When McKye Davis-Tucknott became a father almost two years ago, his whole world changed.
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The 22-year-old had, up to that point, spent his whole life on the mid north coast. But when he and partner Maddy welcomed their daughter, Milaya Lea, he knew it was time for a move.
"My missus is from Tamworth, we had the baby and she wanted to be closer to family," Davis-Tucknott said.
It was the first time he had ever lived away from home. And while Davis-Tucknott acknowledged that it "was a bit" scary, his response was pragmatic: "We get through it".
Once the family had settled and he had secured work as a traffic controller, the only thing left to do was find a footy club.
Davis-Tucknott grew up playing rugby league and had been a part of the North Coast Bulldogs development system as a junior.
Thankfully, through his partner, he had plenty of connections to the Kootingal-Moonbi Roosters. So the decision about where he would play in Tamworth became fairly simple.
"My missus' brother plays for them ... Damo Johnson, and all the boys like Leroy O'Leary, Brayden Jerrard, Jarmarley Jerrard [are all relatives]," Davis-Tucknott said.
Playing at centre, he made his debut for the Roosters in first grade last year and impressed coach Mark Sheppard.
"He was a bit of an unknown when he first turned up to training," Sheppard said.
"Then we gave him an opportunity at the Narrabri game and he blew us away with his ability and speed ... he just grew legs from there right through the whole season."
And though life as a father was "rocky at first", Davis-Tucknott is "loving it now", especially when he sees his family on the sidelines during games.
"Every game, my missus will watch me and yell 'Go Dad' on the sidelines," he said.
"If she's watching, and if I hear that, it'll give me a bit more of a push. Make me feel like I have to do something."
After a "really good year" in his first season with the Roosters, where he was part of their run to the preliminary final, Davis-Tucknott eagerly re-signed with the club for 2024.
And though he knows they will have one of the younger sides in the competition after a handful of senior players departed in the off-season, he is optimistic about their chances this year.
"Obviously we've lost a couple of key players," Davis-Tucknott said.
"But with the lads that are here, I'm still 100 per cent confident [we can be competitive]."
With no plans to leave Tamworth anytime soon, Davis-Tucknott is eager to see what heights he can reach with the Roosters.
And, Sheppard said, the club expects him to be a "key asset" in this year's campaign.
"He can play multiple positions ... he'll be strong again," Sheppard said.
