![Wallaroos halfback Layne Morgan with rising multi-code talent Maronay Smuts at Hunter Wildfires training last year. Picture by Jonathan Carroll Wallaroos halfback Layne Morgan with rising multi-code talent Maronay Smuts at Hunter Wildfires training last year. Picture by Jonathan Carroll](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/ikLFZZUcNnvgygfqz78ZET/aee86c6f-a02f-497a-a602-6321c6ab031e.jpg/r0_210_4105_2737_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Layne Morgan doesn't often get the chance to represent her home town, so the Wallaroos halfback was "devastated" to learn the Hunter Wildfires' opponents in Sydney women's premier rugby union this weekend had forfeited.
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The 25-year-old from Speers Point is now based in Sydney but has been back in Newcastle this week and was set to run out for the Wildfires against the Western Raptors at No.2 Sportsground on Saturday afternoon.
The Raptors, however, informed the Hunter club on Friday that they would be forfeiting due to a mounting injury toll.
Morgan had two appearances for the Wildfires amid Wallaroos duties last year and is committed to playing for the club when released from Australian duties again this campaign.
She trained with the Wildfires on Thursday night and had been released by the Wallaroos to play Saturday.
"I head back to Sydney Monday to get back into training," Morgan, who has 22 caps for the Wallaroos and played in the Pacific Four Series in Australia and New Zealand in May, said.
"We train two nights a week with our states, so the girls that are living in Sydney or in NSW will train with Waratahs for two nights a week and that will cover our PONI [Players of National Interest] training. It's a wider squad than normal.
"And then we are released back to clubs, so we train on Thursdays when we can with our local clubs and then get to play Saturdays when we get released.
"It's nice to take the pressure off and to get around the girls that I don't always get a chance to play with. I've grown up with a lot of them and played alongside them in different teams, so it's nice to come back home and play for Newcastle when I can."
Morgan, who is also in the final stages of completing a teaching degree, is not sure when she will get released again with upcoming Tests for the Wallaroos against Fiji in Sydney (July 6) and New Zealand in Brisbane (July 14).
"There's a lot of stuff coming up," she said.
"We get a camp in the week before the Tests then in September-October we're off to WXV2 in South Africa. Before that we play two matches in Wales and Ireland in early September.
"So, it just depends on how we get released and what load they want us to run, and if we can get out we can definitely come play. It's so exciting when we get the chance."
It's also exciting for the Wildfires.
Joey de Dassel, who mentored the Wildfires women's to a semi-final appearance in 2022 and is back on the coaching staff this year, described it as a frustrating outcome but said Morgan's presence at training on Thursday night was a boost for the squad.
"It was great for everyone to have her around and to hear from her, and it's disappointing she won't get a game," de Dassel said.
In Hunter Rugby Women on Saturday, Merewether are at home to Wanderers, University host Nelson Bay, Southern Beaches travel to Maitland and Hamilton are away to Cooks Hill.