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Ray Morris: University's Kangaroo
Sean Fagan of RL1908.com
Despite
being a member of the languishing Sydney University rugby league
club, Ray Morris was one of the ‘personalities' of the game in the
early 1930s. His inclusion in the tour party for the trip to England
with the 1933/34 Kangaroos was widely acclaimed.
Morris,
who was 25 years old, was the form centre three-quarter of the Sydney
competition and hopes were very high that he would play in the Test
side while in England. His career was progressing at an impressive
rate, having won a Grand Final with Wests in 1930, Morris had been
a regular in the NSW state team since 1931.
Again
playing for NSW, Morris had confronted the Englishmen on their 1932
tour of Australia and, with some certainty, he could look forward
to gaining a Test spot and with it another opportunity to face the
‘old enemy'.
Described
by the press as a "forceful player, dashing in attack and strong
in defence", Morris was equally renown for his "gentlemanly nature".
This all combined to make him very popular amongst supporters, players
and officials alike.
Morris
was also a keen wrestler. He entered a number of wrestling contests
and in May 1932, the Rugby League News trumpeted his talents as
it encouraged all to get along to St Marys Hall in Burwood to see
him exercise his skills "on the mat". With the Kangaroos to be on
board the ship for six weeks, Morris would also take on the role
of "physical culture instructor" to the team. It was a measure of
the respect he had from fellow players, his own impressive physical
condition, and the training skills he possessed.
Morris
was the only ever Kangaroo chosen from the University club. He had
joined the club for the 1933 season and had only played five matches
by the time the Kangaroos were chosen in June. His impressive form
for NSW against Queensland securing his selection.
On
the Saturday before the team sailed from Sydney, Morris watched
his club side take on Eastern Suburbs at Pratten Park. Denied access
to the University's grounds, the club was forced to take its home
games ‘on the road'. Morris though was able to feel at home at Pratten
Park, which was the field of his former club Wests.
He had played and trained on the ground many times, including first
grade, as he rose up from the juniors. Back in 1925, Morris was
a member of the Wests Presidents Cup team that won the premiership
under the coaching of the 1908 Kangaroo Tedda Courtney. Watching
on as a newly chosen Kangaroo himself, Morris must have reflected
fondly upon his memories of those times. ‘The Students' even came
to the party, winning 13-10 over Easts.
The Kangaroos assembled at Darling Harbour in the early afternoon
of Tuesday July 4, 1933 to board ‘The Manunda' which would take
them to Melbourne to join the steamer for England. The Rugby League
News reported Ray Morris as smiling and telling all that he was
"looking forward to a wonderful experience".
A
huge crowd gathered at the wharf who gave enthusiastic support to
the players and officials. Perched on an elevated ledge, high above
the packed crowd on the wharf below, a cameraman took film footage
of the event. Adding to noise of people cheering and yelling to
those on board, the Westmead Boys' Home band played musical pieces.
The boat slowly began to move from the dock and the crowd showered
the team in streamers. Some of the players waved green and gold
pennants, while others held kangaroo mascots aloft.
The Manunda headed northward to swing under the recently opened
Sydney Harbour Bridge and make for the Heads. It was quickly joined
alongside by a ferry packed with League officials and supporters
for the journey to the coast. All the way down the harbour the Kangaroos
were ‘hooted best wishes' by passing craft of all shapes and sizes.
The quiet of the open sea must have come as something of a relief
to the team.
The
Manunda arrived in Melbourne on the Thursday morning, in plenty
of time for their departure on Saturday for England on the S.S.
Jervis Bay. A few hours after arrival the Kangaroos were entertained
by the Victorian Football League with a luncheon held at the Melbourne
Cricket Ground. The next morning they returned to the ground and
undertook a training session, before touring the city in the afternoon.
At the Majestic Theatre they watched the film of their departure
from Sydney.
After visiting Adelaide and Perth the ship, now carrying 500 passengers,
headed north-west into the Indian Ocean. By that time at least six
of the team had already been knocked down by influenza and ‘ordered
to bed' by the ship's doctors. The team settled into shipboard life
with Morris' training setting the routine, with exercises before
breakfast. In the afternoon they trained with a medicine ball and
football on the forward decks within a specially erected enclosure.
Towards
the end of July the ship arrived in Colombo (in Sri Lanka) where
the team played an exhibition game at the Nondescripts Cricket Club
ground. With the squad broken into two teams, an open game was won
by Fred Laws' Team over Frank McMillan's Team 34-27. The Herald
reported that "the excellent training of the team on the Jervis
Bay enabled them to give a capital display".
On
July 29, with the Jervis Bay heading through rough waters in the
Arabian Sea, the latest team news was radioed back to land. It was
two days before the news was reported in the Sydney press. It said
that all the party was in good health aside from Ray Morris who
had been detained in the ship's hospital for regular treatment of
an ear infection. It was thought that he had "possibly contracted
(it) while bathing in the ship's pool".
The
Kangaroos played another exhibition game between themselves at a
stadium in Port Said, Egypt on the 5th of August. It was reported
that six members of the tour party did not take part. Five had permission
to leave the ship earlier and were sightseeing across Egypt to meet
up with the team again in Cairo. The other absent player was Ray
Morris, who was still confined to bed. The ship was now just over
a week from arrival in England.
Back
in Sydney on Thursday the 10th of August the League community was
shocked to read the headlines in the morning papers: "Morris in
Serious Condition".
The
papers told how the ship's doctors had radioed ahead to Malta (where
the British maintained numerous military hospital services) requesting
that an ear specialist meet the ship upon its arrival. As soon as
the doctor saw Morris he ordered his immediate transfer from the
ship to a British military hospital. He was "slung ashore in a sling
provided by a navy pinnace".
One
can only wonder how Morris' family in Sydney coped with reports
such as: "The managers wish to advise his relatives that every care
is being taken, and that risk is being avoided by the actions taken".
The
ship sailed on without Morris. A ‘team visitor' who was accompanying
the squad, Sam Haron, remained in Malta to support Morris and provide
company.
On
the Friday night (11th of August) the shocking news arrived in Sydney
that Morris was dead: "A wireless message from Malta states that
R. Morris....has died in hospital at Valletta".
Morris
had in fact not survived the day he was removed from the ship. After
being taken to the Blue Sisters' Hospital he was operated upon but
it failed to stop his rapid decline.
The
Jervis Bay meanwhile had sailed on with the Kangaroos on board.
Off the coast of Spain the team were celebrating the birthday of
one of the players when the news of Morris' death came through via
a radio transmission to the ship. It was reported "the news immensely
damped the spirits of the 500 passengers, with whom Morris had been
immensely popular". A ship board memorial service was conducted
with everyone on the ship cramming into the dining saloon.
When
the still shocked team arrived in London on the 13th of August the
details of how Morris had taken ill became clearer. It seems that
between Perth and Colombo in a sparring (boxing) session, Morris
suffered a knock to the side of his head that ruptured his ear-drum.
When bathing at Colombo the ear was infected. As the ship sailed
on he took ill, showing signs of meningitis.
His
condition rapidly declined, resulting in the dash for hospital in
Malta. The operation was conducted immediately and it appeared to
bring relief. However, "meningeal complications followed" and he
passed away.
Back
in Sydney the weekend football round was marked by a minute's silence
in tribute to Morris at all matches. The Australian Rules national
tournament, being held at the SCG, paid their respects and placed
all flags at the ground at half-mast.
The
next week the Rugby League News ran three full pages of tributes
from the League community and a note of thanks from the Morris family.
The words of Western Suburbs' Club President, E. McFayden were typical
of the published tributes: "Dear Ray Morris has passed away. One
that cannot be forgotten; his manliness and sportsmanship could
not be surpassed."
The
ARL Board of Control and the team managers decided, quite appropriately,
that no replacement would be sent even though the Kangaroos had
yet to play a match in England.
Ray
Morris' remains were brought back home on board the ship Hobson's
Bay as far as Adelaide and carried overland on the Melbourne Express.
For two days the casket was left in Andrews' funeral chapel at Ashfield
for the public to view. Thousands stood in silent respect at his
funeral as the cortege moved from Sydney Town Hall to Waverley cemetery
on September 23, 1933.
The following year, Wests inaugurated a competition for primary
schools in the district in memory of Morris.
Jack McGrath (North Sydney & NSWRL official): "Like those other
young Australian athletes, Barney Kieran and Les Darcy, he has left
us all too soon, and like them, his memory will remain green wherever
true sports assemble in Australia."
Copyright
© 2006 - Sean Fagan. All rights reserved - the article above may
not be reproduced (in full or part) in any form without written
permission.
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