Following Wednesday night’s Origin match a certain picture began to swirl through cyber space. The picture was of the Queensland bench and included dumped Maroons forward Dave Taylor, celebrating as the full-time siren blew.
But hold on, something was amiss.
Staring at the picture closely, trying to see the 3D Sailing boat within, all of a sudden its mystery leapt out and smacked me fair in the face like a Brent Tate fist.
Taylor says his passion got better of him
Dave Taylor was wearing a suit!
Oh, and he was flipping the bird.
Not of a particular avian or Maitland Pumpkin Picker variety mind you, but the universal greeting of surly teens and people who drive faster than you everywhere.
Cue scenes of internet panic that thankfully failed to even reach the lowly level of ‘Attractive athlete takes picture of themselves’ on the scandal scale
Yes this was one little bird that was never going to fly, all for one very simple reason.
Everyone loves Dave Taylor.
It’s true. A large, strangely shaped, scruffily bearded and erratic playing forward is the most loved man(child) in rugby league.
Take commentator Phil Gould for example , a man who could grumble the tats off Todd Carney’s calf muscles. Let him call the match when Big Dave is going around and suddenly the Moanatronic 4000 turns into a 10-year-old girl at a slumber party watching ‘Funny Kitty Lolz’ on Youtube.
The fans are no better. Each Taylor tackle or line break is met with hoots that belong at a Mad Monday nude run, while each dropped ball and fluffed opportunity is brushed aside with a wry smile and a “That’s Big Dave for you!” punch line.
Even Souths fans, who would not baulk at placing a fatwa on the head of an occasional NRL bench player if he dares stay on the train past Redfern, have been lining up to shake Dave’s hand and chip in to buy the bloke a new pair of Speedos to wear on the GC.
It’s a marketer’s dream, the knockabout country kid with the giant buttocks playing backyard footy on the game’s biggest stage.
The wonderful thing is though there’s absolutely zero marketing hyperbole to the whole Dave Taylor package. No social media spin, no C0ALTRA1N number plates and no spray tanned soapie starlets hanging off his burly biceps at the opening night of expensive inner city eateries.
We can look at Taylor as a window to our game’s past, a bloke who thirty years ago would have been trundling along in the front row, breaking wind noisily on the team bus and lazily working at the leagues club as a cellar man during the week.
Sure giving the up-ours to, well, no one’s really quite sure yet, was a childish and immature act that didn’t show a whole lot of grace in victory. And yes and he probably should have thought a bit more about his actions, but hey, if I wanted to watch robots belt each other I’d go rent ‘Transformers.’
Nup, there’s nothing I’d change about our living football fossil.
Well, except maybe one thing…for God’s sake ditch the suit and give the big man a spray jacket and pair of trakkies, please!
Follow Chris on Twitter: Vic_Arious@twitter.com
solly
Guest
Chris, Sorry to be a bit of nitpicker here but the word 'fatwa' means something along the lines of 'legal opinion.' So as you can imagine, your sentence "... would not baulk at placing a fatwa on the head of an occasional NRL bench player..." is a little, uhm, strange... In anycase, Taylor is a beast but he seems to thrive when there is no pressure on him. His first match after being dropped by Quennsanld was a stinker. After he calmed down a bit, he blew them away in his following match.
AussieAl
Guest
C'mon mate, it was only a friendly gesture towards his and our mate Ricky. Ricky didn't want to see any more pretend graciousness, so always be careful what you wish for
john b
Guest
You can take the boy out of the country but you can't take the country out of the boy. His unwarrented gesture has given the NSW followers something to relieve the pressure of being continually beaten. Who orchestrated the "Wally is a Wanker" What goes around comes around. Love you Dave
sheek
Guest
I'm apologising for the remarks I made about Dave Taylor - it was both unnecessary & unbecoming of me.
Tigranes
Guest
I say Big Dave is built like a marble Greek statute...and almost as smart.
Gaz
Guest
Chris, There is a photo in this mornings Courier-Mail of Thurston with Gallen also after the match. Why don't you write a post about that or is it only the games negatives you want to dwell on?
Queensland's Game Is Rugby League
Guest
Watch the 2000 origin series. The Blues mocked Queensland in their try celebrations. Queensland were robbed in game I of that series. NSW didn't have any sympathy.
Kim Hart
Guest
Yeah fair point Victor consider mine pulled in. Got far too wound up and basically slurred a few peiople who the law says were clear which is poor form. Apologies all round. When the racism came out I figured I wasn't all that much better, although that seriously is apalling.
Blaze
Guest
I think it was chris highington that swore on Telly after the 05 grand final....
Blaze
Guest
Finger of a hopoate......
WoobliesFan
Guest
You keep looking 'comfortable' in suits, while we keep notching up series wins
Roy
Guest
Are the site moderators in a coma?
Arthur Fonzarelli
Guest
Mate you are the disgraceful one. I bet if we polished you for 40000 years we would have a very very shiny KNOB.
Arthur Fonzarelli
Guest
Love to see you say that to Big Mal's face keyboard tough man.
jaywalker
Guest
I expected to read the banter between the two states supporters and have a giggle but racism and sexual assault comments,grow up!! Indian taxi drivers... Now thats another thing lol -- Comment left via The Roar's iPhone app. Download The Roar's iPhone App in the App Store here.
josh
Guest
Was it factual? Jump on Google for 5 mins and you tell me.
Kim Hart
Guest
Please Joey was good but not the best ever.
Kim Hart
Guest
I think I have covered elsewhere how it is physiologically impossible to lead with anything but your head.
Kim Hart
Guest
And his was factual? Quid pro quo.
Ryan O'Connell
Expert
See, that's funny. I'll take that one on the chin!