Watch FIFA World Cup 2026™

LIVE, FREE and EXCLUSIVE starting June 12 2026

Taylor under cloud for Titans' NRL opener

Gold Coast halfback Ashley Taylor will need to prove his fitness on Saturday to face the Raiders after battling "man flu" and quad tightness.

Ashley Taylor
Ashley Taylor will need to prove his fitness to face the Raiders in Sunday's NRL clash. (AAP)

Ashley Taylor has shrugged off the "man flu" but could still miss Gold Coast's NRL season opener against Canberra with a quadricep injury.

Coach Garth Brennan is confident the halfback will prove his fitness at Saturday's captain's run but admits the injury he suffered last year has flared up.

Taylor had already been battling what Brennan described as man flu ahead of the Titans' clash with the Raiders, which will feature club debuts for Shannon Boyd, Brian Kelly and Tyrone Peachey.

"He had a case of the old man flu, we all know what it's like, we whinge to our wives saying we're dying," Brennan said.

"And they turn around and say ... 'get over it'.

News that makes sense

Your trusted source for staying up-to-date with the world around you. Get free daily news updates and analysis, straight to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

"I spoke to him this morning. He feels fine but has had a bit of aggravation with his quad, he was doing some practice with his kicking and flared up a quad injury, but I'm confident he'll train tomorrow."

Taylor was troubled by hamstring tightness early last season, forcing Brennan to shift back-rower Bryce Cartwright into the halves at short notice.

But the coach has the luxury of depth this year, with substitute AJ Brimson able to shift to No.6 and the returning Tyrone Roberts slotting into halfback.

Brennan said Roberts, who returns to the Titans after a stellar year with Warrington in the English Super League, has brought renewed poise to the side.

"Tyrone's probably had a good influence on the whole team," Brennan said.

"He brings some big game experience, he's got a good kicking game, brings a little bit of stability to the team that we didn't have last year."

Brennan said the Titans may have been content with hard-fought losses in 2018 but expectations have been raised this year.

"There's been a bit of hype about some of the recruits we've brought in and they're going to get their opportunity Sunday night to perform and it's time to stand up," Brennan said.


2 min read

Published

Source: AAP



Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News straight to your inbox

Sign up now for daily news from Australia and around the world. You can also subscribe to Insight's weekly newsletter for in-depth features and first-person stories.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Follow SBS News

Download our apps

Listen to our podcasts

Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service

Stream now

Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world