Tommy Ryan

  • Playing Career

Playing Career

Vital Statistics

Full Name
Thomas Alfred Ryan
Born
Friday, 9th May, 1930
Died
Thursday, 24th August, 2023 (Aged 93 years and 107 days)

Honours & Awards

Based only on data available in the RLP database. This information should be used as a guide only.

NSWRFL Premiership (NRL)
1956, 1957, 1958

Biography

Blockbusting centre/winger came to St George from Inverell. A boarder at St Joseph's College Hunter’s Hill, Ryan was graded by the Dragons in 1950. Selected for the 1952-53 Kangaroos, he made his Test debut in the Third Test against England after switching to the wing and scored two tries in Australia's 27-7 victory. Ryan went on to play in all three Tests against France and crossed for 24 tries in 20 matches on tour. Although he did not represent NSW in an interstate match (or Australia again for that matter), Ryan scored 6 tries for NSW against the American 'All-Stars' team in 1953. He played in both the 1956-57 grand final victories for St George and took his try-scoring prowess to record heights, top-scoring in 1956 (18t) and 1957 (26t) - the latter a club record that still stands.
- ALAN WHITICKER

Additional Notes

Born in Bingara, NSW.

Played the 1955 season in Rockhampton, Qld but at completion of the season returned to Sydney and played in the final for St.George against Souths.

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.

Competitions
Competition   Comp Wins App T G   GK % FG Pts W L D Win %  
The Ashes - 1 2 -   - 12 1 0 0 100.00% List
Tour Matches Australia - 20 24 -   - 72 18 2 0 90.00% List
Tour Matches New South Wales Firsts - 1 6 -   - 18 1 0 0 100.00% List
Tour Matches Queensland Firsts - 1 - -   - - 0 1 0 0.00% List
Tour Matches Central Queensland - 2 2 -   - 6 1 1 0 50.00% List
Test Series - 4 4 -   - 6 2 2 0 50.00% List
Interstate Series - 2 - -   - - 1 1 0 50.00% List
City vs Country Firsts - 1 - -   - - 1 0 0 100.00% List
Country Carnival - 5 5 -   - 15 4 0 1 80.00% List
NSWRFL Premiership (NRL) 3 95 79 -   - 237 65 28 2 68.42% List
NSWRFL Finals - 9 7 -   - 21 6 3 0 66.67% List


International

Test Matches - By Team

Team Years   App T G   GK % FG Pts W L D Win %  
Australia 1952-53   4 4 -   - 12 2 2 0 50.00% List


Representative

Australia - By Team

Team Years   App T G   GK % FG Pts W L D Win %  
Possibles (AU) 1951-52   2 3 -   - 9 2 0 0 100.00% List
Sydney Firsts 1952-53, 1956   3 1 -   - 3 3 0 0 100.00% List
NSW City Firsts 1952   1 - -   - - 1 0 0 100.00% List
NSW City Seconds 1953, 1956   2 - -   - - 2 0 0 100.00% List
NSW Firsts 1953   1 6 -   - 18 1 0 0 100.00% List
Riverina 1954   1 2 -   - 6 0 0 1 0.00% List
NSW Country Seconds 1954   1 - -   - - 1 0 0 100.00% List
Central QLD 1955, 1963   2 2 -   - 6 1 1 0 50.00% List
QLD Firsts 1955   3 - -   - - 1 2 0 33.33% List
Metropolis 1957   1 1 -   - 3 1 0 0 100.00% List
Overall1951-1963   17 15 0   0 45 13 3 1 76.47% List


Club Career

NSWRFL Premiership (NRL) - By Year

Team Season   App T G   GK % FG Pts W L D Win %  
St George NSWRFL 1951   14 3 -   - 9 7 6 1 50.00% List
St George NSWRFL 1952   11 14 -   - 42 6 5 0 54.55% List
St George NSWRFL 1953   18 11 -   - 33 11 7 0 61.11% List
St George NSWRFL 1955   1 1 -   - 3 0 1 0 0.00% List
St George NSWRFL 1956   19 18 -   - 54 14 4 1 73.68% List
St George NSWRFL 1957   19 26 -   - 78 16 3 0 84.21% List
St George NSWRFL 1958   13 6 -   - 18 11 2 0 84.62% List

NSWRFL Premiership (NRL) - By Team

Team Years   App T G   GK % FG Pts W L D Win %  
St George 1951-53, 1955-58   95 79 -   - 237 65 28 2 68.42% List

Your Say

  • Ellie Ryan
    27/03/2012

    i am his granddaughter and i cant belive thomas alfred ryan (my pop) holds a record!!!!

  • Dave townes
    03/02/2021

    I first met Tom when he was the publican at the exchange hotel, Taree. Learnt about his pursuits in Rugby League. Was a great footballer and even greater person. Fantastic bloke and well loved by the local Rugby League team, Taree United. The players loved him.

  • Steve Dillon
    26/08/2023

    Tommy passed away 24 August 2023

  • Anonymous
    28/09/2023

    Lovely man met him when he and his wife living in berry needed autograph for saints players in 11 years in a row no problem and talked about the old days not like players now

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Contributions: Shawn Dollin, Paul Carter, Greg Fiveash, Max Turner, Andrew Ferguson, Rugby League Tables, Alan Katzmann, Michael Borg, Tony McCarron, Bill Bates, Tim Costello