Eric Grothe will get his sh*t together playing under Rip.
A Taylor story - a few years ago i went to a Knights v Canberra Flegg game in Quenbeyan and big Dane Tilse, who had been cut by the Knights a few months before, showed up to watch and say hello to a few of the Knights players, then i saw him have a word with Rip, and right when Rip should have been concentrating on the coming game i saw him go off to an empty part of the stands and have a half hour deep and meaningful conversation with a kid he had coached for half a season two years before and had absolutely nothing to do with at that time.
Taylor doesn't play mind games like Smith and isn't wishy-washy like Hagan. He is just a genuine guy who tells players the truth and actually gives a sh*t about the young guys he looks after - and the players show up and do their best on game day.
Another story - Taylor went off on a tour with a junior rep team when he was coaching Newcastle Wests and the semis were just starting. When he was asked how he could leave his team at that time he said the players all knew what they had to do and didn't need him anymore - they went on to win the GF - as most Taylor coached sides do.
Most coaches these days treat players like spoilt schoolkids, but Taylor treats them like responsible adults and that's how they act under him.
I watched Wentworthville last week against the Knights, and every player put in and did their job to the best of their ability. I've seen a lot of Taylor coached sides over the years - and every player putting in is what sets them apart.
