Jamie Lyon

Wee Waa schoolboy was brought down to P’matta by the club’s development officer, Noel ‘Crusher’ Cleal. Lyon made every post a winner during the 2001 season – winning a minor premiership with the Eels, scoring two tries in the grand final loss to Newcastle and earning a Test jersey at the expense of the more experienced Ryan Girdler. Lyon made his Test debut in October, scoring two tries off the bench in Australia’s 56-12 thrashing of the Kumuls before the contentious Kangaroo Tour got under way. In England, the 21-year-old partnered Matthew Gidley in all three Tests of the Ashes-winning series, proving himself an accomplished centre whose maturity with the ball in his hands belied his age. After making his State of Origin debut in 2002 injuries ruined his rep season the following year and in 2004 he stunned his club when he walked out on his contract and returned home to Wee Waa. P’matta refused to release the talented centre to play for his local club – and Manly – and Lyons eventually signed with English club St Helens for 2005. In 2006 he announced that he would return to Australia and play for Manly (where former mentor Noel Cleal was a development officer) in 2007. Australian selectors drew some criticism in drafting Lyons into the national Tri-Nations squad but the only Test the errant centre played was the 23-12 loss to Great Britain in Sydney.