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Ron Lynch

Playing Career

All information provided below is based only on data available in the RLP database and should be used as a guide only.

Vital Statistics

Nickname(s)
Thirsty
Born
Thursday, 14th September, 1939
Died
Sunday, 12th May, 2024 (Aged 84 years and 240 days)

Competitions Won

The Ashes
1966, 1967/68
Test Series
1967 Australia vs New Zealand
Interstate Series
1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1966, 1967
NSW City vs Country Firsts
1967, 1963

Biography

Ron ‘Thirsty' Lynch was a rock-solid lock who came to P’matta from Forbes where he had first represented NSW in 1960. Lynch made his Test debut against NZ in 1961 and while his rep career was kept in check by champion lock John Raper, this did not prevent him from playing in 12 Test matches, (the last being 1970's 'Battle of Brisbane' against Great Britain). A shoulder dislocation ruled him out of the 1963-64 Kangaroo tour but he was duly selected on the 1967-68 tour (14 matches including three Tests). Lynch is best remembered scoring a freakish try after the ball rebounded off the cross bar in the 1963 semi-final against Balmain The same year, he captained P’matta to victory over a visiting South African national side. While the Eels were infrequent semi-finalists during his captaincy, Lynch was consistently one of the club's best players. He was captain-coach in of the club in 1970 but moved to Penrith, captaining the struggling club in every match for two seasons before retiring in 1973.
- ALAN WHITICKER

Playing Career Statistics

To view a list of corresponding matches, click on the List button.

Representative Career - International Comp WinsStartsIntAPP3ST3PTTG1FG2FGFGPtsBin5BinOffWLDWin% 
Tests (Senior International Matches) -111121-1----3---74158.33%List
Other International Matches -1-1-----------1--100.00%List
The Ashes 26-61-1----3---42-66.67%List
Tour MatchesWestern DivisionWDV-1-1------------1-0.00%List
Tour MatchesNew South Wales FirstsNFI-3-3-----------21-66.67%List
Tour MatchesAustraliaAUS-261273-3----9---179162.96%List
Tour MatchesSydney FirstsSDF-2-23-3----9---11-50.00%List
Tour MatchesParramatta EelsPAR-1-13-3----9---1--100.00%List
Test Series 3111121-1----3---74158.33%List
Representative Career - Australia Comp WinsStartsIntAPP3ST3PTTG1FG2FGFGPtsBin5BinOffWLDWin% 
Interstate Series 615-152-2----6---104166.67%List
NSW City vs Country Firsts 24-42-2----6---22-50.00%List
NSW City vs Country 28193-3----9---44144.44%List
Club Career - Australia Comp WinsStartsIntAPP3ST3PTTG1FG2FGFGPtsBin5BinOffWLDWin% 
Country Carnival -1-1------------1-0.00%List
NSWRFL (NRL Premiership) -238-23838-38----114--1100131742.02%List
NRL Finals -7-71-1----3---16-14.29%List
Preseason Cup -46-462-2----6---1629134.78%List
Overall StartsIntAPP3ST3PTTG1FG2FGFGPtsBin5BinOffWLDWin% 
First Class 340234254-54----162--11511801144.15%List

Test Matches - By Team

TeamYears StartsIntAPP3ST3PTTG1FG2FGFGPtsBin5BinOffWLDWin% 
Australia1961-62, 1966-67, 1970 111121-1----3---74158.33%List

International Matches - By Team

TeamYears StartsIntAPP3ST3PTTG1FG2FGFGPtsBin5BinOffWLDWin% 
Australia1961 1-1-----------1--100.00%List

Australia - By Team

TeamYears StartsIntAPP3ST3PTTG1FG2FGFGPtsBin5BinOffWLDWin% 
Western Division1959 2-2------------2-0.00%List
Probables (AU)1959 1-1-----------1--100.00%List
NSW Country Seconds1959 1-1------------1-0.00%List
NSW Country Firsts1959-60 3-3------------3-0.00%List
NSW Firsts1960-64, 1966-67 18-182-2----6---125166.67%List
NSW City Seconds1961, 1964, 1966, 1968 3141-1----3---21150.00%List
Sydney Firsts1962-64 3-33-3----9---21-66.67%List
NSW City Firsts1962-63, 1967 3-32-2----6---21-66.67%List

NSWRFL (NRL Premiership) - By Year

TeamSeason StartsIntAPP3ST3PTTG1FG2FGFGPtsBin5BinOffWLDWin% 
ParramattaParramatta19611961 NSWRFL 14-14-----------311-21.43%List
ParramattaParramatta19621962 NSWRFL 19-192-2----6---98247.37%List
ParramattaParramatta19631963 NSWRFL 19-195-5----15---127-63.16%List
ParramattaParramatta19641964 NSWRFL 19-197-7----21---136-68.42%List
ParramattaParramatta19651965 NSWRFL 19-194-4----12---117157.89%List
ParramattaParramatta19661966 NSWRFL 16-163-3----9---68237.50%List
ParramattaParramatta19671967 NSWRFL 19-192-2----6---613-31.58%List
ParramattaParramatta19681968 NSWRFL 17-171-1----3---79141.18%List
ParramattaParramatta19691969 NSWRFL 21-211-1----3--11110-52.38%List
ParramattaParramatta19701970 NSWRFL 12-12-----------210-16.67%List
ParramattaParramatta19711971 NSWRFL 19-193-3----9---109-52.63%List
PenrithPenrith19721972 NSWRFL 22-223-3----9---516122.73%List
PenrithPenrith19731973 NSWRFL 22-227-7----21---517-22.73%List

NSWRFL (NRL Premiership) - By Team

TeamYears StartsIntAPP3ST3PTTG1FG2FGFGPtsBin5BinOffWLDWin% 
Parramatta1961-71 194-19428-28----84--19098646.39%List
Penrith1972-73 44-4410-10----30---1033122.73%List

Your Say

  • E Curb Nottus
    8 May 2012 6:56pm

    An ironman of a player, Lynch played 7 and a half seasons straight in the Sydney comp without missing a game, in an era devoid of substitutions
    and 'bloodbins', he just kept backing up for 80 minutes, game in, game out, season in, season out.

  • Brian Davies
    1 Sep 2013 5:03pm

    I am sure he also played Centre for Australia in a district game in New Zealand during a New Zealand tour (possably because of injuries to the normal centres). One of the best whose international selections were only reduced by the presence of the great John Raper. They even selected him in second row to keep both of them in the team on occasions.

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

Sources:RFL Player Registers