When you see Ash Taylor’s name there’s a fair chance you might think ‘million-dollar player’.

It’s a tag that Taylor has worn ever since the Titans extended his contract on reportedly more than $1 million a season.

The 24-year-old struggled to live up to the expectations that came with the price and needed to take a break from rugby league last year to get back into a good headspace.

As we edge closer to the start of the 2020 season, Taylor has never been more eager to get on the field and to return to the form that earned him the 2016 Dally M Rookie of the Year award.

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He’s back, he’s stronger and he’s got the truth on that million-dollar tag.

“There’s always that price tag that gets thrown around. The million-dollar player, it’s been reported about a lot but it’s not true. There’s a lot of statements that have been put out there, like I’m on a million dollars a season, but that’s not true,” Taylor told foxsports.com.au

“It’s kind of hard to play up to that expectation and it’s always hard when people think you’re on that kind of money. But I’ve lived it. I don’t know how those blokes actually do it like Cameron Smith and Johnathan Thurston trying to live up to that price tag.

“It’s a hefty price tag to live up to and I’m just sort of trying to get my footy back on track now. It’s a team sport and I want to be a part of a great team.”

Taylor’s 2019 season was tough. He drowned in the immense pressure that comes with being a star halfback.

Gold Coast Titans halfback Ash Taylor. Picture: NIGEL HALLETT Source: News Corp Australia

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The pressure was too much, he got in his own head and his form suffered because of it.

He took a six month hiatus from footy to tackle his struggles head on and returned for just one more appearance in the NRL before the season ended.

That wasn’t in Taylor’s plans for 2019 but he’s come out of the whirlwind much stronger.

“It was a rollercoaster.

“The plan was to play some good footy and get the Titans back up to finals contention but some personal stuff happened to me and that took me on a rollercoaster ride.

“Life’s not about always staying up – there’s always going to be downs. I had a lot of challenges last year but was lucky enough to have some great support. I’m still going through the process today, trying to get back on the paddock and trying to get my footy back to where it was a few years ago.”

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It can be tough being a professional rugby league player. Let’s be honest, these guys are constantly analysed by experts and can’t burp without a journalist catching wind of it.

Social media doesn’t help too. We all know of those fans who have never played a game of rugby league but have the most scathing opinion of players online. Keyboard warriors if you will.

Taylor has fallen victim to the keyboard warriors. It used to affect him but he’s learned to not get so caught up in it.

“I used to read a lot on social media but now I just read it and move on. If something comes up I’ll have a quick look, but I’m not really a big fan of it.”

One of the biggest learning experiences for Taylor came after his contract with the Titans was extended to the end of 2021.

After an explosive two seasons with the Titans he was dubbed a superstar half with the potential to be the best in the game so it made sense for the club to lock him in on big money to stop any rivals from poaching their key player.

In 2018 he didn’t reach those same heights and along came the criticism.

Taylor struggled with the harsh words. It bubbled over into his personal life and he needed to seek help.

Now that he’s back on track a much wiser Taylor has some advice that every up and coming player should read and remember.

“After I signed that big contract there was a lot out there and I’m only 24 now – I’m still learning about life and I’ve still got a lot to go.

“Being young and being in the game any advice I’d give to kids coming through is to not let it get to you, not let it affect your game and not let it affect your personal life. It was affecting me, my footy was affected and so was my personal life. I was going down the wrong track.

“I’d advise kids to just click on it and move on but if you do need help then just find it as soon as possible, not let it dwell. I probably let it dwell on my mind too long and by the time I tried to get help it was too late – it was already taking my footy down the wrong path.

“To be good at the game and to be good at blocking that stuff out you’ve just got to see someone and obviously get the help that you need.”

Taylor was guided through his struggles by professional help but he also had a strong support system in his family who he now turns to whenever he needs someone to lean on.

“At the start I was seeing a specialist and they were pointing me in the right direction but now it’s just my family.

“I have a lot of close uncles that I talk to ever since I took that time out of rugby league. Obviously my partner and my mum and dad as well and I have a lot of support bases that know I may need some help at some stage so it’s good to know that they’re always going to be there.

“It went out around the world that I was struggling but now I don’t need to do that, I don’t need to take time out of footy, I don’t need to leave my home to get support so it’s just good if I need a bit of help I can make a phone call or visit a relative that’s going to bring me back up.”

Hitting a rough patch in his early 20s is something Taylor probably never anticipated but he’s come out the other side a stronger and much happier man that’s proud of turning his life around.

“I do (feel proud). One thing that I wanted to try and bring back with me was the honesty with myself. You’ve got to be honest with yourself no matter the outcome.

“Whatever happened has happened, I’ve moved on from it now and I just want to get back playing footy again and enjoying myself again.

“That’s the biggest thing, win, lose or draw I’m just going to enjoy my footy and enjoy living my life.”

After taking the time to heal last year, Taylor returned to rugby league through Queensland Cup side Tweed Heads. The plan to ease him back into the NRL spotlight was genius. He was able to find his groove again without the TV cameras but more importantly he grew as a person from it.

“I think I got more out of it as a person. Not everything in life revolves around rugby league and I think that’s the biggest thing I took out of it.

Ash Taylor returned to rugby league through Queensland Cup side Tweed Heads Seagulls. Source: News Corp Australia

“There’s a lot more to life than rugby league and I’ve found that now since I’ve been getting help because that was my life, rugby league was my life and everything revolved around it.

Taylor can take a lot of lessons out of his emotional rollercoaster but the biggest one that will stick with him for the rest of his life is perspective.

He learnt about it during his time away from footy but there’s now a new blessing in his life that’s made the importance of perspective really hit home.

Taylor welcomed his first child at the end of last year and you couldn’t find a more doting dad if you tried. He was beaming with pride as he spoke about his son Oscar while scrolling through the hundreds of photos on his phone of his pride and joy.

“I’ve got a little baby boy at home now and he’s turned my world upside down.

“I’m a proud dad now and I want to live my life through him, I want to show him the world and I want to teach him as well that not everything is about just one thing, you’re only here for a short amount of time so you’ve just got to make the most of it as best as you can.

“It’s pretty weird being a parent, you’ve got to teach them how to do everything. You can’t describe the feeling of being a parent, it just changes your world.

“It changed it for the better for me and I think I needed it in life. I have a new perspective now and I want to teach him everything that I know and what I’ve been through.”