HEAT ON HALF
ASH NEEDS TO LIFT
THE Gold Coast Titans’ million-dollar man, halfback Ash Taylor, is under mounting pressure to lift his game following a Saturday night performance against Wests Tigers described by coach Garth Brennan as “mixed”.
Brennan needed a moment before assessing Taylor’s effort in a side that threw away a twotry lead to lose 30-14 in Tamworth.
The club’s highest paid player (pictured) ran for 65 metres, kicked for 163 metres and made 13 of his 15 tackles to go with one handling error.
Given the Titans’ overall capitulation, those individual numbers don’t stand out. But they aren’t setting the world alight either and Brennan knows it.
“Mixed, yeah mixed,” Brennan said of Taylor’s performance as the Titans slipped to a 2-5 win-loss record.
“I probably do (expect more). You know, he’s had a few injuries this year and he’s probably not quite there.”
Taylor has endured a torrid start to the year, including minor shoulder surgery and a quad injury that ruled him out until Round 4.
The Titans forwards are also yet to offer their backs a dominant platform, though they showed glimpses on Saturday night and in their Round 6 win over Newcastle. But Taylor, 24, was signed for his game-breaking ability and is yet to deliver this season.
Taylor was the Titans’ most potent attacking weapon in 2018 with 18 try-assists but has since managed just one from four games. It’s a similar story with his running game.
New captain Tyrone Roberts has largely adopted kicking duties but Taylor’s running metres are yet to reap the benefits, with his average gain dropping from 49m to 33m.
Defence is another concern, with tackle success slightly down from 83 per cent (2018) to 77 per cent.
But Brennan is adamant Taylor will improve and says he will continue to work with his first-choice playmaker.
“He probably hasn’t had the confidence at the moment to come up with the plays that he’d like to but I’m not too concerned at this point,” he said.
Gold Coast’s season now hangs in the balance, with the side facing a six-day turnaround against North Queensland in Townsville.
The Cowboys will be equally desperate for a win but Brennan should take heart in the efforts of Shannon Boyd and Mitch Rein against the Tigers.
Boyd racked up 151m to spearhead the Titans pack, while Rein made 56 tackles without a miss.