Dragons turned away a cut-price Brett Morris homecoming

Dual premiership winning winger Brett Morris has revealed he wanted to take a pay cut to end his career at the Dragons, but his hometown club weren’t interested in the veteran flyer’s services.

Brett Morris was exceptional in the grand final. Picture: Dan Himbrechts

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Look away St George Illawarra fans, your club had the chance to sign a premiership-winning winger and baulked at the opportunity.

In the euphoria of Sunday’s grand final triumph, Sydney Roosters flyer Brett Morris revealed he wanted a Dragons homecoming but was denied because the Red V declined to offer him a contract.

“The Dragons had every chance to try to sign me but they didn’t,” Morris said. “My manager tells me it was close but I don’t think it was as close as he makes out.”

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Brett Morris was exceptional in the grand final. Picture: Dan Himbrechts

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Morris made his Dragons debut in 2009 and played 170 games over nine seasons before he switched to cross-town rivals the Canterbury Bulldogs in 2015.

Salary cap issues forced Morris out of Belmore at the end of last year and the prolific try-scorer was willing to take a pay cut to return to the Dragons.

“It wasn’t a money thing, it was just certain things fell into place and it just didn’t happen,” Morris said.

“They had their chance to offer me a contract and they didn’t, and the Roosters did and the rest is history.”

Inexplicably, the Dragons couldn’t find a place for Morris.

The veteran winger was one of the Roosters’ best players. Picture: Brett Costello

The revelation is likely to send the Red V faithful into a spin after the Dragons finished in 15th place this year.

A lack of experience and depth in the outside backs was one reason coach Paul McGregor’s side failed to kick on after a successful 2018.

One man’s trash is another’s treasure and premiership-winning Roosters coach Trent Robinson saw something in Morris that McGregor didn’t.

Morris wanted to finish his career back at the Dragons.

“I had a meeting with Trent about two-thirds of the way through last season,” Morris said.

“I left that meeting very impressed with Robbo not only as a coach but as a person. We share a lot of similar values.

“I was hanging out for the call that we were going ahead with it and I haven’t look back.”

The Kiama Knights junior signed a two-year deal with the Roosters which expires at the end of next year and now has a second premiership ring to sit alongside the one he won with his beloved Dragons in 2010.

“They are both up there,” Morris said. “The 2010 [title] for me ... I was a Dragons fan growing up and it had been such a long time between premierships.

“This one was different. I was new to the club, I just wanted to go out there and prove myself and make sure these guys trusted me and that I could do a job for them.”

Morris was instrumental in the Tricolours’ controversial 14-8 win on Sunday night.

Raiders five-eighth Jack Wighton peppered Morris’s side of the field with high kicks but the seasoned campaigner was up to the task.

“They had us on the back foot for the majority of it,” Morris said.

“They came with a plan to try to start us deep in that corner and that was my job ... to try and defuse those kicks, roll those sleeves up and get out of that corner.

“The first one [bomb] I let them have a crack at and then I was like, ‘I’m not letting that happen again’.”

Originally published as Dragons turned away a cut-price Brett Morris homecoming