The response was immediate and unequivocal.
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Speaking after making his surprise Group 4 debut in the Roosters' 30-12 defeat of the Bears at Kootingal on Saturday, Ethan Parry said he was determined to resume his two-game NRL career.
"That's always gonna be the goal," he said of playing NRL again. "I just come home to sort of ground myself, get back to my roots and start enjoying footy again so I can play my best footy."
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The former Parramatta Eels speedster, 22, had come back to Tamworth recently to "clear his head" but aims to return to Canterbury feeder club Mount Pritchard in the off-season in a bid to resurrect his NRL career.
"I just needed to get out of Sydney for a bit - clear my head, freshen up, get back to my roots," the former Oxley High student said after being used as a replacement centre on Saturday.
Parry said Kootingal-Moonbi had welcomed him "with open arms". He was confident his stint with the club would reignite his love for the game.
"They're not treating me any different because I've been down to Sydney."
Parry linked with the Roosters because he played junior footy at West Lions with a number of their players, including Jack Anderson and Liam Hatch.
Asked to describe his Group 4 debut, he said the game was "a bit slower up here" but was "good fun".
He wanted to come home and have "a run around with my mates".
Parry did not have a major impact on Saturday's match and appeared to suffer cramping.
He scored a sensational winger's try on debut for Parramatta in 2019.
A year later, it was by "mutual consent" that he left the Eels, whom he signed with at age 15 and then relocated to Sydney.
The former Australian Schoolboys under-18 and NSW under-21 representative told the Leader last year that his tenure at the Eels had got "a bit stressful" and he had fallen "out of love with the game".
He had longed to rekindle his passion for rugby league by returning to park footy.
Post-match on Saturday, Parry said his "heart is always gonna be open to Parramatta".
"They did nothing wrong by me."
Parry's younger brother, Cody, is signed by the Eels and attends St Gregory's College Campbelltown - his brother's former school.
Roosters president Lad Jones said Parry was "a great pick-up".
"It's good that he's got some mates here," Jones said. "He just wants to enjoy his football - take the pressure away."
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