Life outside of cricket was beginning to take its toll, and playing for the back-to-back Bathurst Orange Inter District champions was no longer a priority.

After confirming his retirement in the wake of City's heroic grand-final win over Bathurst St Pat's, the club committed to a rebuilding phase.

With Brett Causer replacing Morrish as captain, and Blake Weymouth and Harry McGregor deciding to leave Orange to play elsewhere, the side no longer shaped as a premiership heavyweight.

But after a change of circumstances for Morrish, the 28-year-old has backflipped on that decision, citing cricket as a necessity for his "mental health".

"I need it back," he said.

"Whether I'm the same player as I was before, that's a different story. But, a lot of things have changed for me in the last six months.

"I get a bit of peace when I walk onto a cricket field."

Not only will the former skipper return to the fold, COVID complications look to prevent Weymouth and McGregor from leaving the region.

What does this mean for City? The quest for three in-a-row is on.

"We know what it takes to win," he said.

"In big games, we've always been able to get over the line. We've never come into a season with a stacked side, and people always say other teams are the favourite."

Despite Morrish's return, Causer will still captain the side that's also set to include gun all-rounder Fletcher Rose.

As for the competition's biggest threats, Morrish didn't muck around when dubbing St Pat's the team to beat, just like he did last year.

"With Nic Broes playing, they're going to have a stacked side," he said.

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