Belcher on edge as Coal Train heads to Brisbane

RAIDERS legend Gary Belcher fears a Dave Taylor brain explosion could cost Canberra tonight when the Coal Train steams back to Brisbane.

Taylor will return to his old stomping ground for the first time since resurrecting his NRL career under Ricky Stuart at the Raiders this season.

In 2006, 17-year-old Taylor burst on to the NRL scene under Wayne Bennett at the Broncos as one of the game’s most exciting prospects with a 125kg frame and the skills of a halfback.

He has since been the ultimate tease, failing to find the consistency needed to be one of the NRL’s great players.

Taylor has been known to try to kick the ball past defenders or throw a cut-out pass instead of running over the top of them. Decision-making has never been his strength.

His former Titans coach John Cartwright said: “Frustrating is the word you can use when you describe Dave.”

Former Test fullback Belcher hopes no moment of madness costs the Raiders in tonight’s clash against the Broncos in Brisbane.

“We all kind of expect Dave Taylor to have a couple of brain explosions and I really hope it’s not the case against the Broncos,” Belcher said. “The problem … is he gets too fancy and gets carried away.

“He can get the ball and chip kick and regather and throw a 20m cut out pass for his winger.

“That’s not what Canberra needs. He just needs to bend the line and get a good playthe-ball.

“What frightens me is if Dave gets a few good offloads away, he will think he can get 10 away.

“He just needs to use his size like (Cowboys lock) Jason Taumalolo does and if he does that, he can be the best player on the field.

“We will see some good games from Dave but what we want to see is him being one of the top four or five forwards in the game and doing what Taumalolo does.”