NRL 2022: Former Parramatta Eels teammates reveal anguish at not knowing Paul Taylor was homeless

Eels legends have revealed their anguish that former teammate Paul Taylor never reached out to ask for help when he was living rough and remember the day he ‘spilt his guts’.

Parramatta premiership winners Paul Taylor and Peter Wynn. Picture: Twitter

There was never a cry for help.

Former Parramatta stars have revealed their anguish at the plight of former teammate Paul Taylor.

News Corp revealed on Wednesday that Taylor had fought back from the indignity of sleeping in Brisbane parks and under the famous Story Bridge.

Taylor was destitute and living off $1 McDonald’s hash browns and stolen tea bags. He would wear the same clothes for a week.

This for a club legend who contested five grand finals for Parramatta in 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984 and 1986 before adoring crowds of 50,000-plus at the SCG.

Former Eels star Paul Taylor has got his life back on track on the Gold Coast. Picture: Glenn Hampson

“There was never a cry for help. ‘Taz’ (Taylor) disappeared off the radar – he didn’t once put his hand out for assistance,” said Eels teammate Peter Wynn, who once lived with Taylor in Liverpool.

“He didn’t ask for any help and just battled through it all by himself. He toughed it out on his own.

“It was a reflection on his footy career. He never went looking for any favours. There are no favours given in rugby league. That was his mentality.

“If he needed us then we hoped that door would have been made open to us but he never screamed out for help.

“But it just never came up. We would have helped immediately had it been brought to our attention. We would have rallied around him, 100 per cent.”

Parramatta legend Peter Wynn says he and former teammates were distraught when they discovered Taylor had been destitute and wished they could have helped. Picture: Brendan Read

Asked about Taylor’s downfall, Eels legend Brett Kenny added: “I didn’t know. That’s a bit of a surprise. I didn’t realise the situation he was in.

“That’s ‘Tazza’. He wouldn’t have wanted to bother the rest of us with his problems. It’s probably what most of us would do. He doesn’t let too many people into his private life.

“If we knew, something would have been done to help him out. Maybe he was embarrassed.”

Taylor, now 63, has since recovered, works two jobs and lives on the Gold Coast.

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“He reappeared and he turned up to a couple of Parramatta reunions we had in Sydney,” Wynn said. “He told us then what happened to him – he spilt his guts and we were shocked. When we catch up, we don’t delve into what he went through. But we are all aware of it and we are all around him.

“He climbed back up again. By the time we knew about it he had come through the other side. He has his own business now and is very happy. I know at reunions, when we go to a bar, all the fans still remember him. He’s remembered just as much as the rest of us.”

Stan Jurd, Paul Taylor, Steve Edge and Steve Ella together after the 1983 grand final win.

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Taylor moved to Queensland after rugby league to be close to his son, Jamie. It was his love for Jamie which kept Taylor going through the dark moments.

“One day you’re playing in front of 50,000 people and the next minute you’re sitting in a park with two homeless people,” Taylor said.

“I would sleep in parks in Brisbane city. It toughens you up. It was all about existence – like all homeless people. Existence in the middle of nowhere. You’ve got nobody.

“I would eat the dollar hash browns at McDonald’s. I used to pinch a couple of Lipton tea bags because there was a park where you could get hot water. They had toilets and taps in the parks.”

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