Taylor relishes chance to play at home of beloved Broncos
AS a bona fide Denver Broncos fan, Hull FC’s Scott Taylor had more reason than most to celebrate his late call-up for England.
The prop only found out on Friday he would be flying to the USA for Saturday’s historic mid-season Test against New Zealand.
An injury to South Sydney’s George Burgess meant he was drafted into Wayne Bennett’s 19man squad and he is now hoping to earn a place on match day.
“I’m not just saying this as we’re in Denver but I have been a big Denver Broncos fan for quite a few years now,” said Taylor.
“Look back on my Instagram. I am a big NFL fan and so I’m really looking forward to this chance to see this big NFL city. It would be surreal to play here; if someone said to me a year ago I’d have a chance to play at Mile High Stadium I’d have just laughed.
“You’d just think it would never happen and why would you play there? But, hopefully, I do, it’ll be massive and something to remember for a long time.
“Peyton Manning was my favourite (Denver) player but he’s been retired a long time. It’s more Case Keenum, Von Miller and Chris Harris now so I’ll be keeping my eyes open for all of them.”
Taylor played in Hull’s 14-10 defeat against Wigan Warriors on Saturday before joining his England colleagues.
He was part of the World Cup squad Down Under last autumn but did not make the original cut to face the Kiwis with Bennett naming George and Tom Burgess, James Graham, Chris Hill and uncapped St Helens tyro Luke Thompson as his front-rows.
The 27-year-old admitted: “I was gutted when I got the call I’d missed out on the original 19.
“I was disappointed. I’d worked out I’d be able to get a few days off from Hull to get away but when JP (England football manager Jamie Peacock) rang to say I was in I was delighted. Now I need to work hard to try get a spot.” FIT-AGAIN Hull KR captain Shaun Lunt has thanked his family for “copping” his bad moods following his latest spell on the sidelines.
The ex-England hooker made his return from a two-month layoff in Sunday’s dramatic 24-24 draw at Castleford Tigers.
It was only his seventh game all season having suffered two different knee injuries.
Lunt admitted: “These last ten to 12 weeks have been awful.
“I missed five games, came back, played the full 80 against Widnes and felt great.
“But then I played just 90 seconds against Warrington and it just knocks you right back.
“You get paid to play and when you are sat watching the boys not winning and you know there’s a chance of going down at the end of the season it’s not nice. I’m lucky I’ve a very understanding wife and two kids as they copped the brunt of my shortness; they have been my rock.”
The ex-Huddersfield Giants and Leeds Rhinos player helped struggling Robins fight back from 24-12 down to earn a rare point.
Lunt explained: “I’ve said it time and time again that as a team we do the hard things easy but the easy things so hard.
“We turn the ball over on the first tackle but then we get on our tryline, do four or five sets of six defending and go back down the other end to score.
“We are doing the hard stuff and you can’t buy that. Speaking to Joel (Tomkins) he can’t believe how strong the boys are and how there’s just no bitchiness.
“He loves it and I thought he was fantastic in his first game; he really added size to that right edge and was really dangerous.”
Meanwhile, with no game this weekend, Lunt does have a treat for his suffering wife.
“We got married before Christmas but had not been able to get away so we’re going on a belated honeymoon to Majorca for four or five days,” he said.