Wests Tiger re-sign Elijah Taylor

STAFF WRITERS | August 30, 2017 - 3:05pm

The Wests Tigers have announced the re-signing of forward Elijah Taylor for the coming three years.

The new deal means that Taylor will remain with Wests Tigers until at least the end of 2020.

The Wests Tigers Vice Captain has taken to the field 36 times since arriving at the club in mid-2016 out of an NRL career of 142 games.

Taylor said that he was looking forward to the coming three years with Wests Tigers.

“It was definitely a decision that I took my time with as I’m getting older now but I’m really happy that it’s done now,” said Taylor. “Ivan coming in as Head Coach was a big factor in me deciding to stay. He’s an experienced coach and has coached me at both the Warriors and Penrith, he’s the reason I moved to Australia, knowing what kind of coach he is, what his principles are and the way he likes to play football was probably the biggest factor.

“We’re building a good culture here at Wests Tigers and I’m really looking forward to the next three years,” he said. “I’m really excited about the future here, there are a lot of new faces coming, we’re really building something special. I’ve played with a lot of the players coming and it’s going to be good for the club and good for our young players coming through. You want to have older guys come in and show the younger players the ropes, make them understand what it takes to play first grade every week.

“You learn a lot as you go on your journey in your career, I’ve learnt a lot being through the Warriors and Penrith systems,” said Taylor. “I’ve seen a lot on and off the field, probably those things off the field have made me a lot smarter and wiser in decision making and I have a lot of experience that I can pass on to the younger guys coming through here at Wests Tigers.”

Wests Tigers Head Coach Ivan Cleary said that Taylor’s experience would be valuable to the club in the coming seasons.

"Elijah is a player that others love to play alongside,” said Cleary. “No task is beneath him and he always puts the team before himself.

“Our fans can look forward to seeing Elijah's game blossom in the coming years, Elijah will play a pivotal role in the future of the Wests Tigers,” he said.

Wests Tigers CEO Justin Pascoe said that Taylor was a leader both on and off the field.

“I was really happy when we were able to bring Elijah across to the club last year as I knew the kind of man that he is,” said Pascoe. “He’s proven himself time and time again to be a leader both in the game and out of it and that is an invaluable asset to have here at Wests Tigers.

“To have Elijah commit to Wests Tigers for the next three years is a massive boost for the club as we enter this exciting new phase, it will be great to have him leading the way,” he said.