After nine months of eager anticipation, the 22-year-old and his partner, Tayla King, welcomed their first son, Joey, into the world at Tamworth Base Hospital.

And it didn't take long before a dispute over loyalties began.

Though he played for the North Tamworth Bears as a junior, Taylor has spent his adulthood with the Dungowan Cowboys and calls the club home.

King, meanwhile, is a fixture for the Bears women and was a member of their premiership-winning grand final side last year.

"Big congratulations to Tayla and Trent on the arrival of their beautiful little Norths boy Joey," North Tamworth's Facebook page boasted the day after he was born.

But the Leader could barely finish asking if Joey was a Bear before Taylor said with assurance, "No".

"He can be a Bear on game day until 3pm," he said. "But when first grade starts, he's a Cowboy."

While this light-hearted battle for Joey's allegiance will surely continue until he is old enough to pick a club of his own, Taylor has already felt a difference in himself since becoming a father.

"It gives you that reason to do it," he said.

"At the moment, I haven't had a reason to be playing other than playing with my mates and having fun. This gives it a bit of purpose; every time I play, I'll be playing for him."

This newfound drive that fatherhood has instilled in Taylor bled through in his preseason training.

He is the first to admit that he is not always as diligent with his fitness work as he perhaps should be. But now, with Joey watching on and the heartbreak of their 2022 grand final loss still lingering, Taylor wants to be at his best to help the Cowboys achieve Group 4 glory.

"It's made me want to rip in a little bit, and to be honest, I think I have been," he said.

"Fitness-wise, over the past three seasons I don't think I've been as fit as I was beforehand when I first left school. I was being a bit lazy, but leading into this year I tried to pick that up a bit.

"I've tried to rip in at training and lead the fitness."

The influence of co-coaches Jack Cameron and Kieran Croft has helped, Taylor said, as they've "set that standard high from the very start".

And though there were questions floated prior to 2024 about whether or not he would return to Norths this year, Taylor wanted to remain a Cowboy in part out of loyalty to Cameron, "one of my good mates".

"When I moved to Newcastle and went to the Knights, he was a big one that helped me out through some tough stages down there," he said.

"He found me some work and looked after me, cooked me dinners and stuff like that. So I owe him."

All of this motivation has culminated perfectly as Dungowan prepare for their second trial game of the year this Saturday.

Taylor missed their first, against the Muswellbrook Rams last weekend, while he was still at the hospital with King and Joey.

But against Souths Newcastle at Dungowan two days from now, he knows they face a serious test.

"Obviously South Newcastle are pretty strong in the Newcastle comp," Taylor said.

"I'd say they'll bring a few different kinds of players ... we'll see how we go. This one will test us, and we'll go from there."