Coaltrain Taylor has one-track mind
14.09.2009
By: Dan Koch
BRONCOS powerhouse David Taylor has revealed how a mid-season reality check has helped spark the form turnaround many believe can carry Brisbane through to a seventh grand final appearance.
In and out of the side through a disappointing opening half of the season, Taylor's final days with the Broncos before heading to Souths next season looked destined to be spent with Brisbane's Queensland Cup feeder team, the Central Comets, as the giant prop struggled to find his niche in the top grade.
However, some stern words from performance director Dean Benton mid-year about the need to narrow the gap between his natural talent and what had been a questionable work ethic on the training track, resonated with Taylor.
``Dave is quite possibly the most athletic and skilful frontrower of the modern era, but there were certainly times during the trial period and early season when hard work was beating talent ... when `talent' wouldn't work hard,'' Benton said.
``I think the main catalyst for the turnaround was getting dropped from first grade. It made him rethink his value system.
``I think at times Dave distrustfully saw conditioning as a means of punishment, rather than a means of making him better. To his credit he has combined his improved physicality with commitment and hasn't looked back since.''
This, combined with coach Ivan Henjak's decision to grant Taylor greater licence to roam wide in attack, has brought results nothing short of stunning.
Since round 17, Taylor's minutes on the field have steadily climbed.
More important to the Broncos' cause has been the quality of his output, with the player nicknamed ``The Coaltrain'' carving out an average of more that 110m per game.
``It is a credit to the coaching staff here who put me through a lot of extra fitness work mid-year as well (as pre-season),'' Taylor said.
``They never let up on me. They did everything they could to help me and that is one of the big reasons I am playing some good football at the moment is just because my fitness levels are up.''
Never was that more evident than on Saturday night when, in his first finals appearance, Taylor summoned enough energy to charge 35m to score the match-winning try after smartly snapping up an intercept from gun Titans playmaker Scott Prince.
``I just looked up and saw the line and all I could think was that I had to get there,'' he said.
``I just gave it my all and I was glad to get there.
``Then I looked up and saw the clock and realised we still had four minutes left to play and I couldn't believe it. I was absolutely stuffed.'' The crucial four-pointer capped a stellar barnstorming 74 minutes, during which he set up another try for skipper Darren Lockyer, ran for 140m and chalked up 31 tackles in defence.
Still, Taylor insists he has much more to give and declared the experience of his first final would stand him in good stead for next weekend's clash at home against the man who gave him his start at Brisbane, Wayne Bennett and his Dragons.
``It was everything I expected and more to be honest. It was an amazing experience to be a part of (finals football). The feeling now amongst the boys is just awesome,'' he said.
``We let them come back in the second half, but I thought we did a pretty good job to get away with the win in the end.
``It was really tough out there. It took every man and his dog to just get through that game out there ... it was tough. I know myself I was exhausted. It was a huge effort for the boys to come together and defend for one another at the end there and do the job they did.''
Meanwhile, on the Gold Coast, veteran fullback Mat Rogers was cleared of any serious head or neck injuries after being knocked unconscious in an aerial contest late in Saturday night's match.
The news wasn't as good for Titans utility Josh Graham, who has been booked in for scans on a suspected foot stress fracture and will almost certainly miss Friday night's elimination final against Parramatta.
