Jake Morris like proud dad over Tamworth Crows' birth

Propped up in his bed at Tamworth hospital, the 39-year-old revealed that he had broken his right knee in two places playing for the Tamworth Crows against Waterloo Storm 1 in the Koori Knockout at Tuggerah on Sunday, October 1.

It was a sad end to what was one of the great achievements of Morris's life: spearheading the formation of a rugby league club in order to - in part - inspire Indigenous youths to rise above crime.

Along with the men's squad, the Crows also fielded two boys' outfits at an annual Indigenous rugby league carnival (the selection criteria for juniors includes going to school or work).

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"I've had a lot of injuries ... But, no, that'd be the worst, because I broke my whole knee," said the Crows' foundation president, who also ruptured his right tricep.

Incredibly, Morris - the stakeholder engagement coordinator at UNE Tamworth - walked unassisted from the field after sustaining the knee injury while making a tackle.

And after enduring what he described as a "10 out to 10" pain, he had two plates and about 12 screws inserted in the knee.

While recovering over the coming year, Morris will look to grow on the Crows' encouraging start to one of Australia's largest Indigenous gatherings.

Perplexed over why Tamworth did not have a large presence at the Koori Knockout, Morris decided to act. He wanted the city to have a club it could be proud of at the high-profile event.

"I wanna make us one of the powerhouses," he said. "But it won't happen in the first couple of years, we know that.

"But I think that within five or six years, hopefully sooner, we'll be super competitive."

The Crows aim to enter a women's outfit in next year's carnival, with more junior teams also part of the growth plan.

Instrumental to the club's launch were Morris's younger brother Tristram and former NRL star Tom Lahrs, who captain-coached the men's team. A host of sponsors also got involved.

"It was good to have them to reflect [ideas] off," Morris said of his brother and Lahrs.

"Tom has been massive for me as far as keeping me moving ... It was very time-consuming. It was probably a bit bigger than what I thought it was gonna be.

"But it ended up being worth it in the end."

The Crows took 75 players to Tuggerah. "Every [men's] player that we brought on, Tom, Tristram and I discussed, to make sure they fit the team," Morris said.

"We don't want guys coming in that are gonna be bad role models for the kids that we're trying to get on the straight and narrow."

The men's outfit beat the Tabulam Turtle Divers 24-0 on day one, before being eliminated following a 38-0 loss to Waterloo Storm 1.

Both junior sides were eliminated on day one: the under-17s lost to eventual runners-up the Bundjalung Baygal Warriors, while the under-15s lost to eventual winners the Mindaribba Warriors.

Morris said the Crows would be "a lot more professional" in 2024. "This was just sort of a taster for us," he said of this year's carnival.

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