Positional switch to crack code

TITANS coach Justin Holbrook is confident he can crack the Ash Taylor code by switching the Gold Coast playmaker to five-eighth.

Taylor will make his first NRL appearance in the No.6 jersey when the Titans take on North Queensland at QCB Stadium tonight.

Taylor has played all of his 82 NRL games at halfback, a position he dominated as a junior on his way to debuting for the Brisbane Broncos in 2015. After a lacklustre start to the season, Holbrook has made a huge call to shift Taylor into the No. 6 and hand Intrust Super Cup gun Jamal Fogarty the Gold Coast's halfback duties.

The move could be defining for both Taylor and the Titans.

Taylor is a key player for the Gold Coast club.

At 25 and on a $1 million-aseason contract until the end of 2021, the Titans need their highest-paid player to fire if they are to be an NRL premiership threat. Holbrook said the positional switch would alleviate the pressure on the talented Taylor and allow him to play with the spark that made him an NRL sensation in his early years.

“It’s about finding our right balance and connection as a team,” he said.

“That’s what we feel is best and I’m looking forward to seeing them in action.

“I’m not sure it’s the last roll of the dice, I think it suits him.

“We’ve put him in that organising role and it hasn’t worked for us.

“When I had that six weeks off I had to think long and hard about our side and how we’re going to get the best out of every player.

“Ash is no different to that. He plays a big role. We had to look to get the best out of him.”