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Taylor 'gutted' as charge threatens to bar him from Locky farewell
Glenn Jackson
June 28, 2011
"Gut-wrenching" ... Queensland wrecking ball Dave Taylor describes the prospect of missing Darren Lockyer's farewell match for the Maroons.
AS SEEMINGLY all of Queensland rallied around him, Maroons forward Dave Taylor said he would be ''absolutely shattered'' to miss out on the deciding State of Origin match in Brisbane.
After being charged with a grade-two dangerous throw following South Sydney's clash with Brisbane last Friday night in Perth, Taylor is facing a club ban of four weeks even if he pleads guilty. If he manages to have the charge downgraded at the NRL judiciary tomorrow night, he will still miss the final Origin at Suncorp Stadium tomorrow week due to a 70 per cent loading, which has been added for previous charges.
Taylor said it would be ''gut-wrenching'' having to watch the farewell for his former Brisbane teammate Darren Lockyer, who will play his last interstate encounter.
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''I'd be absolutely shattered to miss it,'' Taylor told the Herald. ''I haven't played in a game like it: Locky's last one and a decider in Brisbane. You can't get much better than that one. He [Lockyer] is once in a generation, so it's a chance to see off a hero. It's the game of the year and I'd see it slip away.''
While Taylor was reluctant to say anything about his tackle on Bronco Scott Anderson on Friday, he had heavyweight support from Queensland officials and legends willing to say the Maroons' interchange weapon from game two should be cleared to play in the decider.
Many claim Taylor's tackle was no worse that Newcastle winger Akuila Uate's hit on Wests Tigers centre Tim Simona, which attracted a grade-one charge before Origin II, clearing him for that match as a result of his having no loading. The only hitch with that argument is that even a grade-one charge would rub Taylor out of State of Origin III.
''I can't believe it,'' the Maroons' first Origin captain, Arthur Beetson, said. ''Ever since we've let referees run out games, these things happen. This might be a reality check. There's just no consistency. It's about time [NRL chief executive] David Gallop stopped the referees from running our game.''
Taylor missed the opening Origin encounter but was recalled for game two. If he is rubbed out, Jacob Lillyman, who played in game one, would be his likely replacement.
''I'm looking at the news to find out what's going on,'' Taylor said. ''All I know is I've been charged with a grade-two. I'll go in [today] and have a look at it. We've got until midday.''
Rabbitohs chief executive Shane Richardson was yet to confirm last night whether the club would help Taylor fight the charge tomorrow night. Either way, it pitches the match review committee against Queensland again following halfback Johnathan Thurston's acquittal last week.
Match review officials received footage from broadcaster Channel Nine yesterday that showed Anderson landing on the back of his neck, which is where they see the difference between the Uate and Taylor tackles. They believed Uate's opponent landed on his shoulder.
Taylor's charge included a 50 per cent loading due to his involvement in a similar offence in the past two years and a 20 per cent loading for a careless high tackle from last season.
Queensland coach Mal Meninga told AAP last night he was not surprised at the charge, but questioned its grading. ''It's a pretty severe grading considering his carry-over points and loading,'' he said. ''It could be very difficult to defend.''
QRL managing director Ross Livermore said: ''To me, it's a big bloke making a very good tackle. Because of the wet and because of his [Taylor's] power, he's gone up in the air.''
Elsewhere, Queensland veteran Petero Civoniceva, who could be playing his final Origin as well, revealed a heart-to-heart meeting between Meninga and the senior Queensland players in the aftermath of the game-two defeat had the squad primed for improvement.
''We just sat around as a group and dissected our performance and the areas that we fell down in,'' Civoniceva said. ''It was really positive for all of us, knowing we can improve. We're aware we're capable of our best performance of the series. I'm sure that when camp goes in, the boys will be primed to prepare really well.
''The loss in game two has been in the back of our minds. We were all disappointed after the game. In saying that, we're really positive with the improvements that we know we can make I still don't think we've played our best football.''
Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/...ky-farewell-20110627-1gnko.html#ixzz1QWQtuLus
Glenn Jackson
June 28, 2011
"Gut-wrenching" ... Queensland wrecking ball Dave Taylor describes the prospect of missing Darren Lockyer's farewell match for the Maroons.
AS SEEMINGLY all of Queensland rallied around him, Maroons forward Dave Taylor said he would be ''absolutely shattered'' to miss out on the deciding State of Origin match in Brisbane.
After being charged with a grade-two dangerous throw following South Sydney's clash with Brisbane last Friday night in Perth, Taylor is facing a club ban of four weeks even if he pleads guilty. If he manages to have the charge downgraded at the NRL judiciary tomorrow night, he will still miss the final Origin at Suncorp Stadium tomorrow week due to a 70 per cent loading, which has been added for previous charges.
Taylor said it would be ''gut-wrenching'' having to watch the farewell for his former Brisbane teammate Darren Lockyer, who will play his last interstate encounter.
Advertisement: Story continues below
''I'd be absolutely shattered to miss it,'' Taylor told the Herald. ''I haven't played in a game like it: Locky's last one and a decider in Brisbane. You can't get much better than that one. He [Lockyer] is once in a generation, so it's a chance to see off a hero. It's the game of the year and I'd see it slip away.''
While Taylor was reluctant to say anything about his tackle on Bronco Scott Anderson on Friday, he had heavyweight support from Queensland officials and legends willing to say the Maroons' interchange weapon from game two should be cleared to play in the decider.
Many claim Taylor's tackle was no worse that Newcastle winger Akuila Uate's hit on Wests Tigers centre Tim Simona, which attracted a grade-one charge before Origin II, clearing him for that match as a result of his having no loading. The only hitch with that argument is that even a grade-one charge would rub Taylor out of State of Origin III.
''I can't believe it,'' the Maroons' first Origin captain, Arthur Beetson, said. ''Ever since we've let referees run out games, these things happen. This might be a reality check. There's just no consistency. It's about time [NRL chief executive] David Gallop stopped the referees from running our game.''
Taylor missed the opening Origin encounter but was recalled for game two. If he is rubbed out, Jacob Lillyman, who played in game one, would be his likely replacement.
''I'm looking at the news to find out what's going on,'' Taylor said. ''All I know is I've been charged with a grade-two. I'll go in [today] and have a look at it. We've got until midday.''
Rabbitohs chief executive Shane Richardson was yet to confirm last night whether the club would help Taylor fight the charge tomorrow night. Either way, it pitches the match review committee against Queensland again following halfback Johnathan Thurston's acquittal last week.
Match review officials received footage from broadcaster Channel Nine yesterday that showed Anderson landing on the back of his neck, which is where they see the difference between the Uate and Taylor tackles. They believed Uate's opponent landed on his shoulder.
Taylor's charge included a 50 per cent loading due to his involvement in a similar offence in the past two years and a 20 per cent loading for a careless high tackle from last season.
Queensland coach Mal Meninga told AAP last night he was not surprised at the charge, but questioned its grading. ''It's a pretty severe grading considering his carry-over points and loading,'' he said. ''It could be very difficult to defend.''
QRL managing director Ross Livermore said: ''To me, it's a big bloke making a very good tackle. Because of the wet and because of his [Taylor's] power, he's gone up in the air.''
Elsewhere, Queensland veteran Petero Civoniceva, who could be playing his final Origin as well, revealed a heart-to-heart meeting between Meninga and the senior Queensland players in the aftermath of the game-two defeat had the squad primed for improvement.
''We just sat around as a group and dissected our performance and the areas that we fell down in,'' Civoniceva said. ''It was really positive for all of us, knowing we can improve. We're aware we're capable of our best performance of the series. I'm sure that when camp goes in, the boys will be primed to prepare really well.
''The loss in game two has been in the back of our minds. We were all disappointed after the game. In saying that, we're really positive with the improvements that we know we can make I still don't think we've played our best football.''
Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/...ky-farewell-20110627-1gnko.html#ixzz1QWQtuLus
