Taylor’s time to get serious
PRACTICAL joker Scott Taylor will be deadly serious when he makes his World Cup debut tomorrow.
The prankster has wound up a few of his England team-mates with his amusing video diaries.
The Hull prop is also game for any other laughs that may be flying around the England camp.
But he knows his World Cup future could be on the line against France here – and he is not going to let anything mess that up.
Taylor, 26, said: “I’m absolutely buzzing. I want to put in a real good performance and then hopefully I am in Wayne’s mindset for the quarter-finals.”
Coach Wayne Bennett wants to see what Taylor can offer after overlooking him for the games against Australia and Lebanon.
Kev Brown, Mike McMeeken and Mark Percival also make their bows in the final group game.
All four know that they will not necessarily be first choices when the do-or-die stages kick off next week, with England expected to meet Papua New Guinea.
But Taylor says he is determined to convince Bennett that he cannot be left out again.
He said: “It’s been a long three-and-a-half weeks for me out here and it is tough.
“The hardest thing is when all my family and friends back home are messaging me asking, ‘Why aren’t you playing?’
“Obviously they all think I should be playing but we’ve got such a talented squad and I can understand why he picks the team he does. If I keep training as hard as I can on the training field I cannot give him a reason not to pick me in the future, hopefully.
“My family are delighted I’m playing this weekend and absolutely buzzing, and they will all be watching back home.
“They are really proud and I am more happy for them than myself because I know how much it means to them.”
Kick-off: TV: