Playing Career
Vital Statistics
- Born
- Friday, 6th August, 1976
- Current Age
- 49 years and 236 days
Honours & Awards
Based only on data available in the RLP database. This information should be used as a guide only.
- City vs Country
- 1995
- NSW Reserve Grade
- 1994
Biography
Cronulla coach Arthur Beetson drew much criticism for drafting 16-year-old schoolboy Adam Ritson into first grade in 1993. The giant prop was up to the task, however, and after playing in the club's President's Cup grand final-winning side in 1994, surprisingly found himself at the centre of a tug-of-war between Super League and the ARL. Ritson remained with the ARL and, after commencing his promising rep career with selection for City, joined P’matta in 1996. That year, Ritson was knocked unconscious in a match against Canberra after a high tackle by rival forward John Lomax, and a routine scan discovered a life-threatening cyst in his brain. After 14 operations in an ordeal that almost claimed his life, Ritson recovered his health but his playing career was over.
- ALAN WHITICKER
Additional Notes
Junior Club: Engadine Dragons
Playing Career Statistics
All statistics shown in this section are based only on data available in the RLP database, and are not necessarily a complete and/or 100% accurate representation of a player's career. This information should be used as a guide only. If you see a question mark (?), it denotes that the figure is not available.
To view a list of corresponding matches, click on the List button.
| Representative Career - Australia | Comp Wins | App | T | G | GK % | FG | Pts | W | L | D | Win % | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| City vs Country | 1 | 1 | - | - | - | - | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% | List | ||||
| Club Career - Australia | Comp Wins | App | T | G | GK % | FG | Pts | W | L | D | Win % | ||||
| NSWRL/ARL Premiership (NRL) | - | 41 | 2 | - | - | 8 | 21 | 19 | 1 | 51.22% | List | ||||
| NSWRL/ARL Finals | - | 2 | - | - | - | - | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0.00% | List | ||||
| Challenge Cup AU | - | 4 | 1 | - | - | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 75.00% | List | ||||
| Overall | App | T | G | GK % | FG | Pts | W | L | D | Win % | |||||
| First Class | 42 | 2 | - | - | 8 | 22 | 21 | 1 | 52.38% | List | |||||
Australia - By Team | |||||||||||||||
| Team | Years | App | T | G | GK % | FG | Pts | W | L | D | Win % | ||||
| NSW City | 1995 | 1 | - | - | - | - | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% | List | ||||
NSWRL/ARL Premiership (NRL) - By Year | |||||||||||||||
| Team | Season | App | T | G | GK % | FG | Pts | W | L | D | Win % | ||||
| Cronulla | NSWRL 1993 | 4 | - | - | - | - | 1 | 3 | 0 | 25.00% | List | ||||
| Cronulla | NSWRL 1994 | 10 | 1 | - | - | 4 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 60.00% | List | ||||
| Cronulla | ARL 1995 | 15 | - | - | - | - | 8 | 7 | 0 | 53.33% | List | ||||
| Parramatta | ARL 1996 | 12 | 1 | - | - | 4 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 50.00% | List | ||||
NSWRL/ARL Premiership (NRL) - By Team | |||||||||||||||
| Team | Years | App | T | G | GK % | FG | Pts | W | L | D | Win % | ||||
| Cronulla | 1993-95 | 29 | 1 | - | - | 4 | 15 | 14 | 0 | 51.72% | List | ||||
| Parramatta | 1996 | 12 | 1 | - | - | 4 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 50.00% | List | ||||
| Overall | 1993-1996 | 41 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 21 | 19 | 1 | 51.22% | List | ||||
Contributions:
Rugby League Tables, Andrew Ferguson, AJ Lucantonio, Greg Fiveash, Paul Carter, Shawn Dollin, Max Turner
Sources:
David Middleton's Rugby League Yearbook (1987-88 to present)
Your Say
15 Jan 2012 11:23pm
Great player. Lovely bloke.
It's a shame he is too humble to appreciate the plaudits
1 Feb 2012 10:21pm
Agree with anonymous
5 Feb 2014 2:37pm
Best player never to have made the big time in my opinion!! effort less tackle breaks, magic off load, strength, power, good guy
16 Jul 2015 4:25pm
Was set for a huge career. Life can be cruel sometimes
7 Sep 2020 5:17pm
Would of been one of the best props ever to have played the game. He was mixing it up with all the top props already and he was just a kid
Such a tragedy
I always wonder what he could have been
Big strong fast good offload match fit
Best props ever
Beetson
Lazo
Chief
Webke
Pedro
Morley
Carroll
Burgess
Shrek
Mason
Price
Wiki
McDermott
Roach
Pay
Johnston for defence only
Gillespie all good props
24 Sep 2020 1:05pm
One of the few times a player can be thankful for being knocked out. I wonder if the cyst would have been found before it was too late but for that high tackle?
16 Jul 2024 5:14pm
Anyone know what Adam went on to do after he recovered? Did he have a career and lead a normal life?
Just interested to see how it all ended up after the terrible time he endured.
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