Warriors confirm meeting with Taylor

WARRIORS CEO Cameron George has confirmed that the club has had a meeting with playmaker Ash Taylor.

With Taylor’s $1 million a season contract at the Gold Coast Titans completed, the 26-year-old is looking for a new club, with the Titans not offering him another deal.

It was reported in Australia that Taylor was spotted having a meeting with George and Warriors coach Nathan Brown on the Gold Coast on Thursday.

George confirmed that he did meet Taylor, who was once heralded a player set to become one of the biggest stars in the NRL.

‘‘We met with Ash. We’re here on the Gold Coast and he’s here and is looking for options for next year, and we’re looking for options as well to build our depth,’’ George said. ‘‘We decided to sit down to have a chat with him and it was good to have a chat and get to know him, he’s a good kid.’’

The Warriors are in the market for someone who can play in the halves, joining Chanel HarrisTavita and Shaun Johnson.

It’s looking increasingly likely Sean O’Sullivan won’t be with the Warriors next year, but by getting someone like Taylor it changes the landscape, as he would be vying for a starting spot, rather than a quality back-up.

‘‘We haven’t signed Sean O’Sullivan and we’re looking for the best option for our footy club,’’ George said.

‘‘Ash hasn’t signed for anywhere next year. He’s a kid that’s got talent and we wanted to sit down and have a chat with him, understand where he’s at.

‘‘Paul Turner has gone, Sean is going, we’ve got Chanel who’s a big part of our future and we’ve also got Shaun Johnson, but it’s about building some depth as well.’’

Taylor would have to take a drastic pay cut to join the Warriors, although there wouldn’t be any NRL club willing to match his previous deal.

The Warriors do have some space inside their salary cap for next year, but even if they get Taylor in a cut-price deal, it would take up a fair chunk of what’s left.

But like Anthony Milford, who is moving from the Broncos to the Rabbitohs next year, Taylor will have to be willing to pick up a contract for around $250,000 to rebuild his career.

‘‘That’s up to Ash,’’ George said.

‘‘We haven’t got to that point at all. But the reality is we’re in Queensland for one year and it may well suit all parties.

‘‘It could be one of the advantages about being based locally. But we haven’t got as far as looking at money.

‘‘We just wanted to meet him because we’re on the coast and he’s on the coast.’’

The Raiders, Bulldogs and Tigers have also been linked to

Taylor. But if he does do a deal with Warriors it will put pressure on Harris-Tavita to keep his starting spot and push Kodi Nikorima further towards a No 14 role.

‘‘You’ve got Kodi, Chanel, Shaun Johnson,’’ George said.

‘‘. . . we’re trying to build a really competitive unit where every player, every day, is looking over their shoulder to make sure they’re doing what they need to do to keep their starting position.’’

IN Josh Morris’s long NRL career there was still time to create one last little bit of history.

The 35-year-old’s 325th and final first-grade game wasn’t a fitting way for the veteran to call time — his Sydney Roosters copping a 42-6 thrashing at the hands of Manly on Friday night as they marched on to meet the Rabbitohs in the major semifinal this Friday.

But the former Kangaroo and NSW Origin rep walks away as one of the game’s modern greats.

He might not have won a premiership — twice featuring on the losing side in grand finals — but Morris scored 158 tries in his career and forged a reputation for sturdy defence and a hardworking attitude coaches at St George Illawarra, Canterbury and the Roosters could only admire.

‘‘It’s been a hell of a ride the last 15 years,’’ Morris said. ‘‘Some of the best moments of my life, and I got to share them with my brother and my best mate. Whilst tonight was tough. It’s not going to define how I think about my whole career. I’ve just loved every minute of it.’’

Morris spent most of his career playing alongside twin brother Brett, whose own first-grade time ended earlier this year due to a serious knee injury.

His brother’s setback was just one of several season-ending injuries the Roosters endured, a situation Morris said added an extra sense of achievement to his final campaign. ‘‘Sometimes we just had to laugh,’’ Morris said. ‘‘We were like ’who have we got’ and we’d just start laughing.’’

Last night’s Panthers v Eels clash was too late for this edition of Sunday News, for coverage go to www.stuff.co.nz