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Dave Taylor (rugby league)

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Dave Taylor
Personal information
Full nameDavid Taylor
Born (1988-07-08) 8 July 1988 (age 36)
Rockhampton, Queensland, Australia
Height187 cm (6 ft 2 in)
Weight123 kg (19 st 5 lb)
Playing information
PositionSecond-row, Prop
Club
Years Team Pld T G FG P
2006–09 Brisbane Broncos 49 9 0 0 36
2010–12 South Sydney 63 18 0 0 72
2013–15 Gold Coast Titans 58 15 0 0 60
2016 Catalans Dragons 26 9 0 0 36
2017 Canberra Raiders 11 0 0 0 0
Total 207 51 0 0 204
Representative
Years Team Pld T G FG P
2007 Queensland Residents 1 1 0 0 4
2010 Prime Minister's XIII 1 0 0 0 0
2011–12 NRL All Stars 2 0 0 0 0
2010–14 Queensland 8 0 0 0 0
2012 Australia 1 0 0 0 0
Source: [1][2][3]
As of 4 January 2024

David Taylor (born 8 July 1988), also nicknamed "Coal Train",[4] is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played as a second-row and prop in the NRL and the Super League in the 2000s and 2010s.

A Queensland State of Origin and Australia international representative, during his career he played for the Brisbane Broncos, South Sydney Rabbitohs, Gold Coast Titans and Canberra Raiders in the NRL, and the Catalans Dragons in the Super League.

Early life

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Taylor grew up in the Central Queensland coal mining town of Blackwater where he started off his career playing in the Under-7s with the Blackwater Crushers.[5]

Taylor attended St. Brendan's College in Yeppoon and in 2005 represented Australia at schoolboy level.[6] He also played Rugby Union before committing to League.[7]

Playing career

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Taylor in action for the Broncos

Brisbane Broncos

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In 2006, Taylor signed with the Brisbane Broncos. Playing 49 times over 3 seasons, he departed the Brisbane side in 2009 to join South Sydney.

South Sydney Rabbitohs

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Taylor was one of the Rabbitohs' strongest players during his two seasons with the club, earning four Queensland State of Origin caps while with the club, as well as selection in the Australian squad at the end of the 2011 season. Taylor was originally selected to play in the 2010 All Stars match but withdrew due to injury. In his first year with Souths, Taylor was selected to play for Queensland and made his debut for the Maroons from the bench in Game I of the 2010 State of Origin series. He played in all 3 games in 2010. Taylor played game 2 and was suspended in time for the third game 2011 and as a result, was unable to play. Taylor made his test debut for Australia in 2012 ANZAC test. He also played for Queensland in the 2012 State of Origin series. Taylor played in the first two origins then dropped for the third game in 2012. At the end of the 2012 season, Taylor was included in the Australian train-on squad.

Gold Coast Titans

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Taylor signed a 4-year contract with the Gold Coast Titans in 2012. It was reported that Taylor signed the contract to be closer to home. [citation needed] Taylor joined the acclaimed forward pack of the Titans, which included Greg Bird, Nate Myles, Ashley Harrison and Luke Bailey, all of which had played in their representative state teams. 2013 was a very up-and-down year for Taylor. Failing to make the Queensland Maroons, as well as Taylor being dropped from the first grade squad, led to many media reports suggesting the Titans made one of the poorer signings for 2013.[8]

Taylor was recalled to Queensland's squad for the second State of Origin match in 2014, replacing the injured Corey Parker. He scored 7 tries from his 19 NRL appearances.

One of five Titans players charged with cocaine possession or supply in 2015, Taylor was initially stood down from the first grade squad, but recalled after pleading innocent.[9] He was left out of the Queensland State of Origin team and was later dropped to the Titans Queensland Cup feeder club mid-season. In October, he was ordered to stand trial over the cocaine charges.[10]

Catalans Dragons

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On 4 August 2015, Taylor signed a 2-year contract with French Super League club Catalans Dragons beginning in 2016. He also announced his ambitions to play for England for which he is eligible through his Cumbrian born grandfather.[citation needed]

Canberra Raiders

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On 18 October 2016, Taylor was offered a train and trial contract with the Canberra Raiders and trained with the team during the 2017 pre-season. Based on his performances, the Raiders coach, Ricky Stuart, offered him a contract for 2017.[11] He was available for selection from round three after serving a 2 match suspension.[citation needed]

In November 2016, Taylor was fined $1000 after he pleaded guilty to cocaine possession charges dating back to August 2016.[12]

Taylor made his 2017 appearance off the bench for the Raiders in their 46–6 win over the Wests Tigers at GIO Stadium in Canberra.

Toronto Wolfpack

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Taylor had signed to play with Kingstone Press Championship side Toronto Wolfpack for the 2018 season but before he could even make his debut it was reported on 18 January 2018 that Taylor, along with teammates Fuifui Moimoi and Ryan Bailey, parted ways with the club by "mutual agreement" following a preseason training camp in Portugal.[13] It was later reported that the players had twice missed curfew during the trip.[14]

Central Queensland Capras

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On 1 February 2018, it was announced that Taylor had been signed by the Rockhampton-based QRL team, the Central Queensland Capras on a two-year deal to play in the Intrust Super Cup competition.[15] The Capras decision to sign Taylor was described by the media as him being handed a lifeline and an opportunity for him to get his playing career back on track.[16] Upon signing with the Capras, Taylor claimed a couple of NRL sides were interested in signing him but he had declined their interest, preferring to return home. However, Taylor said that despite his reluctance to re-enter the NRL, the Capras had indicated that they would be prepared to release him from his contract if an opportunity arose for him to join another NRL club during his time at the Capras.[17]

On 13 August 2018, television personality Erin Molan was slammed by fans and the media for fat shaming Taylor during a segment on the Sunday Footy Show. Molan was forced to apologize to Taylor the following day taking to Twitter to say “(I’m) absolutely appalled by this", she wrote. "Unreservedly apologise on behalf of the show to Dave Taylor. The panel were expecting the vision to show a gun try or a big hit as our gutsy play. There was no malice or intent to offend but that doesn’t matter. We are sorry".[18]

On 20 June 2019, Taylor retired from rugby league, having played 22 games over one and a half seasons for the Capras.[19]

References

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  1. ^ "loverugbyleague". Archived from the original on 11 November 2017. Retrieved 6 December 2023.
  2. ^ "Rugby League Project". Retrieved 6 December 2023.
  3. ^ "rabbitohs.com.au". Archived from the original on 19 May 2010. Retrieved 10 April 2010.
  4. ^ Lutton, Phil (9 June 2011). "Locky wants 'Coal Train' to deliver in engine room". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 9 June 2011.
  5. ^ Kelly, Aaron Proud family cheer on Taylor, The Morning Bulletin, 20 April 2012. Retrieved 5 February 2018.
  6. ^ "Australian Schoolboys Report". Australian Rugby League - Annual Report 2005 (PDF). 5 July 2009. p. 27. Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 July 2009. Retrieved 6 October 2017.
  7. ^ Chris Garry (14 June 2015). "Dave Taylor set to quit Gold Coast Titans for stint in Japanese rugby union". Fox Sports. Retrieved 12 December 2015.
  8. ^ "Titanic turkeys: Signings who flopped". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 12 December 2015.
  9. ^ Tom Forbes (8 May 2015). "Gold Coast Titans players facing cocaine charges demanding to see evidence as case is adjourned". ABC. Retrieved 12 December 2015.
  10. ^ "Former NRL star Taylor to go ahead with Catalans move despite cocaine trial". The Guardian. 12 December 2015. Retrieved 8 October 2015.
  11. ^ Polkinghorne, David (18 February 2017). "Canberra Raiders offer Dave Taylor an NRL contract". Canberratimes.com.au. Retrieved 6 October 2017.
  12. ^ "The 66 scandals in four years that have rocked the NRL". Fox Sports. 8 February 2019.
  13. ^ Williams, Tim Toronto Wolfpack part ways with Dave Taylor, Fuifui Moimoi reportedly following off-field incident, news.com.au, 19 January 2018. Retrieved 5 February 2018.
  14. ^ "REVEALED: The reason Taylor and Moimoi were axed from Toronto". Sporting News. 19 January 2018. Retrieved 15 January 2019.
  15. ^ Webeck, Tony Dave Taylor opens up on leaving Toronto, NRL pressure and joining CQ Capras in Intrust Super Cup, Fox Sports, 1 February 2018. Retrieved 5 February 2018.
  16. ^ NRL News: Central Queensland Capras hand Dave Taylor rugby league lifeline, Nine's Wide World of Sports, Nine Network, 1 February 2018. Retrieved 5 February 2018.
  17. ^ Allen, Steph Dave Taylor signs with Queensland Cup side Central Queensland Capras, news.com.au, 1 February 2018. Retrieved 5 February 2018.
  18. ^ McMurtry, Andrew (13 August 2018). "Molan: 'I'm absolutely appalled'". news. Retrieved 6 December 2023.
  19. ^ "'Volcano that never erupted': Why Dave Taylor was the NRL enigma who didn't grasp greatness". 20 June 2019.
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