Broncos Colosus Turning Heads

[jenny]

Colossus turning heads

Mick Daly

January 03, 2007 11:00pm
Article from: The Courier-Mail


HE's 18, bench presses 150kg, sprints 100m in 13 seconds and has the ball skills of a playmaker.
Meet David Taylor, the emerging Hercules tipped to fill Shane Webcke's mighty boots in the Brisbane Broncos front-row.

Fresh out of high school, Taylor has been turning heads at pre-season training with his impressive physique and eye-catching presence.

Many expect the 115kg colossus to replace the retired Webcke in Brisbane's engine room.

It is a prospect the working-class kid from Blackwater, west of Rockhampton, was anxious about. "To step into Shane Webcke's spot, that would be amazing," he said yesterday.

"But I've got a few more years until I'm going to be at my peak. There's a lot of older players going for the spot, and they've all got experience on me, so I'm just watching them, seeing what they do and trying to learn as much as I can."

Taylor finished his schooling at Yeppoon's St Brendan's College last year but the Broncos rate him so highly that they flew him to Brisbane each weekend so he could play for feeder team Toowoomba Clydesdales in the Queensland Cup.

In one memorable afternoon against Wynnum, he made a clean break before chip kicking to the corner for winger Denan Kemp to score.

Such freakish abilities have had Taylor ? the son of a coal train driver and roadhouse worker ? labelled a future Origin star, and one of the most promising young forwards to sign with the Broncos.

But the humble teenager refuses to be weighed down by expectation.

He acknowledges he has a huge battle to outpoint the likes of Dane Carlaw, Corey Parker, Ben Hannant, Nick Kenny and Brad Thorn, who are all starting front-row options.

"I try not to think about what people say. I just think about being myself," Taylor said.

"My aim is just to get as fit and as mentally tough as I can and hopefully I will crack a spot."

Still, should he get a chance in the premiers' No. 8 jersey, don't expect a Webcke prototype to run out.

Sure, Taylor can bash and barge, but he also has the attacking flair that saw him spend some schoolboy game time at five-eighth.

"I've been brought up playing touch footy my whole life, in the backyard, just mucking around heaps," he said.

"At school, you learn how to muck around, step, weave, throw a ball around.

"Sometimes, I pull something out and I look back and think, 'How did I do that? Why did I do that?'

"But I don't try and force anything. I just do what feels right."

Brisbane's Tri-Nations representatives ? Darren Lockyer, Petero Civoniceva, Karmichael Hunt, Brent Tate, Shaun Berrigan, Justin Hodges, Sam Thaiday and Tame Tupou ? resume training on January 15.

[Future Star]

a prop who can play 5/8?
Bench presses 150Kg?
100M in 13 seconds!?


This guy is going to be a brilliant player!!

[Capital_Shark]

Seen a bit of this fella in the QLD Cup last year, if all goes well he'll be something special.

[Robbie_Dee]

What an Intro! He sounds like he's gunna be a pretty damn good player!

[Coaster]

Seen a bit of this fella in the QLD Cup last year, if all goes well he'll be something special.

Yeah i agree with you.

This guy will be something special, has a good step also, and a twist and pass that the Broncos have been trying to develope in there forwards for the last 2 years.

There junior recuitment is second to none, apart from halves.

[Old Diehard]

David Taylor is a future world beater- he played for Australian Schoolboys the year before last and because he had been there and done that didn't tour the UK with the schoolboys last year....instead he took the option of putting in the training with the Broncos.

How good is he - well I can't remember seeing a 17year school boy standing up to the old hard heads the way I saw Taylor shove grown men in the Redcliffe pack at the Grand Final....A tough old bull generally has the wood on younsters, but David Taylor didn't take a backward step ( he wasn't outstanding in the Grand Final though- just tough).

But yeah his feat against Wynnum was definitely well spoken about and anyone who watched him destroy Norths in the Qld Cup game on the ABC from Toowoomba last year - could see he isn't being promoted as a future champ for nothing. Side steps, passes in the tackle,chip kicks and goal kicks.

Remember Props generally don't reach their peak until they are in the mid 20's.

By god it's amazing that the Qld Cup has seen Greg Inglis from age 17 and now David Taylor. 2 players who I believe will prove to be legends in the future...You will all be saying I saw these 2 play footy the same way people talk about John Sattler or Reg Gasnier. These sort of players only come along once in a lifetime.

Thank God they are Queenslanders! ( and for those who don't know Greg Inglis was born in the Northern Rivers but played his first senior game in QLD)...

So yeah I expect David Taylor will sit on the bench for the Broncos alot this season but as he is still a 17year prop forward and I expect you'll mostly watch out for him more in the Qld Cup.(another loss the year after that to that comp!).

[shavenjas]

I would expect nothing less from the Broncos ( GO YOU CHAMPIONS!!!)

[Queenslander]

If he is even half as good as what Shane Webcke was than things are looking good for the Broncos in the future.

[Capital_Shark]

If he is even half as good as what Shane Webcke was than things are looking good for the Broncos in the future.

True that.

But this kid is on the right track. I'm far from a Broncos fan, but as a QLD fan I really hope Taylor doesn't crap out like someother young future champions *cough*SBW*cough* I think the Brocnos will develop him well though, Bennett is not the sort of bloke to rush things. That and being in QLD he can hopefully steer a little clear of premature wraps from the media.

[Future Star]

Dave Taylor is a player of the future. Expect big things from this dude.