NRL: Tamou reveals message that inspired him to grand final glory

James Tamou. Photo/Getty.

North Queensland prop James Tamou has revealed how a small notebook held an inspirational message he had penned to help spur him to a strong display in Sunday's NRL grand final.

The notebook was given to Tamou by coach Paul Green during the pre-season, with Cowboys players encouraged to enter as much or as little detail or notes as they liked throughout the year.

Tamou's writing fills many pages, but none of his notes were as important as small message the 26-year-old New South Wales and Kangaroos representative wrote to himself earlier on the day of their one-point victory over the Brisbane Broncos.

Sitting in the Cowboys sheds following their 17-16 golden point win, an emotional Tamou read the passage to Fairfax Media.

"Jimmy this is the last game of the year. This is it. Nothing else. You've got to start with good line speed. Run hard. Bumpers up and stay square. In the first 10 minutes you'll get fatigued. When you get tired keep pushing, keep running. Keep your feet moving, whether it be kick chase, line speed or tying in. Just keep moving, keep moving, keep moving."

The notebooks were introduced by Green in his second year in charge at North Queensland. It was deemed compulsory for players to bring them to team meetings and they were fined if they did not have them.

Tamou said the initiative had helped him immensely throughout the Cowboys' campaign.

"It's got everything from round one," Tamou said. "Greeny has given us the pad but I think mine is the most filled up. I think it's a great idea. We will watch video, we just write it in our own words of how we want it.

"Sometimes you get lost in the game because you're so fatigued. I just go back to my notes. I have done it inconsistently in previous years where I have written myself notes but this year I've done it each round. It really has been a revelation. From now on I'll be doing it.

"I read it before the game."

With the club's maiden premiership secured, Tamou plans on keeping the notebook to one day pass on to his sons Brooklyn and Barclay.

Green said the idea was part of his intention to create a "learning environment" at the Cowboys.

"Most people don't remember what you tell them five seconds ago," Green said. "We're up there giving them all this information. It's just another way for them to remember it. It was a rule to make sure everyone had their notebook when they came to team meetings.

"As coaches, we put hours and hours and hours of time into getting game plans ready and showing them the stuff they need to see. The onus has got to be on the players. They have to want to get better. Otherwise they just sit there, we're just talking to them and nothing sinks in."

Fullback Lachlan Coote was another player to benefit from the practice of note taking, and said he had made special entry reminding him of his defensive responsibilities in the decider.

"All their plays and what I had to do in defence and where I had to put my defensive players," Coote said.

"Getting my defensive splits right was the most important [point I wrote down]. Brisbane are a good attacking side and if I didn't have the players where they needed to be they would have broken us down.

"I had a brief look at [the book] before every game."