http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/league-news/why-penrith-panthers-coach-anthony-griffin-let-elijah-taylor-leave-for-wests-tigers-
EXCLUSIVE
Elijah Taylor was dumped to the NSW Cup after being told by new Penrith Panthers coach Anthony Griffin that he wasn't aggressive enough for first grade.
Before his expected debut for the Wests Tigers against Canterbury at ANZ Stadium on Sunday, Taylor has told Fairfax Media about the "frustrating" few months at the foot of the mountains.
New start: Elijah Taylor trains with Wests Tigers.
New start: Elijah Taylor trains with Wests Tigers. Photo: Supplied
Taylor was shunned from team training sessions for the final six weeks of his time at the club despite rejecting an offer to join the Sydney Roosters in round two in the hope of resurrecting his career at the Panthers.
At the start of the year Taylor was tipped to be announced as Penrith captain, but instead he has spent most of the season in NSW Cup before being granted a release to join the Wests Tigers this week.
Between Ivan Cleary's shock exit in the off-season and Anthony Griffin's arrival in November, Taylor's strengths had suddenly become weaknesses in the eyes of the new coach hell-bent on blooding the young talent out west.
Penrith coach Anthony Griffin.
Penrith coach Anthony Griffin. Photo: Ian Hitchcock
Cleary was a huge fan of the ever-reliable former Kiwi international, but Griffin didn't see the off-contract back-rower as part of his plans and sent him back to NSW Cup to add some mongrel to his game.
"We had a plan to try and make me a better player, and part of that plan was to play reserve grade," Taylor told Fairfax Media.
"They wanted me to be more aggressive in defence. That's what I was working on. I'm not the one to go out to go out and put on a big shot or whack someone in a tackle. My strength is to consistently be there, wrestle and lead the line speed.
"I was working on it trying to be a bit more aggressive in defence and get more carries and hit-ups. I was working on that, but the whole time I was thinking about it.
"My playing style didn't suit at the end of the day. We also had some great young back-rowers coming through, and they deserve to be playing first grade. It was out of my control. I trained as hard as I could in the pre-season and did everything that was asked of me.
"But I realised I wasn't going to play first grade even though I thought I had done everything that was asked of me. I was a bit frustrated, but I'm not a person to get angry. I just wanted to play first grade again, so that's why I'm at the Tigers."
He might have been out of favour at Penrith, but the Sydney Roosters showed interest in the 26-year-old to try to lure him to Bondi immediately, but Taylor remained fixed on earning his spot back in the team.
While he managed a few games off the bench, it took Penrith's golden-point victory over Canberra at Bathurst for him to realise he no longer had a future at the club.
"To be honest, I could have left in round two," Taylor said.
"Not to [Tigers], but I could have taken up an option to go somewhere else. But I really believed in what we were doing at Penrith and where the team was heading. There's so much potential at the Panthers this year. We worked so hard together in the pre-season, so to leave early when the season had just kicked off, that would have felt like I was letting down the team in a way.
"Then I realised after that win against Canberra, the boys are going really well and that I wouldn't play first grade if I stayed there. The hardest part was when senior players were coming up to me asking, 'Why aren't you playing?' That got me frustrated. To hear the boys asking what's going on, that hurt. A lot of boys were confused."
It's no secret Taylor joined the Panthers to play under Cleary, who handed Taylor his NRL debut at the Warriors.
Which is why he was stunned when he found out the news two weeks after the coach was speared.
"I found out two weeks later because I was on holiday and there was no Wi-Fi and reception in the Cook Islands," Taylor said.
"I got back and saw all these texts and missed calls. The first day I found out I was confused and shocked, to be honest. But when we came for training it was business as usual .
EXCLUSIVE
Elijah Taylor was dumped to the NSW Cup after being told by new Penrith Panthers coach Anthony Griffin that he wasn't aggressive enough for first grade.
Before his expected debut for the Wests Tigers against Canterbury at ANZ Stadium on Sunday, Taylor has told Fairfax Media about the "frustrating" few months at the foot of the mountains.
New start: Elijah Taylor trains with Wests Tigers.
New start: Elijah Taylor trains with Wests Tigers. Photo: Supplied
Taylor was shunned from team training sessions for the final six weeks of his time at the club despite rejecting an offer to join the Sydney Roosters in round two in the hope of resurrecting his career at the Panthers.
At the start of the year Taylor was tipped to be announced as Penrith captain, but instead he has spent most of the season in NSW Cup before being granted a release to join the Wests Tigers this week.
Between Ivan Cleary's shock exit in the off-season and Anthony Griffin's arrival in November, Taylor's strengths had suddenly become weaknesses in the eyes of the new coach hell-bent on blooding the young talent out west.
Penrith coach Anthony Griffin.
Penrith coach Anthony Griffin. Photo: Ian Hitchcock
Cleary was a huge fan of the ever-reliable former Kiwi international, but Griffin didn't see the off-contract back-rower as part of his plans and sent him back to NSW Cup to add some mongrel to his game.
"We had a plan to try and make me a better player, and part of that plan was to play reserve grade," Taylor told Fairfax Media.
"They wanted me to be more aggressive in defence. That's what I was working on. I'm not the one to go out to go out and put on a big shot or whack someone in a tackle. My strength is to consistently be there, wrestle and lead the line speed.
"I was working on it trying to be a bit more aggressive in defence and get more carries and hit-ups. I was working on that, but the whole time I was thinking about it.
"My playing style didn't suit at the end of the day. We also had some great young back-rowers coming through, and they deserve to be playing first grade. It was out of my control. I trained as hard as I could in the pre-season and did everything that was asked of me.
"But I realised I wasn't going to play first grade even though I thought I had done everything that was asked of me. I was a bit frustrated, but I'm not a person to get angry. I just wanted to play first grade again, so that's why I'm at the Tigers."
He might have been out of favour at Penrith, but the Sydney Roosters showed interest in the 26-year-old to try to lure him to Bondi immediately, but Taylor remained fixed on earning his spot back in the team.
While he managed a few games off the bench, it took Penrith's golden-point victory over Canberra at Bathurst for him to realise he no longer had a future at the club.
"To be honest, I could have left in round two," Taylor said.
"Not to [Tigers], but I could have taken up an option to go somewhere else. But I really believed in what we were doing at Penrith and where the team was heading. There's so much potential at the Panthers this year. We worked so hard together in the pre-season, so to leave early when the season had just kicked off, that would have felt like I was letting down the team in a way.
"Then I realised after that win against Canberra, the boys are going really well and that I wouldn't play first grade if I stayed there. The hardest part was when senior players were coming up to me asking, 'Why aren't you playing?' That got me frustrated. To hear the boys asking what's going on, that hurt. A lot of boys were confused."
It's no secret Taylor joined the Panthers to play under Cleary, who handed Taylor his NRL debut at the Warriors.
Which is why he was stunned when he found out the news two weeks after the coach was speared.
"I found out two weeks later because I was on holiday and there was no Wi-Fi and reception in the Cook Islands," Taylor said.
"I got back and saw all these texts and missed calls. The first day I found out I was confused and shocked, to be honest. But when we came for training it was business as usual .
