Two games into a Bears rebirth he finds “strange” after being absent from the club for more than a decade, Tristram Morris nevertheless looks very comfortable at left centre being fed a healthy diet of deadly passes by scheming pivot Scott Blanch.
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The solidly built No.4’s hat-trick of first-half tries in Sunday’s 42-16 defeat of Gunnedah was instrumental in the reigning four-time premiers delivering a statement win over an undefeated, ladder-leading side who recruited well in the off-season and were expected to test the Bears in a round-four clash played on a sublime autumn afternoon.
Instead, Norths responded to an early try to Bulldogs winger Jason Fenn with a five-try first half and a 30-4 halftime lead – the foundation for a 30th consecutive win at Jack Woolaston Oval, as the man the ground was name after looked on perched high on five interlocking chairs and received the respect of passers-by.
Morris, who played first grade at the Bears as a teenager, left his hometown to do an apprenticeship, before carving out a premiership-winning, long-standing career with the Port Macquarie-based Port City Breakers in Group 3.
Now he has returned as a 31-year-old veteran with a family, and is hoping to add a successful Bears chapter to his league story. The Farrer alumni’s four tries in two games is an auspicious start.
But after moving back to Tamworth about a month ago, and with only a fortnight of training runs with the side in his legs and his head, he is still in the process of letting this old-new environment wash over him.
“There’s a lot of new faces there [at the club],” he said. “There’s a lot of boys I just sort of met. There’s a lot of older heads as well. But yeah, it’s awesome. It’s a good group, so [I’m] happy to be playing with the side.”
“It is a bit strange [being back at the club],” he added. “I’ve been over at the Coast playing with the same club for probably the last ten-12 years .. It’s a bit different to be back playing in a different jersey after all that time.”
Morris can't remember his last hat-trick, but google his name and Breakers and the first newspaper article refers to him being a “try-scoring freak” after his four touchdowns helped secure the Breakers the minor premiership in 2010.
On Sunday, Morris and the Bears were much quieter in the second half as Gunnedah fortified their defence.
It took until midway through the half for the first points to be registered, with Bulldogs lock Hayden Smith winning the chase to a ball kicked down field.
But Norths responded immediately through tries to Blanch, who received a good ball from prop Shane Wadwell close to the tryline, and a second four-pointer to No.1 Colby La Chiusa.
As they did all last season, Norths’ pack outmuscled Gunnedah’s pack, especially in the first half. Wadwell was particularly menacing.
Morris said: “My job’s a lot easier when the forwards are rolling through like that.”
Gunnedah coach Sean Hayne said his side were guilty of “not counting up in defence” in the first half, allowing the Bears to get a roll on and score soft tries
“We didn’t complete our sets, dropped balls – did pretty much what we talked about not doing,” he said. “[You] can’t give that much ball to them. We’re a long way off them at this stage.”
The Bears were quicker, stronger and crisper in attack, and harder and more aggressive in defence.
It was a pleasing performance, said Blanch, the man of the match. “We found some joy on both edges,” he said. “The pack worked together real well – the whole team did their job. “After a tough start to the season, we’ve finally found our groove.”
Blanch applauded teenage rake Ryan Ingram’s first-half performance.
North Tamworth 42 (T Morris 3, C La Chiusa 2, J Patterson, S Blanch tries; J McManus 7 goals) d Gunnedah 16 (J Fenn, H Smith, R Orcher tries; D Smith 2 goals).
