GB captaincy changed me - Morley

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GB captaincy changed me - Morley



Adrian Morley says the responsibility of wearing the captain's armband in Great Britain's win over France made him rethink his approach to the game.

Morley's uncompromising reputation was cemented in 2003 when he was sent off just 12 seconds in against Australia.

But the 30-year-old said he relished the chance to lead the inexperienced line-up to a 42-14 win at Headingley.

"It probably did temper me down a bit. There's no point doing anything rash when you're leading the boys," he said.

"It was an absolute pleasure to lead this team. With the youth of the team comes enthusiasm, so it wasn't that hard to do - I didn't have to bang any heads together."

Morley's fearsome reputation has stemmed from his role as an enforcer for whichever team he has played for.

He missed 26 matches through suspension during his six-year stint with the Sydney Roosters in the NRL, and ran into trouble off the pitch with a conviction for a drink-driving offence in 2004.

But new coach Tony Smith, who opted to rest established stars like Paul Wellens, Jamie Peacock and Stuart Fielden, picked him out to skipper the side.

"Captaincy isn't something I'm accustomed to but it was great to lead them - it was something I really enjoyed and I felt like I got a lot out of it," said the Warrington forward, who also marked the occasion with his first ever international try.

"I don't score many, especially for Great Britain, so it was the icing on the cake for me."

France deservedly led 10-4 midway through the first half, and Morley paid tribute to the performance of John Monie's side.

"We had to dig deep after the start they made," said Morley.

"They took their tries very well and they are a very proud nation but it was a good exercise for our boys."

Credit - BBC Sport

This a very positive thing, because without his discipline problems, Morley is an absolutely fantastic player, that goes for Great Britain and Warrington.