The Wests Tigers have secured another major piece in their rebuild by re-signing forward Elijah Taylor until the end of the 2020 NRL season.
Taylor had been linked with a return home to the Warriors, but the Tigers on Wednesday announced a new three-year deal for the former New Zealand international.
"Elijah is a player that others love to play alongside. No task is beneath him and he always puts the team before himself," Tigers coach Ivan Cleary said.
"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."
Taylor said the club's decision to appoint Cleary as coach midway through this year played a key role in opting to extend his career at Concord.
The 27-year-old had previously followed Cleary to Penrith in 2014 before he was shown the door midway through last year and joined the Tigers.
"He's an experienced coach and has coached me at both the Warriors and Penrith - he's the reason I moved to Australia," Taylor said.
"Knowing what kind of coach he is, what his principles are and the way he likes to play football was probably the biggest factor."
Taylor's signature is the latest in a bulging recruitment drive for next season, which includes the extensions of Luke Brooks, Tim Grant, David Nofoaluma and Jacob Liddle.
Their key recruits include Benji Marshall, Ben Matulino, Josh Reynolds, Russell Packer, Chris McQueen and mid-season pick-up Tuimoala Lolohea.
"I'm really excited about the future here. There are a lot of new faces coming. We're really building something special," Taylor said.
"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."
Share
