The 20-year-old Tamworthian - who plays in the halves and at fullback - had hoped to use 2020 to earn a long-term Knights deal after starting the season with a train-and-trial contract.

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But then COVID struck, and the Jersey Flegg season was halted after one round - restricting Taylor to one preseason appearance.

The Knights' decision not to field a Jersey Flegg side this season, in order to cut costs following the pandemic, was another blow to the former Farrer First XIII mainstay's NRL aspirations.

But he remains unbowed in his desire to enter the ranks of the world's No 1 rugby league competition.

And given that he is still eligible to play Jersey Flegg next year - after it went from an under-20 to an under-21 competition in the wake of COVID - he aims to secure a deal with an NRL club for next season.

His situation "was not ideal", he admitted.

But back home and working at the Longyard Hotel as he prepares for the Group 4 season with the Cowboys, Taylor said: "I'm not giving up on it yet. I still wanna play a higher level of footy."

"That's my main goal," he said of signing with an NRL club. "I'm not gonna sit around and play Group 4 for the rest of my life."

Taylor believes the Cowboys have never looked better, what with his return to Dungowan after an under-18 stint there and other prominent players in the side like Brett Jarrett, Shaun Ferguson, Matt Wilson and Lochie Collins.

"I was pretty happy about going to Dungowan ... It looks like we're getting a pretty good side together," he said.

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