Under fire Cowboys prop James Tamou has categorically denied rumours of interest in a move to a southern club amid speculation the Test prop wants out of his current contract.
Tamou is contracted at North Queensland until the end of 2016, with whispers of a link to the Sydney Roosters – the club he first played with in the under-20s.
The behemoth bookend had arguably his best half of football in over a year on Monday against the Storm and says he is slowly finding a better place in his career.
"I have no idea [about the rumours]. Obviously some people seem to know more than I do about my life. I have no idea what's going on there," he said on Thursday.
When asked whether there is a thought that he wanted to get out of his contract, Tamou replied: "No, not at all."
The 26-year-old admitted the second half was a turning point for his season, and had received plaudits all throughout the club for his toughness as the game wore on.
He was even cheeky enough to take the coveted first hit-up off fellow prop Matt Scott, who takes the first carry as an unwritten rule.
"It's funny, (Scott) is always on that side but I knew where they were kicking it, so I thought 'Yeah I've got to have this hit-up'," Tamou said.
"It wasn't until yesterday when we did review, 'Greeny' and few other boys pointed that out and said, 'You run hard like that and it pumps everyone up and everyone gets going.'
"I still think we have the best forward pack and we have to show it… we want to make defence a thing where we want to dominate teams basically, and submit them out of games."
Tamou was slammed in the media a week prior after four missed tackles against the Broncos – two of which led directly to tries – and admits he is the first to drop his head at the first sign of struggle.
But he said that 'lightbulb moment' came out in the middle against the Storm on Monday.
"Coming off my first stint I wasn't too happy with how I was going so I knew coming on in the second half, once I got the ball in my hands I had to run it hard and straight," he said,
"The whole week leading up to the game 'Greeny' was talking to me, saying 'Get it into your head, you're 115 kilos, you are going to be hard to stop so run straight and just skittle blokes.'
"I think personally I needed that game, or that feeling just for my confidence."
