Taylor sports black eye as Tigers depart for Nines

Memories of Jason Taylor's run-in with David Fa'alogo came flooding back as the Wests Tigers coach sported a black eye at Sydney Airport.

The Tigers departed for this weekend's Auckland Nines tournament on Thursday, with Taylor turning a few heads with his appearance.

The coach had some medical gauze over his left eye and a noticeable shiner underneath it.

Taylor didn't address the media at the airport, but Tigers player Elijah Taylor was asked if he knew anything about it.

"No I don't," he said with a smirk. "I haven't asked him yet either."

Taylor was infamously involved in a brawl with Fa'alogo - one of his players - while coach of South Sydney in 2009.

Fa'alogo left Taylor with multiple facial injuries after punching him at the club's Mad Monday celebrations, with the coach later sacked over the incident.

Former Tigers player Bryce Gibbs referenced the incident last year in criticism of the way Taylor had handled Robbie Farah's messy exit from the club.