CRONK IT UP
Ash has the perfect rival to test his Origin credentials
ASH Taylor could not have asked for a better State of Origin audition.
The Titans playmaker will line against the man whose Queensland boots he hopes to fill, Cooper Cronk, when Gold Coast clash with the Roosters on Saturday.
“I’d like to think (I’m in the conversation),” Taylor said ahead of the Maroons team announcement on Monday.
ASH Taylor hopes to muddy the Origin waters by turning in a stellar performance against the man whose Queensland boots he hopes to fill.
The Titans will take on the Roosters on the Central Coast at the weekend and Taylor’s clash against former Origin halfback Cooper Cronk provides him with the perfect opportunity for an 11th-hour audition for the Maroons.
While Ben Hunt, Cameron Munster and Michael Morgan are the favourites to fill the halves and utility spot in the absence of Cronk and Johnathan Thurston, Taylor would love a chance to prove he is the man to lead the Maroons into a new era.
“I’d like to think (I’m in the conversation),” Taylor said ahead of the Maroons team announcement on Monday.
“But there’s been some outstanding halves. Ben Hunt is in the form of his career which is hard to ignore.”
Taylor said he would like to think he could do the job if handed the opportunity by coach Kevin Walters.
“It’d be a big ask. But I’d love that opportunity, you’ve got to step up to the occasion.
“It’s everyone’s dream to play for Queensland and play for their country, so if that dream comes true this year or in the next five years, I’m going to make sure I’m ready for that
job. I’ve just go into keep preparing myself like I am ready and keep training hard.”
Even if he is not selected, Taylor has no intention of dropping his head, intending to heed the call from Titans coach Garth Brennan to continue to perform as he has over the past fortnight and continue to lead the Titans around the park.
Taylor orchestrated the Titans’ come-from-behind win against Newcastle last Saturday and showed his increasing maturity in the tight loss to the Storm.
“I might be fifth or sixth in line (for a Queensland halves spot) but I’m not going to spit the dummy and be like: ‘I’m not going to play good footy now, I’m just going to relax’.
“I’m just going to keep working hard.”
He may only be 23 but Taylor has long been pegged as a rising star, with influential figures including Matthew Johns raving about his form. And with plenty of talk swirling about Maroons Origin candidates after the representative retirement of both Cronk and Thurston, the noise is hard to dull.
“You can’t ignore it, it’s there but it’s just how you react to it,” Taylor said.
“But you’ve just got to get on with the job and get yourself back in the head space of where you’ve got to be to perform the best for your team.”
Taylor said he would treat the clash against Cronk “like any other challenge”.
“It’s a bit different seeing him in the Roosters jumper but I’ve just got to do my job for the team,” he said.
“We know what he can bring against us, so we’ve just got to make sure we’re on our game.”