Dungowan Cowboys No 1 Trent Taylor radiates a contented air

Would the 18-year-old Trent Taylor be happy with his 21-year-old version? Perhaps not. For the earlier iteration of the Dungowan Cowboys No 1 was dreaming big - the NRL squarely in his sights.

And while the current iteration is not quite ready to concede that the dream is dead, he understands that the odds of him becoming an NRL player have lengthened.

Still, Taylor does not seem to be emotionally weighed down by that fact; on the contrary, he radiated an air of contentment when he spoke to the Leader on Thursday, ahead of his 21st on Friday.

Read more:

He also radiated love; love for his "beautiful" family - including his father, Luke, whom he plays under at the Cowboys, and his younger sister, Jada, a blazing comet seemingly set to make her NRLW debut.

"I'm pretty happy here at home," the Tamworthian said. "I've got a beautiful family - and they love me, and I love them.

"And things have been going good; I couldn't ask for anything more. Nothing's really gone wrong in the last two years."

"But it's [life] definitely changed a lot from what I wanted when I was 18 to now turning 21," he added.

In early 2020, the former Farrer First XIII playmaker was training and trialling with the Knights in a bid to make their Jersey Flegg side. But then COVID struck and the season was scrapped before it started, with Taylor returning home - where he has remained.

On Saturday, he will again wear the No 1 as the Cowboys tackle the Bears in a top-of-the-table clash at Jack Woolaston Oval.

With Taylor's father this year mentoring the side for the first time, the Cowboys have been a revelation - and will take a 10-game winning streak into the encounter.

Father and son are intimately connected to North Tamworth: Luke captain-coached them to two premierships, while Taylor was a Norths junior and played in their 2017 under-18 side.

"It means a bit to me, this game," said the youth worker at Tamworth Aboriginal Medical Services. "I grew up supporting the Bears, because obviously Dad was there. I've got some good friendships there now."

Taylor said Dungowan were "lucky" to have his father coaching them. On a personal level, he feels the same way.

"Growing up it was always good, because I just looked up to him. I still look up to him,' Taylor said of his father. "He's the one I look to for advice."

He added: "I guess he's my mate, as well as my dad ... It's good to have that bond with him - and I'll always cherish that."

Taylor's form at fullback as been key to Dungowan's best season since being prompted to first grade in 2018. But he believes he can play better.

"I've just gotta find that balance and get back to how I was playing at school. And probably get some advice off my sister, I reckon."

Jada Taylor, 18, is currently engaged in preseason training with the Sydney Roosters' NRLW side. A video of her scoring a stunning 109m solo try for NSW against Queensland in an under-19 match last month has been viewed 14.6 million times.

"She's going good," Taylor said. "And it's something that I'm very proud of. Because I grew up and I watched her being the little one against all the big boys.

"She used to get thrown around a lot. I used to bash her around in the backyard a bit. So seeing her come up the way she did and her growth in the last few years ... she's very strong."

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content: