests Tigers captain will miss Sunday's clash with St George Illawarra, but will be back in time to face Canberra in the last round of the season on Father's Day.

Before the judiciary downgraded his ban, Gould suggested Tamou's suspension should be put on hold so he could play in what appears to be the final few games of his NRL career.

“Two to three weeks ban for Tamou’s outburst is appropriate. Must be discouraged,” Gould tweeted.

“However, NRL should suspend this penalty due to Tamou’s exemplary career, the fact this incident was totally out of character, there is no chance of reoffending, his immediate remorse and apology was sincere.”

But Gallen wasn't having a bar of that suggestion, labelling it 'crazy'.

“Much as I like James and I’m sympathetic to the situation he’s in, that idea is just crazy,” Gallen wrote for Wide World of Sports.

“You can’t just let someone off because they’re a good bloke and they’re at the end of their career.

“I feel really sorry for him, but as the saying goes, if you do the crime you’ve got to do the time.

"We’ve seen players miss grand finals through suspension, if we start introducing the ‘good bloke’ exemption that opens up a whole new can of worms.”

James Tamou not sure if NRL career is ending

Off contract at the end of the year, Tamou wants to play on but is also realistic about his future given he is yet to be handed another contract by the Tigers.

It means he will likely enter the September 4 clash with no clear call made on his future and retirement still an option.

"I'm not sure (if it will be my last game)," Tamou said after Tuesday night's hearing.

"Once I feel like I'm behind the eight-ball, I'll be the first one to put my hand up.

"But I still feel I can compete at a high level and contribute to a team and we'll see where the off-season goes.

"There's still a lot to digest with this year. And who knows? It could be the last time I suit up on Sunday.

"I'm really not sure, everything is on the table, including retirement."

Tamou's comments came after he successfully argued that his abuse of Cummins was a spur-of-the-moment error borne out of frustration in the Tigers' 72-6 loss to the Sydney Roosters.

The veteran prop also claimed that he had never once sworn at an official in the past, and that he had immediate remorse upon being sent off late in the loss.

All those factors were taken into account by the NRL judiciary panel, who deliberated for close to an hour before Michael Hagan and Bob Lindner reached a unanimous verdict.

It came after the NRL's counsel Lachlan Gyles said Tamou had been warned twice previous in the match for back chat, including as early as the third minute.

with AAP

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