Former New Zealand rugby league international Elijah Taylor is considering a shift to rugby union as the out-of-favour Penrith backrower’s NRL future remains in limbo.
Off-contract at the end of this season, Taylor has spent the best part of 2016 languishing in reserve grade after being dropped in round three by new coach Anthony Griffin.
The 26-year-old is yet to enter into negotiations for next season with the Panthers, and a move back to the 15-man game in which he represented Auckland as a teenager remains an option.
“You’ve got a guy who grew up in New Zealand, you want to be an All Black,” Taylor’s manager, Ian Miles, told AAP.
“He’s got a hankering one day to go back to rugby union, we’ve always talked about that.”
Miles, who has been managing Taylor since his time in the under-20s at the Warriors, also works as a mind coach in Christchurch and maintains close links with the New Zealand Rugby Union.
While no formal negotiations have begun with any of New Zealand’s five Super Rugby clubs, the former Warrior is believed to have been a topic of conversation between some rugby union officials and Miles.
“He’s established in the union system in New Zealand,” Miles said.
“So he’s remembered, and of course union are always looking at the Warriors and he made a name for himself there.”
The backrower has far from closed the door on rugby league though, and is yet to make a final decision on his future as he continues to hold out hope of earning a long-term contract with a Sydney club.
A number of NRL clubs have also shown interest in Taylor, who played 10 Test matches for New Zealand, but none have tabled a former offer.
Taylor captained Penrith for six games last year under Ivan Cleary, who lured him to Australia after mentoring him at the Warriors in his rookie year of 2011.
However since Clearly’s sacking in October, Taylor has fallen dramatically out of favour with Griffin and has played just two first-grade matches this season.
wolfman
Guest
is that why so many leagues struggle when the play union?
kingplaymaker
Roar Guru
JBJ I definitely agree they get the athletes they choose at an early age. They seem to be taking New Zealand's too.
Johnny Boy Jnr
Guest
Rugby League is on a different level to rugby union. The athletes are far superior and clubs far more professionally run. Certainly in Australia you rarely see league clubs miss out on athletes they identify at school level in Qld and NSW. When the Broncos are playing there seems to be a real buzz around Suncorp stadium with people pouring in from all over the place. When the Reds are playing you'd hardly know
Ralph
Roar Guru
Good to see his agent leaving no stone unturned.
Milan
Guest
Come now Deano, were you bullied at school?
pjm
Roar Rookie
Such love
pjm
Roar Rookie
More like Rugby wasn't interested in him
Deano
Guest
Don't reply or address me in future you waste of space.
kingplaymaker
Roar Guru
Went to AFL for big money and then rugby for big money.
Danger Mouse
Guest
Folau
kingplaymaker
Roar Guru
tripod a SOO player moving at 22 to Super rugby would definitely get as large a salary. But they don't want to. Rugby is either a second choice in which case they like to add it on as an end of career bonus at 27, or move for massive money normally to France or at one stage to Australia (i.e. Tuqiri).
tripod
Guest
the answer is $2 billion dollars and 16 clubs vs 5
atlas
Guest
Playing under 12s in Patea...district population 1098, amazed that rates a Wiki mention. Desperation from his agent, a nobody in rugby terms, he'd need to be selected to play season/s of provincial rugby in the Mitre 10 Cup (formerly ITM Cup) or Mitre 10 Heartland Championship first, even to be eligible for Super selection. A nothing story.
kingplaymaker
Roar Guru
It's amazing how league players only seem to move to rugby union late in their careers when their best days are behind them, or if younger then only when big money's involved. How many top players under 25 have moved to rugby without huge riches being attached?
Milan
Guest
Deano do you want a chip for your other shoulder as well bud?
Deano
Guest
Yes, you are correct: I don't follow league very well. In fact, I don't follow it at all.
Jacko
Guest
If you dont know who he is then you dont follow league very well. Over 100 NRL games and 10 test matches for NZ. He played rugby union as a youngster, playing for the Patea Rugby Club and representing age group teams in Taranaki, Northland and Auckland, before taking up rugby league in 2006 while studying at St. Paul's College. (thanks wikipedia)
ClarkeG
Guest
Can't be that interested in being a rugby player in NZ. Moving to West Tigers apparently.
Deano
Guest
This if-I-don't- get-another-league-contract-I'll-go-and-play-rugby-for-the-All Blacks gambit used to be pretty funny about ten years ago. Oh...and who the hell is Elijah Taylor????
Albo
Guest
Yep ! A tough position for Elijah Taylor out at the Panthers. A great defender with a high work rate and the Panthers could sure do with him at times to eliminate some of those soft online defensive errors. However he is not as mobile or dynamic with the ball has a number of other backrowers like Cartwright, Fisher- Harris, Yeo & Peachy and a bunch of young guns coming through. Seems a shame to let him go, but the Panthers have a wealth of forwards and need all the cash they can accumulate to buy a decent half back !