Selection in the Kangaroos’ Four Nations train-on squad and the Australian Prime Minister’s XIII showed just how far Morgan came in season 2014.
Thrown into the fullback role – a position that was completely foreign to him – when Lachlan Coote suffered a season-ending knee injury in the NRL Auckland Nines, the 22-year-old was a revelation and ended up playing all 26 matches in the No.1 jersey, missing his only minutes when he came off with concussion in the final against Brisbane.
The 26 games he contested took his overall career total to 56 and was double his previous best figure for a season.
With 20 try assists, he ranked fifth in the NRL and was equal fifth in the competition for linebreak assists (15), just two behind joint Dally M Medal winner Johnathan Thurston.
Thirteen linebreaks, often running off JT, ranked him second amongst all Cowboys, and he also crossed for 10 tries, thanks to his clever kicking game close to the opposition tryline.
The Cowboys members voted him as their 2014 Members' Player and he was named the Cowboys’ Most Improved Player for 2014 at the end-of-season presentation night.
WHAT’S IN STORE IN 2015:
This time last year Morgan would never have expected he would reach the heights that he did in 2014.
The challenge now is to back up his best ever year, or better still, improve on it.
Lachlan Coote will be back and ready to challenge for the fullback role with both players capable of lining up in the halves as well.
The talented Morgan is also an option in the centres for coach Paul Green.
If his rate of improvement continues, further representative honours are not out of the question for the Queensland Emerging Origin squad member.
