THERE is good news for Queensland fans, and rugby league fans, hoping to see David Taylor fulfill his devastating potential in 2013 – the Coaltrain is getting back on track.
That is the assessment of former Maroons captain Trevor Gillmeister, who has taken Taylor under his wing in the early weeks of pre-season training since the giant forward transferred from South Sydney to the Gold Coast Titans.
Gillmeister, assistant coach at the Titans, had nothing but praise for Taylor’s application since returning to Queensland, and is one of many hoping the game’s potentially most destructive weapon regains his spark next season.
“He has been going great since he has been with us,” Gillmeister said. “He has been ripping into the work, and he has settled right in pretty quickly.
“I know there were some reports about how happy we were that he has lost some weight, but that is not quite right. Dave doesn’t carry a lot of fat on him anyway – his skinfolds are always at good levels – it’s just that his body shape is the way it is and he is a heavy bloke.
“So we had no concerns about weight issues at all. What we wanted to see was him getting in and doing the work, and he has done that very well.”
Taylor is a genuine enigma of the game – a player blessed with undoubted ability, and freakish skills for a player of his immense size.
But too often he has found himself at the centre of criticism for taking silly options in attack, losing his cool under pressure or being lazy in defence.
His final game for the Rabbitohs saw Taylor get the hook from South coach Michael Maguire, with the big forward’s frustration getting the better of him and having a detrimental impact on his performance.
But Gillmeister suspects that a more settled life off the field back in Queensland will help Taylor regain his focus, and perhaps deliver on his potential as one of the most destructive match-winning forwards in the game.
“I think the move home will do him the world of good, and allow him to put all of his energies into his footy,” Gilly said.
“I think Dave, being a relatively young bloke with a young family, found the going a bit tough living in Sydney – away from what was familiar and the support network that you always need when you’ve got a wife and young kids.
“That sort of stuff can play on your mind a bit, and I think now that that side of things will be taken care of, he will be much more settled in how he goes about his footy.
“He has thrown himself into it since he got here – he has really got into the surfing, so that is a great way for him to relax and take his mind off things.
“God knows how big his surfboard is – it must be the size of the Queen Mary to keep him afloat. But the signs are really good that he has settled in quickly and well, and I think that is a real positive start for his footy next year.
Gillmeister himself hasn’t had much time to relax over the early summer months as the Titans have got back into training – taking Taylor, Jamal Idris and Ryan James for special sessions, and recently leading a training trip to Falls Creek ski resort in Victoria.
“A few of the guys wanted to try some altitude training, so we’re heading down there with a handful of blokes to see what an impact it might have on improving performance,” he said. “It was actually Ashley Harrison’s idea, and a number of the guys wanted to try it, so we’re giving it a go.
“A number of the AFL clubs do a bit of altitude work in the United States in the off-season, so it is worthwhile finding out whether there are any benefits as far as getting ready for a rugby league season.
That is the assessment of former Maroons captain Trevor Gillmeister, who has taken Taylor under his wing in the early weeks of pre-season training since the giant forward transferred from South Sydney to the Gold Coast Titans.
Gillmeister, assistant coach at the Titans, had nothing but praise for Taylor’s application since returning to Queensland, and is one of many hoping the game’s potentially most destructive weapon regains his spark next season.
“He has been going great since he has been with us,” Gillmeister said. “He has been ripping into the work, and he has settled right in pretty quickly.
“I know there were some reports about how happy we were that he has lost some weight, but that is not quite right. Dave doesn’t carry a lot of fat on him anyway – his skinfolds are always at good levels – it’s just that his body shape is the way it is and he is a heavy bloke.
“So we had no concerns about weight issues at all. What we wanted to see was him getting in and doing the work, and he has done that very well.”
Taylor is a genuine enigma of the game – a player blessed with undoubted ability, and freakish skills for a player of his immense size.
But too often he has found himself at the centre of criticism for taking silly options in attack, losing his cool under pressure or being lazy in defence.
His final game for the Rabbitohs saw Taylor get the hook from South coach Michael Maguire, with the big forward’s frustration getting the better of him and having a detrimental impact on his performance.
But Gillmeister suspects that a more settled life off the field back in Queensland will help Taylor regain his focus, and perhaps deliver on his potential as one of the most destructive match-winning forwards in the game.
“I think the move home will do him the world of good, and allow him to put all of his energies into his footy,” Gilly said.
“I think Dave, being a relatively young bloke with a young family, found the going a bit tough living in Sydney – away from what was familiar and the support network that you always need when you’ve got a wife and young kids.
“That sort of stuff can play on your mind a bit, and I think now that that side of things will be taken care of, he will be much more settled in how he goes about his footy.
“He has thrown himself into it since he got here – he has really got into the surfing, so that is a great way for him to relax and take his mind off things.
“God knows how big his surfboard is – it must be the size of the Queen Mary to keep him afloat. But the signs are really good that he has settled in quickly and well, and I think that is a real positive start for his footy next year.”
Gillmeister himself hasn’t had much time to relax over the early summer months as the Titans have got back into training – taking Taylor, Jamal Idris and Ryan James for special sessions, and recently leading a training trip to Falls Creek ski resort in Victoria.
“A few of the guys wanted to try some altitude training, so we’re heading down there with a handful of blokes to see what an impact it might have on improving performance,” he said. “It was actually Ashley Harrison’s idea, and a number of the guys wanted to try it, so we’re giving it a go.
“A number of the AFL clubs do a bit of altitude work in the United States in the off-season, so it is worthwhile finding out whether there are any benefits as far as getting ready for a rugby league season.
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