Taylor 'the one Broncos wanted to keep' - Sports News - Fanatics - the world's biggest events

Taylor 'the one Broncos wanted to keep'

By Wayne Heming 13/09/2009 11:00:39 AM Comments (0)

Every time Brisbane prop Dave Taylor monsters his way through helpless defenders or shows the silky skills of a five-eighth Broncos fans ask why is he leaving?

The 115kg Taylor was at it again on Saturday, terrorising the Titans in a pulsating 40-32 qualifying final win at Skilled Park - his massive mits plucking the match-winning intercept before sprinting 30 metres to the try line like a lightweight winger.

Taylor's arrival as one of rugby league's most exciting and damaging players hasn't surprised anyone at the Broncos.

He's the forwards version of Parramatta's excitement machine Jarryd Hayne.

Sadly for Brisbane fans, the 20 year-old giant is heading to South Sydney in 2010.

After watching players like Petero Civoniceva, Ben Hannant, Darius Boyd, David Stagg and Michael Ennis walk out the door because of salary cap restraints in the past few years, fans were hoping Taylor would stick around.

With all his attributes, he could turn out to be one player Brisbane can't replace.

"We're all very disappointed about Dave," Brisbane chief executive Bruno Cullen told AAP.

"People have to understand we saw Dave at a certain stage of his career and we had money allocated at that point of his career.

"But South Sydney's offer came in and it was something that just blew us out of the water and obviously blew Dave out of the water as well and he signed.

"Dave's not even 21. He's going to be an exceptional player, if he's not an exceptional player now.

"We've had him for five years. Nothing is new to us, what he's doing now, we always knew he could do for us, it just wasn't coming."

In the past month a more focused Taylor has showcased his full repertoire, speed, strength, vision, a chip and chase game and, yes even stamina, playing out wide.

Of the players to leave, which also include Kiwi international Greg Eastwood, utility Joel Moon and speedster Denan Kemp, the one Brisbane wanted to keep was Hannant who's established himself as one of the game's leading props this season with the Bulldogs.

Taylor was seen as the player to replace Hannant before South Sydney, urged by former Broncos captain Gorden Tallis, weighed in with their enticing offer.

"To be fair, and without being critical to any of the other players, there was only one we wanted to keep, and that was Ben Hannant," said Cullen.

"But we couldn't keep him because of salary cap issues and also Mick (Ennis).

"You have to remember at the time we signed Israel (Folau) and that took a big chunk (salary cap) and we thought we would keep K (Karmichael Hunt) and that was quite an amount of money."

Cullen and coach Ivan Henjak have accepted Taylor is leaving but they both know what they're losing.

"It'll be a long time before we see another physical Dave Taylor," said Cullen.

Brought to you by AAP AAP © 2024 AAP

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