NewsBite

Ash Taylor admits he’s still got a way to go before he gets back to his best form

Ash Taylor might have played his best game in some time in Gold Coast’s 28-23 win over the Tigers, but the man himself admits he’s not yet back to his best form.

Taylor put on a star turn in the win over the Tigers. Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images.
Taylor put on a star turn in the win over the Tigers. Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images.

Ash Taylor does not believe one good performance means he has his mojo back, but the Titans playmaker knows he’s on the right path to discovering his career-best form.

The Gold Coast’s million-dollar man helped steer the Titans to their first victory in 364 days on Sunday night, playing a starring role in their 28-23 win over the Tigers.

Taylor, who put on two tries for wingers Anthony Don and Brian Kelly, has been lauded for his composure and for leading the Titans in their impressive comeback.

The 25-year-old had to take time away from the game last year as he dealt with mental health issues and has struggled to find his feet since his return.

On Sunday however, he showed glimpses of his potential.

But while he is happy with his progress, Taylor says he has a long way to go to find his mojo.

Kayo is your ticket to the 2020 NRL Telstra Premiership. Every game of every round Live & On-Demand with no-ad breaks during play. New to Kayo? Get your 14-day free trial & start streaming instantly >

Taylor put on a star turn in the win over the Tigers. Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images.
Taylor put on a star turn in the win over the Tigers. Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images.

“It’s just one game,” Taylor said.

“You can’t rely on one game to bring back your best ... but it’s a stepping stone. It’s something to work off and I’ll keep working hard every week.”

It was not an easy night at the office for the Titans, with the Tigers racing out to a 12-0 lead in just 12 minutes after Taylor threw an intercept pass to Wests winger David Nofoaluma.

He said the Taylor of old would have “put his head down, played the rest of the game but wouldn’t have got involved”, however, with the help of his teammates and encouragement of coach Justin Holbrook, Taylor steadied the ship.

Since his arrival at the club, new coach Holbrook has had a strong influence on Taylor and made the decision to move him to five-eighth so he could leave the organising to a new halfback in Jamal Fogarty.

Taylor believes there’s still a way to go. Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images.
Taylor believes there’s still a way to go. Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images.

Taylor said the switch, plus Holbrook’s presence, had played a part in his form turnaround.

“Being a half, you’re really hard on yourself to make big plays every play, but now we have Jamal in there who’s doing a great job,” he said.

“(Holbrook) has helped me massively. He plays it simple for me, he keeps a simple game plan.

“I think that’s why he switched me to five-eighth, to keep my role simple, to try to inject myself in the game so that when I do get the ball, I make something of it. I’ve really worked hard with Justin.”

The Titans scored their first win in almost a year. Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images.
The Titans scored their first win in almost a year. Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images.

Taylor said the key now – not just for his own game but for the Titans’ bid to become a force in this year’s competition – was to find consistency.

Their next assignment will be a tough one against the South Sydney Rabbitohs on Saturday, but Taylor said the team was building on their self-belief.

“It’s been a long time coming but there’s been a lot of hard work put into getting that one win,” he said.

“If you’re not believing in the team then why compete? Why be in the competition?

“Us as a club, we haven’t been very strong the past few years and we really want to work hard on changing that.”

Add your comment to this story

To join the conversation, please Don't have an account? Register

Join the conversation, you are commenting as Logout

Original URL: https://www.couriermail.com.au/sport/nrl/teams/titans/ash-taylor-admits-hes-still-got-a-way-to-go-before-he-gets-back-to-his-best-form/news-story/ee4f2bc8fe61f0f8e1d8c6bfccfe5d6c