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Ash rests up as Tanah returns
STRUGGLING Ash Taylor will begin seeing a sports psychologist as the Titans seek professional help to rebuild their star halfback’s teetering NRL career.
Taylor, 24, is spending time with family and friends in his old home town of St George, 550km west of the Gold Coast, after being granted compassionate leave to address mental health issues.
With Taylor’s future uncertain, the Titans yesterday brought former Runaway Bay young gun Tanah Boyd back home from the Broncos to boost their half stocks.
THE Titans playing group and its potential was a significant lure for emerging halfback Tanah Boyd to take his NRL future down the M1.
Boyd has joined Gold Coast effective immediately from the Broncos on a deal until the end of 2021, taking one of the two available spots in Garth Brennan’s top 30 squad that must be filled by June 30.
The 18-year-old was born in Penrith but moved to the Coast at the age of two, playing footy for Runaway Bay and Keebra Park.
The Titans have made a concerted effort to fill their roster with homegrown talent and Boyd is excited to be a part of that, having been picked up in the Broncos development system at 12 and officially signed by them three years later.
Boyd sensed an opportunity at the Gold Coast, given he was unable to play NRL on the rookie contract he had at the Broncos, where he faced stiff competition from the likes of Tom Dearden and Sean O’Sullivan.
“I kind of just thought, will I get an opportunity there? And then this opportunity came up and it was pretty good so I wanted to take it,” Boyd told the Bulletin.
“It has come up pretty quick, to be honest. I think it has been probably five days that it has all come about.
“The group they have got there, it’s a fairly young group and they have got some real quality so that excites me.
“There’s a lot of boys in that squad that I have played with and am pretty good mates with, so that excites me as well.”
Among those that Boyd knows well are fellow Keebra alumni Jai Arrow, Moeaki Fotuaika, AJ Brimson and Jesse Arthars.
The fact Brennan prides himself on being a development coach didn’t hurt either.
“I want to get my nose in the door and he’s the kind of coach that will give young fellas a crack so that’s another reason why I wanted to come down,” Boyd said.
Titans head of performance and culture Mal Meninga hailed Boyd’s signing.
“Tanah has had a celebrated junior career and he has obviously been on the radar of a lot of people for a while,” Meninga said.
“He has been playing Intrust Super Cup with my old team Souths Logan Magpies, and he has been getting some great experience there playing at a higher level against much older guys.
“To play at that level at such a young age shows what a great deal of promise he has.”
Boyd, a former Queensland under-16 and under-18 rep, will switch ISC clubs to Titans feeder team Tweed.
He will have his first gym session at the Titans today.