Dave Taylor has to lose weight or he will be forced out of the NRL

DAVE Taylor has admitted he will be forced out of rugby league if he doesn’t lose the weight to handle the increasing speed of the NRL.

TITANS hulk Dave Taylor has made the candid admission he will be forced out of rugby league if he doesn’t lose the necessary weight to handle the increasing speed of the NRL.

Taylor’s critique came as his first NRL trainer, former Broncos high-performance guru Dean Benton, revealed the forward’s current weight is hampering his success in the code.

Ahead of Sunday’s clash against the Tigers, Taylor opened up to The Sunday Mail about the challenge he faces to survive in a sport increasingly testing the limits of his enormous frame.

Dave Taylor needs to shed kilograms to stay relevant in the NRL.

The 25-year-old also spoke of the incessant expectation to reach his potential, and why he has stopped putting pressure on himself to play for Queensland and Australia.

Having languished on the bench for most of 2013, Taylor has been catapulted into the starting side this season in a major show of faith by Titans coach John Cartwright.

But after watching a frenetic opening-round, Cartwright believes the speed of the NRL this season will make or break the bigger forwards — and Taylor admits he’s in the firing line.

Dave Taylor in action in round one against the Sharks.

“A big boy like myself ... to be honest, I have to lose weight and adapt to the game or I will get pushed out,” said Taylor, who will wear the No.12 jumper today at Cbus Super Stadium.

“The speed will test me. I lasted 20 minutes (against Cronulla in round one) and I was already blowing.

“It’s such a quick game now and that’s what the NRL clearly want. They listen to their fans and that’s what the fans are asking for.

“Training is one thing, but match-fitness is another and I need to get used to the game speed.”

When Taylor jumped on the scales for the post-match weigh-in following the Titans’ Round 1 defeat of Cronulla, a Gold Coast staffer recorded his weight as 121kg.

But that figure would have flattered the former Maroons wrecking ball. On average, NRL stars can lose 2-3kg over an 80-minute game. By the time he adequately hydrated, Taylor's weight will have reached around 123kg, a figure Benton believes any NRL athlete will struggle to carry in today’s game.

One of world sport’s most respected conditioners, Benton pushed Taylor hard during his Broncos tenure to indoctrinate him on what it takes to succeed in the NRL.

Dave Taylor on his day can be one of the most destructive forwards in the NRL.

“The main issue for Dave (at the Broncos) was his weight,” said Benton.

“I am not sure what he weighs now, but he was best suited to playing at 114-115kg. Playing at 120kg compromised his running capacity and ability to get on and off the ground quickly and reliably.”

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Asked what Taylor needed to do to reach his potential, Benton said:

“High-quality running, wrestling and a padlock on his fridge.”

“From my experience with Dave it was not his athletic qualities (that let him down). He had it all in abundance — speed, strength, power and endurance.

“Dave was probably one of the most talented players and athlete I had ever worked with from any either rugby code.

“Dave could have been a world-class hammer thrower, Olympic weightlifter and tighthead prop in rugby if he wanted to, but he was not the best prepared.”

Cartwright has been rapt with Taylor’s attitude in pre-season, but admits this season could be the forward’s toughest physical and mental test yet.

Dave Taylor says 2013 is make or break.

“The speed of the game is really going to affect Dave,” Cartwright said.

“Because he’s a big guy, he needs football and we haven’t been able to get that much from him.

“We are just trying to relax him and he seemed quite relaxed for most of the Sharks game. He made some good decisions in defence and on a couple of occasions, he looked dangerous with the ball.”

In 2012, Taylor was axed midway through the Origin series when coach Mal Meninga flagged concerns over his mental approach off the field.

As a result, Taylor was overlooked completely by the Maroons last year. Now, he is easing the pressure valve and going back to square one.

“I don’t have one single goal to be honest. If I miss Origin and Australia, I’m not going to be too down on myself, I’m just going to go out and play football for the Titans,” he said.

“I’m not really listening to the critics except the coaching staff who tell me what to do.

“If you listen to everyone else, you go crazy. No offence to the media, but most of the journos have never played NRL before, so it would be quite silly to listen to someone who has never played and only observed.

“I will listen to John Cartwright who has done it at the highest level.

“This is the best feeling Ive ever had at the club, the boys are just all about each other and working for each other and it’s just a great feeling.

“The last few years I’ve been so focused on keeping my Origin spot and people keep saying you only have the bench number, you have to work harder to get the run on.

“When you think about that too much, it weighs you down. I’m just going to go out and play for the Titans. I won't worry one bit about rep football, I’m over putting pressure on myself and not having fun.”