GOOLE VIKINGS went past the halfway point in their first season by winning 20-14 at Dewsbury – and coach Scott Taylor is enjoying his mission.
Despite only getting the nod to join the professional ranks in September, Goole started with a Challenge Cup win over London Broncos in the capital – and have so far registered three league victories.
Taylor said: “When I took the job, I spoke about this being a brand new team and that it was all about competing. In the first year, I don’t care too much where we finish as long as we’re competing and improving.
“I think the hardest thing with a new team is you haven’t got diehard volunteers knitted to the club. Even when I went in at Beverley, there were ten people willing to do anything and everything.
“It’s about building those contacts, getting people to love what we’re doing early on and to buy in and be willing to help for not much return. That’s been the biggest challenge. There’s a lot of stuff that needs doing and there’s only a small group of us at the minute.
“But I’m excited by the challenge, and there’s no excuses. I’m loving every minute of the coaching side of things, I’m excited to be on that ladder and learning a lot, learning from my mistakes. Hopefully this will be a long, successful career as a coach for me.”
Taylor, who retired from playing at the end of 2023 with three Challenge Cup winners medals from his time at Wigan and Hull FC, believes his first coaching job in the professional game is unique.
“I’m working hard, it’s been tough. I think always our biggest issue was that we didn’t get the nod until mid-September, and when you’re fishing around for players, they’re already signed up,” added the 34-year-old.
“We did it on a small budget, and tried to build the most competitive squad we could in a short period of time, and I felt we did that.
“We came together in pre-season and went to London and won, which was a massive achievement and a reward for the early efforts of everybody involved, but since then it’s only got harder.
“We’ve only got a small squad and obviously players get injured, especially at part-time level, where they’re often grafting all day. It’s hard for them to keep on top of certain injuries.
“Even though you’re trying to call players in, you need money to do that. Some Super League teams want to have really competitive Reserve teams, so that limits options.”
Former England prop Taylor hasn’t been tempted to get the boots back on, explaining: “While I’ve got a massive itch I can’t scratch anymore, coaching takes it away a bit.
“I’m very content with my career and if the head coach puts his boots on, it doesn’t really send a strong message to his players. I’ve got trust in my squad and I’m confident I’ve got a group of lads who can compete.”