It’s a big week for Titans’ back-rower come centre Dave Taylor who plays his 150th NRL match against Sydney Roosters next Monday, two days after a schoolboy competition that bears his name is played in Central Queensland.
The fourth annual Dave Taylor Rugby League Shield take place in the Central Highlands, at Allan McIndoe Oval, Emerald, for the first time this Saturday.
The match will be played between Taylor’s former school St Brendan’s College Yeppoon and a Central Highlands under-16 team, two organisations which have had a significant influence on Taylor’s development as a rugby league player.
Heralding from the small railway town of Bluff, Taylor was first introduced to rugby league as a seven year old on the Central Highlands, via the Blackwater Crushers. At the end of primary school his parents made the decision to send him to St Brendan’s, a proven rugby league nursery which has produced numerous NRL, Origin and Australian representatives. This decision accelerated his development, eventually resulting in Dave making his NRL debut with the Brisbane Broncos while in his final year at St Brendan’s College.
“Who knows where I would have finished up without the influence of St Brendan’s,” Taylor said. “I loved my time at the school. While it was a big help with my footy it also taught me some valuable lessons about the importance of education, and how to get along with people from a variety of backgrounds.
“As a kid playing footy in Blackwater we always had plenty of games against the other Central Highlands towns, but we seemed to lack the opportunities to play against teams from the bigger towns like Rocky.
“This game gives each team the chance to show their skills and the Central Highlands kids a chance to hopefully gain some valuable experience.
“Good luck to both teams”.
Taylor provides trophies and awards for the players of each team and memorabilia to the teams. The game will kick off at 2.25pm as a part of a Rugby League gala day which culminates in an Intrust Super Cup clash between the Rockhampton Leagues Club Capras and Easts Tigers.
