GORDEN Tallis has taken aim at Adam Blair, accusing the Wests Tigers forward of being an overpaid player who is not putting in.
In an extraordinary attack on Triple M following the Tigers' capitulation to the Sharks, Tallis blasted the Kiwi international by claiming he was being outplayed by players on half his wage.
Tallis said it was time for Blair to deliver on a promise he made to perform for the Tigers when he joined from the Melbourne Storm last season on a deal reportedly worth $600,000 a year.
"Adam Blair has won grand finals, he has played internationals and he has won a World Cup," Tallis said.
"I read an article where he was going to the Wests Tigers with him saying he was like a caged lion (at Melbourne) and that he could start playing football now.
"He sat on the left-hand edge outside Benji (during the Sharks game). He is big, he is strong, he has great footwork and an offload. He needs to get in the middle and give us something.
"He is one of the highest paid Wests Tigers players. He has asked for that money and if you are prepared to take that money, put out your hand and watch your bank account grow every week, you have to be prepared to put your body on the line."
Tallis said the big-money recruit was being outplayed by lesser lights such as Eddy Pettybourne. The former Queensland Origin star said he would have been able to dismiss the performance if it was a one-off, but he suggested it was an all too frequent display from Blair.
"If he went in there and had 15 hit-ups ... like Pettybourne did, it would be OK," Tallis said. "You would know he was having a dig. Somedays you go to the office and you do your job better than others. It is the same with footy. Some days you go out there and try really hard and you don't make a break and you miss tackles.
"But he isn't putting in the effort that some of the teammates around him, on half his money, are."
Tallis continued his attack on Blair during an interview with Tigers coach Mick Potter moments after the match.
"I feel a bit sorry for you because some of your bigger names (didn't perform)," Tallis said.
"Especially Adam Blair. For a guy that has played at the highest level, he should be in there having 20 hit-ups.
"Aaron Woods is having 20 hit-ups and some of the other guys are being aggressive, but I actually feel sorry for some coaches because some players won't have a go."
Potter defended Blair.
"I think you are being a bit hard on Adam," Potter said.
"Adam played 80 and contributed as much as he could. The reason we lost is that we weren't catching kicks. The reason we lost is defensively they were allowed too many metres. We would defend a couple of plays and then they would roll us down the field."
