Coaltrain's on the right track

DAVID Taylor has declared there is no more excess cargo on this Coaltrain with the rampaging back-rower claiming to be the fittest he has ever been.

Dave Taylor

SOUTH Sydney forward David Taylor has declared there is no more excess cargo on this Coaltrain with the rampaging back-rower claiming to be the fittest he has ever been ahead of Origin II.

Taylor said the professionalism instilled back into South Sydney under new coach Michael Maguire and a more committed approach to his diet had helped the 23-year-old lift his game in 2012 and become a Test forward for Australia.

Despite his growing highlights reel at the Rabbitohs, Taylor is still yet to really deliver the game-breaking performance at Origin level.

In game one he played just 24 minutes off the bench, replacing Nate Myles, but managed just one tackle bust from his four hit-ups as the Maroons played largely off the back foot. Now there are no more excuses with Taylor looking and feeling in peak physical condition.

"I feel like I'm the fittest that I've ever been," Taylor said. "Pre-season was probably the hardest I've ever done in my life.

"I feel like I've trimmed down, but I haven't lost any weight. I'm still at 124kg. I definitely feel like I've lost a bit of fat that I had last year and replaced it. I'm definitely feeling a lot fitter."

Taylor, whose giant size has been both lauded and criticised in his career, said he'd matured as an athlete and had stopped cutting corners with essential things like diet, recovery and preparation.

"I think as you get older you get more professional and more mature and you don't cut as many corners," Taylor said.

"When you're younger, I don't know if you're just happy to, but you're skipping a meal or having an extra meal and being a little bit lazy on your diet.

"But as I've got older I know more of what I have to do and I have the best help at Souths to help me out with it and I feel like I'm in a pretty good spot."

Taylor credited Maguire and his tough approach to the entire playing squad as the reason his career is on such a steep rise.

"The professionalism now at Souths is just unbelievable," he said.

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