Ashley Taylor of the Titans looks on during the round 22 NRL match between the South Sydney Rabbitohs and the Gold Coast Titans. Photo / Getty Images.
Ashley Taylor of the Titans looks on during the round 22 NRL match between the South Sydney Rabbitohs and the Gold Coast Titans. Photo / Getty Images.
The Warriors are adamant that their potential signing of former Gold Coast halfback Ash Taylor is not a gamble, instead characterising it as a win-win situation.
The Auckland club are close to sealing a deal with the 26-year-old, who was released by the Titans at the end of this season.
In 2016 Taylor was touted as the next big thing in the NRL, seen as one of the top playmakers of the future.
After coming through at the Broncos, he switched to the Titans, eventually on a contract worth more than a million dollars a year.
There were moments where he showed his class, especially in his first two seasons on the Gold Coast, but his impact has lessened since then, to the point that the Titans have cut him.
Taylor struggled to live up to the hype – and his price tag – and also had some off field problems, including issues with gambling, while he sat out part of the 2019 season to deal with "personal problems".
But the Warriors insist he could add value, on and off the field.
"In terms of a backup half, Ash Taylor is a very experienced player," Warriors chief executive Cameron George told the Herald. "He is 26 years and he is extremely talented."
"By his own admission he needs to prove himself to the game, to get a long-term deal at a club. If he does join us, he could certainly add value because of the experience and the talent, if he gets his off field commitment right."
"I felt in talking to him he is really keen to prove [himself], because he wants to be in the NRL and only he can decide to do that."
In that way, George characterises the scenario as positive for both parties.
"If he joins our club, on the basis that he is going to be hungry to succeed and secure a long term proposition with us or someone us, that is a great space for us to be in," said George. "I don't see him as a gamble. I see him as an opportunity."
George insists that no deal has been finalised – "We are still discussing what might work, for him and for us" - but the Herald understands that an agreement has been reached in principle, with only minor details to be ironed out.
The Warriors' relocation to Brisbane for 2022 has been a key factor, with Taylor wanting to stay in Queensland, near his young family.
Ashley Taylor of the Titans passes during the round 19 NRL match between the St George Illawarra Dragons and the Gold Coast Titans. Photo / Getty Images.
In terms of his chequered past, the club are "very comfortable" that the halfback has turned over a new leaf.
"He was very clear on that and I have done my own homework through various connections and his history…and people speak highly of Ash," said George. "They have [all] said if he wants to get really hungry and committed for it, you have a tremendous footy player. They were supportive of the approach."
By comparison with his previous deal, Taylor will be on a bare bones contract at the Warriors. He will be there to provide depth behind Shaun Johnson and Chanel Harris-Tavita, with Kodi Nikorima now earmarked as a backup hooker and bench utility (No 14).
Taylor's presence could muddy the waters for Harris-Tavita – who has been biding his time since 2019 – but the local product has been told he will get the first shot alongside Johnson.
Harris-Tavita is believed to be happy to fight for his spot and prove himself, with the club wanting to see what unfolds in the first quarter of next season before they offer him a new deal.
The club are also conscious of Johnson's injury history and the attrition rate for halves in the modern game. Johnson is only 31 years old but has 11 NRL seasons behind him. He managed 18, 16 and 10 games respectively in his three years at the Sharks.
