Morley was not just prop forward and skipper, he was the 'chief' to this particular bunch of players. He would have led by example both on and off the field.
For all that fellow forwards Sam Burgess and Gareth Ellis are beginning to prove themselves on rugby league's toughest playing fields in Sydney, neither can yet boast Morley's longevity in taming the NRL, nor his unquestionable demeanour as a leader.
A squad that looked fresh when it set off, now seems vulnerably young and inexperienced without their pack leader to show the way.
I am not writing England off before the tournament even begins, but fans should not be too harsh in whipping the boys if the path up the learning curve doesn't go as smoothly as they would hope.
Replacement Garreth Carvell will arrive ahead of the first match, against New Zealand in Wellington's Westpac Arena on Saturday. He joins Stuart Fielden as one of only two squad members to have celebrated a 30th birthday.
For now, a lot of the current tour party are still in the foothills of their rugby league careers, certainly at international level. Having an Adrian Morley around would have greatly assisted their ascent.
The Australia and New Zealand squads are hardly packed with geriatrics, but in key positions they both have players with a few more years of domestic and international rugby on the clock - vital experience and know-how for big games and tense times.
New Zealand have not been hit with as many injuries as Australia have been; they have key players in top form; a ferocious pack; a devastating backline; an inspiring young coach in Stephen Kearney with international form on the board; an aching desire to put last year's Four Nations disappointment behind them; home field advantage; and a swaggering confidence, as was shown in their 50-6 warm-up victory over Samoa on Saturday.
Success for England should not necessarily be measured by a win or a loss in Wellington. If they can compete, that will be enough to give them a fighting chance of optimism ahead of the following week's engagement with Australia in Melbourne.
And if they can compete then as well, some of the young men will have grown up a little bit and will have earned the approval of their absent captain watching on helplessly from the other side of the world.
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