He thought about walking away from the game forever, but now former South Sydney coach Jason Taylor has left the door open for a return to coaching in the NRL.

Sacked by the Rabbitohs in December following the now infamous kung fu incident when he was knocked unconscious by second-rower David Fa'alogo at the players' end-of-season drinks, Taylor says he considered ending a lifelong involvement with rugby league.

"Absolutely, yeah I did, but not for too long," he told reporters on Thursday.

"I had a real good think about my life and where it was going to go and where I wanted it to go and the experience I've got in the game and the amount of enjoyment I get out of all parts of it meant that in the end I just knew that I'd regret going in a completely different direction."

The 39-year-old now has his fingers in several pies - kicking mentor at the Sydney Roosters and Wests Tigers and, announced on Thursday, coach of NSW Cup representative side the NSW Residents.

He said he wasn't sure if he still considered himself a career coach, but also wouldn't rule out a return to a head coaching role.

"I don't know if I ever did," he said. "There were times when I thought that was probably how it would be but I didn't know if that's what I wanted and certainly things are up in the air as far as that goes.

"That's not to say that I don't want to and won't get back into coaching at that level again some day but I just don't know at this stage."

Taylor still finds it hard to hide the disappointment of his departure from Souths, particularly with the Rabbitohs he helped build being talked up as a 2010 premiership threat.

"I was involved in all of that and to not be there is disappointing but that's life," he said.

"I think they'll do well but don't ask me what that means because I won't tell you.

"It's funny, the different emotions that you have.

"My wife's having a baby in about six days so I think I'll have a few other things on my mind."

Souths, however, don't figure in his predictions for the 2010 title.

"Melbourne are the team to beat in my opinion but I think the World Club Challenge will probably mean that they'll struggle to win the competition again," he said.

"They're the best team in the comp in my opinion.

"When you look at what they just did on the weekend it's very impressive with the players they had out of their team.

"They're the benchmark but I think probably Parramatta or Canterbury might get the job done this year.

"By the time the grand final comes around, on the back of last year and then the start of this year they've already had, it's very tough."

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