‘F***ing incompetent’: Tigers skipper James Tamou sent off for absuing referee

Tigers captain James Tamou was sent off for abusing a referee in an extraordinary spray, capping off a horror night for his team.

James Tamou unleashed at the referee.

Wests Tigers captain James Tamou was sin binned then immediately sent off after he gave referee Ben Cummins an extraordinary spray.

The incident occurred in the dying stages of the Tigers’ humiliating 72-6 loss to the Sydney Roosters at the SCG on Saturday night.

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Roosters forward Angus Crichton had just lost the ball out of dummy-half but Cummins ruled it went backwards.

Tamou was then seen barking at Cummins while he was part of a three-man tackle of Crichton.

Cummins blew a penalty straight away and sent Tamou to the sin bin, holding up 10 fingers and saying: “You can go”.

A furious Tamou hit back: “You are f***ing incompetant you are.”

That was enough for Cummins to upgrade the sin bin to a complete send off.

“He’s now just off, it was 10 and now it’s just off,” commentator Warren Smith said on Fox League.

James Tamou exploded at the referee. Photo: Fox Sports.

Tamou took a few steps towards the sideline before turning back to let rip at Cummins again.

But the referee firmly said “keep going” and Tamou had no choice but to turn around and continue walking off the field.

“James Tamou has reached the end of his rag and gone out in style,” Smith said.

“Sent off. Initially sin binned, now sent off for some rather fruity dissent in the direction of the referee.

“I didn’t see that one coming.”

The frustration had been bubbling away with Tamou being penalised just a minute earlier for back chat.

The veteran forward lost the ball just two metres out from the Roosters’ defensive line and then threw it at his tackler Terrell May in frustration.

It was a dirty night for Tamou and the Tigers. (Photo by Scott Gardiner/Getty Images)

“Now Tamou reacts to putting it down, throws the ball at May and to compound the situation gives away a penalty,” Smith said.

Cummins explained the penalty was “for back chat”, but that didn’t stop Tigers forward Joe Ofahengaue asking if they could challenge the call.

“The frustration is at boiling point for the Tigers,” Michael Ennis said on Fox League.

“He’s frustrated the captain, just look at him.”

Tamou, who recently notched up his 300th NRL game and is keen to play on next year, is certain to come under scrutiny for his outburst.

The Melbourne Storm’s Brandon Smith was suspended for four games for reportedly calling referee Adam Gee a “cheating bastard” last month.