In 2014, Nathanael Slater was a young man fresh out of high school and ready to make his way in the world.
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The Walhallow product was living in Sydney, playing rugby union for the Sydney Uni colts side, and "having a great time". Little did he know, by 2015, he would return to the North West.
"My old man got fairly crook with cancer, and me being the youngest and not having as many responsibilities, I had to make the decision to come home and look after him," Slater said.
"That's where my journey at Werris Creek, and moving back home to the country where I'm from and where I belong, really started."
For Slater, whose family is his highest priority in life, it was an "easy decision".
His father, Jeff, ended up passing away in 2016 after a protracted battle with the disease.
But by then, Slater had begun to lay down the foundation of a life that he would spent the next eight years building. And one of his biggest ties to the area was the Werris Creek Magpies, with whom he signed up the season he returned.
"When I moved home, I saw Cody Tickle one night," Slater said.
"I've been friends with Cody since I was about seven years old. He knew I was coming home, and I got a call."
The 29-year-old had played both rugby league and rugby union growing up. And although he found more success in the latter as a young man, hence his stint in Sydney, he has since forged a reputation as one of the Magpies' key players on the wing.
In doing so, he has followed in the footsteps of his family.
"We've got a long family history at the Magpies," Slater said.
"My old man played there, my uncle played there, my brother, and now myself. And my daughter's played minor league for Werris Creek as well ... it wasn't that difficult to make my mind up where I was playing when I came home."
Almost a decade after he first signed with Werris Creek, Slater is now on track for one of his better seasons with the club.
With seven tries to his name, he is their leading try-scorer, and equal-fourth on the Group 4 chart.
Two of those tries came on Saturday, when Slater helped guide the Magpies to a crucial 44-6 win over the Dungowan Cowboys at David Taylor Oval in muddy, wet conditions.
After a tough loss to the Moree Boars the week prior, it was a fitting rebound for Werris Creek over a very promising Cowboys outfit.
"We were under no illusions as to how hard the game would be," he said.
"We've got a long history with Dungowan ... so it was still a tough game, the score doesn't show how tough the game was. I think we just had a pretty simple game plan and we stuck to it."
Nine years after he returned to the country from his brief foray into city life, Slater is content and motivated to continue helping his beloved Magpies move towards a potential finals berth.
But no matter what the club's fortunes, one thing is certain: he is in it for the long haul.
"I certainly won't be going anywhere," Slater said.
"I'm a father of three and have a beautiful wife in Erica. We won't be going anywhere ... once I got home, I never considered leaving again.
"Once I was home, I was home."