Adrian Morley reveals why he’s no longer involved in rugby league

Many might assume that a man of Adrian Morley’s reputation would still be involved heavily in rugby league.

‘Moz’ was the NRL’s standout forward in the early noughties and became a fearsome character within the sport for a sustained period.

He also won titles on both sides of the world with Sydney Roosters and Bradford Bulls and was a regular for Great Britain and England for over a decade.

However, following his retirement in 2015, Morley has revealed that he has now stepped away from the sport to spend more time with his family after admitting he didn’t enjoy coaching.

“I’m not involved and I’m quite happy about that,” said Morley. “I still love the sport dearly and I stayed involved for a couple of years after I finished playing.

“I had a 20-year career so it wasn’t a short career. I stayed involved on the commercial side and I tried a bit of coaching at Leeds but none of the roles really floated by boat.

“I didn’t really get the same enjoyment as a coach as I did as a player, which I knew would be tough, but I did think there would be some sort of a bridge there, but I didn’t enjoy it.

“I have got three young kids and I just thought it was having a negative impact on my family, losing my weekends and holidays, and I said to my wife I’m going to come out of the game and she said she would support me.”

Morley went on to explain where he spends his time and earns his money now, revealing that he isn’t completely out of the rugby league picture.

“I have been involved in recruitment (construction) for the last four or five years,” Morley added. “I knew it was the right decision straight away.

“I got my weekends back straight away and that flexibility and freedom to do what I want and run my own race really.

“I still do lots of media stuff within rugby league, but I’m quite happy just to dip my toe in and leave it the rest of the time.

“I’m also doing some brand ambassador stuff too, it’s a very varied week and like I say, I’m still involved in some media stuff.

“I’m still on the panel for the Man of Steel. It’s just a little bit of involvement where every two or three weeks I watch a game and give my view on the man of the match.

“I enjoy that involvement without it being too time consuming.”