Coal Train doesn’t want to depart Gold Coast

[K2G]

Titans’ Dave Taylor gets last shot to secure his future at the NRL club
PETER BADEL @BADEL_CMAIL THE COURIER-MAIL JULY 29, 2015 9:00PM



TITANS coach Neil Henry has left the door ajar for Dave Taylor to remain at the Gold Coast as the besieged forward considers a move to the front row to save his NRL career.

The Courier-Mail can reveal a Sydney-based NRL club has sounded out Taylor, whose management has also fielded expressions of interest from European rugby and Super League clubs.

As revealed a fortnight ago, Taylor has permission to leave the Titans — and now he has options to explore — but the 120kg forward is refusing to give up hope of being a force at the Gold Coast.

Taylor is contracted until the end of 2016 and will consider a return to the engine room, where he was graded as a teenager by the Cowboys before being mentored by legendary prop Shane Webcke at the Broncos.

Ultimately, the ‘Coal Train’ must prove his worth to Henry.

Taylor was relegated to the Intrust Super Cup by Henry last week, but the Titans mentor insists he has not written off the 27-year-old and challenged him to fight his way back into the NRL.

“It’s not as black and white as that (his Titans career being over) because he is still contracted,” Henry said.

“You could say it all you like (that Taylor is unwanted), but the fact is he still has a contract for another 12 months.

“We have given him the opportunity to explore any other alternative options, so it’s whether he is able to come to an agreement with another club.

“The ball is in his court. We’ll wait and see what happens, but I have no doubt there will be interest in him because he’s a talented player.”

Despite his chequered career, a Sydney rival is willing to pick up Taylor, but the former Maroons Origin star’s preference is to remain at the Titans.

Last year, Broncos great Webcke called for the Titans to shift Taylor to prop, saying the wayward back-rower would benefit by playing a simple front-rower’s role.

With the Titans lacking front-row depth following the impending loss of Nate Myles to Manly, Taylor could be a handy foil for Raiders import David Shillington next season.

“Dave is a front-rower, his biggest strength is he’s a big fast agile bloke, just punch the ball into the line,” Webcke said.

“My advice to Dave is stop thinking about whether he is going to pass or play fancy, just strip it down, keep it simple and run hard.

“If Dave does that, he’ll achieve his potential in the game.”

Broncos halfback Ben Hunt recalled the days when Taylor was his five-eighth partner at schoolboy powerhouse St Brendan’s Yeppoon.

Hunt took five years to cement the No.7 jumper at the Broncos and believes it is not too late for Taylor to revive his Titans career.

“It is sad to see what’s happened,” Hunt said of Taylor’s slide at the Titans.

“He’s obviously a great talent and it’s back on him to really take control of himself and how he wants to play his football.

“If he wants to make it, I believe he can still make it.”

[JunctionBlock]

It's never been too late for Taylor to do something for himself. Fact is he's too lazy and happy to sit out on the edge and hide if necessary. Putting him in the middle won't help our defence. He's already come out this week after playing in Q Cup saying how he hates being told to be and used as a battering ram. He wants to play his style of footy (worked out well for Sandow).

We might see a couple more decent games from him this season then it'll back to his normal lazy self wondering when his next Mad Hueys fishing and surfing trip will be.

[Supergoose]

I'm interested to see if he can defend in the middle with fewer decisions to make. We definitely need his go forward and if he can bend the line in the middle of the field and even break it a couple of times it'll be more than what most of our middle forwards give us in attack. Good on Henry for trying to push his buttons a bit.

[mdrew]

Who would want to be a 1st grade coach!

[JunctionBlock]

Who would want to be a 1st grade coach!

I'd more ask who would want to own a footy team. Money pit. Tim Sheens is pretty happy. Getting paid out contract after paid out contract.

[Titanic]

That's hilarious JB, Tim Shines, what an ar$e.

On topic, Taylor is his own worst enemy. If he was 18 then I'd run him at 13 and let him learn that game, one of his many problems is now he has so many different people's ideas going around in that complex melon of his that even he has no idea what's best.

In the end he needs the confidence to make the right decisions of when to inject himself and in our team without a good on-field strategist he's just a lost soul and not by himself either, imho.

His defence technique is not terrible but his timing and decisions in defence are terrible ... Slater could fix that. Now don't get all hot and bothered and remind me that Slater didn't fix him in Origin but let's be honest, Origin is not the time for lessons in the basics.

[JunctionBlock]

Anyone else catch the Wigan v Catalans game this morning. Hard to believe that Taylor has somehow got fatter, slower, dumber and lazier. I think I posted a few weeks ago regarding our lack of signings I'd happily have him back, but after watching this game I'll recant that statement.