Central North minor semi-finals: Jayden Kitchener-Waters looking forward to first finals campaign with Pirates

In fact as far as his family is concerned, it was the exact opposite.

"All my family played for Magpies and my pop was always a manager at Magpies so they were a bit dirty with me when I first came over here," the five-eighth said.

But after moving back to Tamworth from Sydney last year (he spent his early years in Tamworth), the former Randwick colt "wanted to challenge" himself in what he perceived to be a stronger competition.

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Thankfully they have forgiven him, with family one of the three things in his life that when they "are going really well" he is "usually pretty happy".

The other two are work and footy (rugby).

"And all of those are underpinned by culture and living through cultural values," he added.

Honouring his Indigenous heritage is something that drives the 22-year-old.

Back when he was at school at Barker (he was awarded an Indigenous scholarship to board there in Year 10), Kitchener-Waters instigated an Indigenous Round for the 1st XV. That has grown to now involve all of the schools teams.

He is also part of the Gomeroi Dance Company, has been since he was six or seven, and spends his days working in local primary and high schools revitalising the Gomeroi language.

More, you could say, a passion project than a job, Kitchener-Waters was part way through studying a bachelor of social research and policy when the role as the Gomeroi Project Officer with the NSW Aboriginal Education Consultative Group Inc (NSW AECG) came up.

"When I first started in the role we were in two schools. Now we're up to seven schools and building even more, which is cool," he said.

His love of his culture stems from his family.

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"I've been lucky to grow up in a really cultural family. Really strong on language and dance, and story and culture," he said.

"And that, along with playing a bit of footy is sort of my identity I think."

Rugby has played a big part in shaping Kitchener-Waters into the person he is today.

He has spoken openly about how it changed his life.

In a Daily Telegraph article back in 2019, he recalled how as a young teenager he was "hanging out with the wrong crowd", "stealing, walking around late at night" and generally "heading for trouble", and rugby got him "back on track".

"Rugby's just always given me stability," he reflected to The Leader.

"Even when life was unstable."

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"I've always felt my whole self and really comfortable and happy and stuff when I'm on the field and playing good footy."

He has been a handy pick-up for Pirates, and will have a pivotal role to play on Saturday as they fight to keep their dream of an historic fifth straight premiership alive in a minor semi-final against Inverell.

Returning this season from virtually two years on the sidelines - he injured his ACL early in the 2020 season and by the time he was ready to come back in 2021 COVID had hit again - Kitchener-Waters can't wait to rip in.

"Really looking forward to it. I'm really stoked with how we're going," he said.

"We had a few injuries throughout the year and now a lot of the boys have come back and you can just feel it at training and you could feel it today (last Saturday), we're really gelling and I think we're gonna go pretty good."

They have made a few changes to the side that thrashed Scone last week. Luke Johnstone returns on the wing while Jackson Sharpe will start at half-back and Andrew Wynne comes into the second row, facilitating Nick McCrohan to push back into the backrow.

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